THE LAST CHASSE OF CHARLES X. 169 



" The king may be assured I did not omit to do so, but 

 they were very doubtful." 



" And the reposee ?" 



" I passed more than half an hour in doing so, but the 

 sun was too powerful ; I could make nothing out. But it is 

 a long time since I have predicted that that beast would 

 occasion some annoyance. It ought to have been killed long 

 ago; and, had I been listened to, I should not have had the 

 misfortune to have interrupted the king's chasse" 



" Girardin," said the king, " order the first keeper you see 

 to shoot it. In fact," continued his majesty, sotto voce, " I 

 think the measure not only prudent but necessary, as mes- 

 sieurs les piqueurs are rather delicate on a point of honour, 

 and we may have some catastrophe, a la Vatel" 



"You will be more fortunate another time," said the 

 king. " There is no harm done, and I think no more of it." 



The piqueur saluted the king, whose good-nature only 

 augmented his regret, and retired cursing the weather and 

 the old hind. 



" Let us attack the stag of ten branches on the Carre/our 

 de Villarceau" said the king. 



M. cle Girardin, who still retained his desire to return, 

 observed that it was already four o'clock, and that the ren- 

 dezvous of the stag was two leagues distant. 



" Well/' replied the king, " we have plenty of time." 



The orders were transmitted, and they departed at a foot's 

 pace; but the king's horse, impatient at the slowness of the 

 chasse, began pulling and plunging in a way that could not 

 be mistaken. His master loosened the reins; the steed 

 bounded away; the whole cavalcade followed in his wake, 

 and in a few moments the alley, so full of noble cavaliers, 

 was empty as a desert; and the only ^ traces of the royal 

 cortege was a small white cloud of dust at the extremity of 

 the avenue. 



