modeste mignon-第68章

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meet　is　for　half…past　eight　o'clock。　I　have　in　the　course　of　my　life

seen　many　women　display　greater　courage　than　men；　but　for　a　few

seconds　only；　and　you　will　need　a　strong　dose　of　resolution　to　keep

you　on　horseback　the　whole　day；　barring　a　halt　for　breakfast；　which　we

shall　take；　like　true　hunters　and　huntresses；　on　the　nail。　Are　you

still　determined　to　show　yourselves　trained　horse…women？〃



〃Prince；　it　is　necessary　for　me　to　do　so；〃　said　Modeste；　adroitly。



〃I　answer　for　myself；〃　said　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu。



〃And　I　for　my　daughter　Diane；　she　is　worthy　of　her　name；〃　added　the

prince。　〃So；　then；　you　all　persist　in　your　intentions？　However；　I

shall　arrange；　for　the　sake　of　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　and

others　of　the　party　who　stay　at　home；　to　drive　the　stag　to　the　further

end　of　the　pond。〃



〃Make　yourself　quite　easy；　mesdames；〃　said　the　Prince　de　Loudon；　when

the　Royal　Huntsman　had　left　the　room；　〃that　breakfast　'on　the　nail'

will　take　place　under　a　comfortable　tent。〃



The　next　day；　at　dawn；　all　signs　gave　promise　of　a　glorious　day。　The

skies；　veiled　by　a　slight　gray　vapor；　showed　spaces　of　purest　blue；

and　would　surely　be　swept　clear　before　mid…day　by　the　northwest　wind；

which　was　already　playing　with　the　fleecy　cloudlets。　As　the　hunting

party　left　the　chateau；　the　Master　of　the　Hunt；　the　Duc　de　Rhetore；

and　the　Prince　de　Loudon；　who　had　no　ladies　to　escort；　rode　in　the

advance；　noticing　the　white　masses　of　the　chateau；　with　its　rising

chimneys　relieved　against　the　brilliant　red…brown　foliage　which　the

trees　in　Normandy　put　on　at　the　close　of　a　fine　autumn。



〃The　ladies　are　fortunate　in　their　weather；〃　remarked　the　Duc　de

Rhetore。



〃Oh；　in　spite　of　all　their　boasting；〃　replied　the　Prince　de　Cadignan；

〃I　think　they　will　let　us　hunt　without　them！〃



〃So　they　might；　if　each　had　not　a　squire；〃　said　the　duke。



At　this　moment　the　attention　of　these　determined　huntsmenfor　the

Prince　de　Loudon　and　the　Duc　de　Rhetore　are　of　the　race　of　Nimrod；　and

the　best　shots　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germainwas　attracted　by　a　loud

altercation；　and　they　spurred　their　horses　to　an　open　space　at　the

entrance　to　the　forest　of　Rosembray；　famous　for　its　mossy　turf；　which

was　appointed　for　the　meet。　The　cause　of　the　quarrel　was　soon

apparent。　The　Prince　de　Loudon；　afflicted　with　anglomania；　had　brought

out　his　own　hunting　establishment；　which　was　exclusively　Britannic；

and　placed　it　under　orders　of　the　Master　of　the　Hunt。　Now；　one　of　his

men；　a　little　Englishman；fair；　pale；　insolent；　and　phlegmatic；

scarcely　able　to　speak　a　word　of　French；　and　dressed　with　a　neatness

which　distinguishes　all　Britons；　even　those　of　the　lower　classes；had

posted　himself　on　one　side　of　this　open　space。　John　Barry　wore　a　short

frock…coat；　buttoned　tightly　at　the　waist；　made　of　scarlet　cloth；　with

buttons　bearing　the　De　Verneuil　arms；　white　leather　breeches；　top…

boots；　a　striped　waistcoat；　and　a　collar　and　cape　of　black　velvet。　He

held　in　his　hand　a　small　hunting…whip；　and　hanging　to　his　wrist　by　a

silken　cord　was　a　brass　horn。　This　man；　the　first　whipper…in；　was

accompanied　by　two　thorough…bred　dogs；fox…hounds；　white；　with　liver

spots；　long　in　the　leg；　fine　in　the　muzzle；　with　slender　heads；　and

little　ears　at　their　crests。　The　huntsmanfamous　in　the　English

county　from　which　the　Prince　de　Loudon　had　obtained　him　at　great　cost

was　in　charge　of　an　establishment　of　fifteen　horses　and　sixty

English　hounds；　which　cost　the　Duc　de　Verneuil；　who　was　nothing　of　a

huntsman；　but　chose　to　indulge　his　son　in　this　essentially　royal

taste；　an　enormous　sum　of　money　to　keep　up。



Now；　when　John　arrived　on　the　ground；　he　found　himself　forestalled　by

three　other　whippers…in；　in　charge　of　two　of　the　royal　packs　of　hounds

which　had　been　brought　there　in　carts。　They　were　the　three　best

huntsmen　of　the　Prince　de　Cadignan；　and　presented；　both　in　character

and　in　their　distinctively　French　costume；　a　marked　contrast　to　the

representative　of　insolent　Albion。　These　favorites　of　the　Prince；　each

wearing　full…brimmed；　three…cornered　hats；　very　flat　and　very　wide…

spreading；　beneath　which　grinned　their　swarthy；　tanned；　and　wrinkled

faces；　lighted　by　three　pairs　of　twinkling　eyes；　were　noticeably　lean；

sinewy；　and　vigorous；　like　men　in　whom　sport　had　become　a　passion。　All

three　were　supplied　with　immense　horns　of　Dampierre；　wound　with　green

worsted　cords；　leaving　only　the　brass　tubes　visible；　but　they

controlled　their　dogs　by　the　eye　and　voice。　Those　noble　animals　were

far　more　faithful　and　submissive　subjects　than　the　human　lieges　whom

the　king　was　at　that　moment　addressing；　all　were　marked　with　white；

black；　or　liver　spots；　each　having　as　distinctive　a　countenance　as　the

soldiers　of　Napoleon；　their　eyes　flashing　like　diamonds　at　the

slightest　noise。　One　of　them；　brought　from　Poitou；　was　short　in　the

back；　deep　in　the　shoulder；　low…jointed；　and　lop…eared；　the　other；

from　England；　white；　fine　as　a　greyhound　with　no　belly；　small　ears；

and　built　for　running。　Both　were　young；　impatient；　and　yelping

eagerly；　while　the　old　hounds；　on　the　contrary；　covered　with　scars；

lay　quietly　with　their　heads　on　their　forepaws；　and　their　ears　to　the

earth　like　savages。



As　the　Englishman　came　up；　the　royal　dogs　and　huntsmen　looked　at　each

other　as　though　they　said；　〃If　we　cannot　hunt　by　ourselves　his

Majesty's　service　is　insulted。〃



Beginning　with　jests；　the　quarrel　presently　grew　fiercer　between

Monsieur　Jacquin　La　Roulie；　the　old　French　whipper…in；　and　John　Barry；

the　young　islander。　The　two　princes　guessed　from　afar　the　subject　of

the　altercation；　and　the　Master　of　the　Hunt；　setting　spurs　to　his

horse；　brought　it　to　an　end　by　saying；　in　a　voice　of　authority：



〃Who　drew　the　wood？〃



〃I；　monseigneur；〃　said　the　Englishman。



〃Very　good；〃　said　the　Prince　de　Cadignan；　proceeding　to　take　Barry's

report。



Dogs　and　men　became　silent　and　respectful　before　the　Royal　Huntsman；

as　though　each　recognized　his　dignity　as　supreme。　The　prince　laid　out

the　day's　work；　for　it　is　with　a　hunt　as　it　is　with　a　battle；　and　the

Master　of　Charles　X。's　hounds　was　the　Napoleon　of　forests。　Thanks　to

the　admirable　system　which　he　has　introduced　into　French　venery；　he

was　able　to　turn　his　thoughts　exclusively　to　the　science　and　strategy

of　it。　He　now　quietly　assigned　a　special　duty　to　the　Prince　de

Loudon's　establishment；　that　of　driving　the　stag　to　water；　when；　as　he

expected；　the　royal　hounds　had　sent　it　into　the　Crown　forest　which

outlined　the　horizon　directly　in　front　of　the　chateau。　The　prince　knew

well　how　to　soothe　the　self…love　of　his　old　huntsmen　by　giving　them

the　most　arduous　part　of　the　work；　and　also　that　of　the　Englishman；

whom　he　employed　at　his　own　speciality；　affording　him　a　chance　to　show

the　fleetness　of　his　horses　and　dogs　in　the　open。　The　two　national

systems　were　thus　face　to　face　and　allowed　to　do　their　best　under　each

other's　eyes。



〃Does　monseigneur　wish　us　to　wait　any　longer？〃　said　La　Roulie；

respectfully。



〃I　know　what　you　mean；　old　friend；〃　said　the　prince。　〃It　is　late；

but〃



〃Here　come　the　ladies；〃　said　the　second　whipper…in。



At　that　moment　the　cavalcade　of　sixteen　riders　was　seen　to　approach　at

the　head　of　which　were　the　green　veils　of　the　four　ladies。　Modeste；

accompanied　by　her　father；　the　grand　equerry；　and　La　Briere；　was　in

the　advance；　beside　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　whom　the　Vicomte　de

Serizy　escorted。　Behind　them　rode　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　flanked　by

Canalis；　on　whom　she　was　smiling　without　a　trace　of　rancor。　When　they

had　reached　the　open　space　where　the　huntsmen　with　their　red　coats　and

brass　bugles；　surrounded　by　the　hounds；　made　a　picture　worthy　of　Van

der　Meulen；　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　who；　in　spite　of　her　embonpoint；

sat　her　horse　admirably；　rode　up　to　Modeste；　finding　it　more　for　her

dignity　not　to　avoid　that　young　person；　to　whom　the　evening　before　she

had　not　said　a　singl