ST. CLOUD. 147 



" Bah ! you seem to be a brave and worthy man, and you 

 see poor folks must enjoy themselves now and then at his 

 majesty's expense. It is a custom we gained in our old 

 campaigns. Only now and then, my bourgeois !" 



" You have been a soldier, then V 



-' Yes, indeed, my general ! and you have, no doubt ; served 

 in the good times V 



" Oh, I have served a long time." 



"As a captain T 



" Higher rank than that," 



" I said I knew you were a general." 



" Higher than that." 



" Diable !" muttered the peasant, rubbing his ears ; " per- 

 haps he is a Marshal of France. I forget all their faces since 

 I have seen them at the bivouac. No doubt he is a Marshal 

 of France. They like pheasants, and are all good fellows ; 

 as they have all risen from simple soldiers, they love forag- 

 ing; and what have I been doing but foraging a little at the 

 expense of the Crown, which can well afford a head or two of 

 game, without ruining itself T 



The king was silent, and listened to the gossip of the 

 poacher, who did not seem the least ashamed of his culpable 

 pursuits, and continued a merry and half-drunken account of 

 both of these, and his military exploits. They continued their 

 walk together, apparently excellent companions, one resem- 

 bling a gentleman from the city, and the other a country 

 peasant, but both bent on sport in the forest. 



" I thought you were a Marshal of France. I knew 

 Moncey when he was a corporal, and Bellune when he was 

 a sergeant I, that am talking to you, marshal !" 



The king smiled, and repeated his former answer 

 " Higher than that !" 



The poacher began to feel rather uncomfortable, and could 

 not make out to whom he could possibly be talking, when 



