fancy;
but the mere fact that; he had come to me in a situation of hazard, and
voluntarily removed himself from mademoiselle's neighbourhood, gave me
good hope for the future.

M. de Bruhl died early on the morning of the second day, and Simon and
I buried him at noon. He was a man of courage and address, lacking only
principles. In spite of madame's grief and prostration, which were as
great as though she had lost the best husband in the world, we removed
before night to a separate camp in the woods; and left with the utmost
relief the grey ruin on the hill, in which, it seemed to me, we had
lived an age. In our new bivouac, where, game being abundant, and the
weather warm, we lacked no comfort, except the society of our friends,
we remained four days longer. On the fifth morning we met the others of
our company by appointment on the north road, and commenced the return
journey.

Thankful that we had escaped contagion, we nevertheless still proposed
to observe for a time such precautions in regard to the others as seemed
necessary; riding in the rear and having no communication with them,
though they showed by signs the pleasure they felt at seeing us. From
the frequency with which mademoiselle turned and looked behind her,
I judged she had overcome her pique at my strange conduct; which the
others should by this time have explained to her. Content, therefore,
with the present, and full of confidence in the future, I rode along in
a rare state of satisfaction; at one moment planning what I would do,
and at another reviewing what I had done.

The brightness and softness of the day, and the beauty of the woods,
which in some places, I remember, were bursting into leaf, contributed
much to establish me in this frame of mind. The hateful mist, which
had so greatly depressed us, had disappeared; leaving the face of the
country visible in all the brilliance of early spring. The men who rode
before us, cheered by the happy omen, laughed and talked as they rode,
or tried the paces of their horses, where the trees grew sparsely; and
their jests and laughter coming pleasantly to our ears as we followed,
warmed even madame's sad face to a semblance of happiness.

I was riding along in this state of contentment when a feeling of
fatigue, which the distance we had come did not seem to justify, led me
to spur the Cid into a brisker pace. The sensation of lassitude still
continued, however, and indeed grew worse; so that I wonde