ophical mien could be noticed quietly sitting
upright, rubbing his muzzle with his fore-paws, and looking about
inquiringly, as though wondering whether all these people, who were
approaching in his direction, and who had just disturbed him in his
meditations and his meal, were not followed by their dogs, or had not
their guns under their arms. All alighted from their carriages as soon
as they observed that the queen was doing so. Maria Theresa took the arm
of one of her ladies of honor, and, with a side-glance toward the king,
who did not perceive that he was in the slightest degree the object of
the queen's attention, entered the forest by the first path before her.
Two of the out-riders preceded her majesty with long poles, which they
used for the purpose of putting the branches of the trees aside, or
removing the bushes which might impede her progress. As soon as Madame
alighted, she found the Comte de Guiche at her side, who bowed and
placed himself at her disposal. Monsieur, delighted with his bath of the
two previous days, had announced his preference for the river, and,
having given De Guiche leave of absence, remained at the chateau with
the Chevalier de Lorraine and Manicamp. He was not in the slightest
degree jealous. He had been looked for to no purpose among those
present; but as Monsieur was a man who thought a great deal of himself,
and usually added very little to the general pleasure, his absence had
rather been a subject of satisfaction than of regret. Every one had
followed the example which the queen and Madame had set, doing just as
they pleased, according as chance or fancy influenced them. The king,
we have already observed, remained near Valliere, and, throwing himself
off his horse at the moment the door of her carriage was opened, he
offered her his hand to alight. Montalais and Tonnay-Charente
immediately drew back and kept at a distance; the former from
calculated, the latter from prudent, motives. There was this difference,
however, between the two, that the one had withdrawn from a wish to
please the king, the other for a very opposite reason. During the last
half hour the weather also had undergone a change; the veil which had
been spread over the sky, as if driven by a blast of heated air, had
become massed together in the western part of the heavens; and afterward
as if driven back by a current of air from the opposite direction, was
now advancing slowly and heavily toward them. The approa