WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 323 



being. Still the wild notes of the bagpipes kept the revellers 

 going ; and not until de Morlaix, looking at his watch, discovered 

 that already he had overstayed his time, and could only by hard 

 riding keep his appointment at Quimper, did he hurry away from 

 the attractive ring. His dismay, on finding his steed gone, no 

 one knew whither, and himself stranded at least three leagues 

 short of his destination, may be better imagined than described. 

 However, after tracking the animal a long distance without being 

 able to overtake him, he gave up the chase, and started at once 

 on foot for Quimper, hoping still to catch St. Pol in the town, 

 and explain the cause of his delay. But he was too late. The 

 haughty old baron, after waiting two weary hours in the Avocat's 

 office, ordered out his carriage, in an ungovernable rage, declaring 

 his daughter was slighted and himself insulted by this cool 

 conduct of de Morlaix. Nor did the matter end there. The 

 next day came a challenge, worded in fierce language, and 

 demanding immediate satisfaction for the offence offered. To 

 this, however, de Morlaix returned a mild apologetic answer, 

 explaining his brief enjoyment of the "Jabadao" en route, and 

 the misadventure with his horse ; but the fiery baron was not 

 to be appeased, and, although no duel ensued, the match was 

 broken off, and de Morlaix never saw the lady afterwards. The 

 result, however, made little or no impression on his spirits, for 

 only a week after the event he was the life and soul of a party 

 hunting with St. Prix's wolf-hounds in his father's forest ; neithe 

 was his fancy for the " Jabadao " impaired a whit by the loss 

 of the heiress, but, on the contrary, he never failed to take a 

 turn in it whenever a peasant girl and the bagpipes gave him 

 the chance of doing so ; and he was wont, moreover, to say 

 that, had he been connected with St. Pol, the scruples of the 

 haughty old peer would probably have compelled him to give 

 up that exhilarating and delightful dance a sacrifice too painful 

 to be contemplated. 



