foot that passed over them. Little mindful of this, the peasants might now be seen leaning over their frail barriers, and staring at the unwonted apparition of two figures on horseback, while I was endeavouring, by signs and gestures, to indicate our wish to cross over.

At last a huge raft appeared to move from beneath the willows of the opposite bank, and by the aid of a rope fastened across the stream two men proceeded slowly to ferry the great platform over. Leading our horses cautiously forward, we embarked in this frail craft, and landed safely in Bouvigne.

CHAPTER XV

A NARROW ESCAPE

'WILL you please to tell me, Mr. O'Leary,' said Laura, in the easy tone of one who asked for information's sake, 'what are your plans here; for up to this moment I only perceive that we have been increasing the distance between us and Rochepied.'

'Quite true,' said I; 'but you know we agreed it was impossible to hope to find our way back through the forest. Every allée here has not only its brother, but a large family, so absolutely alike no one could distinguish between them; we might wander for weeks without extricating ourselves.'

'I know all that,' said she somewhat pettishly; 'still my question remains unanswered. What do you mean to do here?'

'In the first place,' said I, with the affected precision of one who had long since resolved on his mode of proceeding, 'we'll dine.'

I stopped here to ascertain her sentiments on this part of my arrangement. She gave a short nod, and I proceeded. 'Having dined,' said I, 'we'll obtain horses and a calèche, if such can be found, for Rochepied.'

'I've told you already there are no such things here. They never see a carriage of any kind from year's end to year's end; and there is not a horse in the whole village.'

Perhaps, then, there may be a château near, where, on making known our mishap, we might be able——

'Oh, that's very simple, as far as you're concerned,' said she, with a saucy smile; 'but I'd just as soon not have this adventure published over the whole country.'

Ha! by Jove, thought I, there's a consideration completely overlooked by me; and so I became silent and thoughtful, and spoke not another word as we led our horses up the little rocky causeway towards the 'Toison d'Or.'

If we did not admire the little auberge of the 'Golden Fleece,' truly the fault was rather our own than from any want of merit in the little hostelry itself. Situated on a rocky promontory on the river, it was built actually over the stream-the door fronting it, and approachable by a little wooden gallery, along which a range of orange-trees and arbutus was tastefully disposed, scenting the whole air with their fragrance. As we walked along we caught glimpses of several rooms within, neatly and even handsomely furnished-and of one salon in particular, where books and music lay scattered on the tables, with that air of habitation so pleasant to look on.

So far from our appearance in a neighbourhood thus remote and secluded creating any surprise, both host and hostess received us with the most perfect ease, blended with a mixture of cordial civility very acceptable at the moment.

'We wish to dine at once,' said I, as I handed Laura to a chair.

'And to know in what way we can reach Rochepied,' said she; 'our horses are weary and not able for the road.' 'For the dinner, mademoiselle, nothing is easier; but as to getting forward to-night'

'Oh, of course I mean to-night-at once.'

'Ah, voilà,' said he, scratching his forehead in bewilderment; 'we're not accustomed to that, never. People generally stop a day or two; some spend a week here, and have horses from Dinant to meet them.'

'A week here!' exclaimed she; and what in Heaven's name can they do here for a week?'

'Why, there's the château, mademoiselle-the château of Philip de Bouvigne, and the gardens terraced in the rock; and there's the well of St. Sèvres, and the Ile de Notre Dame aux bois; and then there's such capital fishing in the stream, with abundance of trout.'

'Oh, delightful, I'm sure,' said she impatiently; 'but we wish to get on. So just set your mind to that, like a worthy man.'

'Well, we'll see what can be done,' replied he; and before dinner's over, perhaps I may find some means to forward you.'

With this he left the room, leaving mademoiselle and myself tête-à-tête. And here let me confess, never did any man feel his situation more awkwardly than I did mine at that moment; and before any of my younger and more ardent brethren censure me, let me at least 'show cause' in my defence. First, I myself, however unintentionally, had brought Mademoiselle Laura into her present embarrassment; but for me and the confounded roan she had been at that moment cantering away pleasantly with the Comte d'Espagne beside her, listening to his fleurettes and receiving his attentions. Secondly, I was, partly from bashfulness, partly from fear, little able to play the part my present emergency demanded, which should either have been one of downright indifference and ease, or something of a more tender nature, which indeed the very pretty companion of my travels might have perfectly justified.

'Well,' said she, after a considerable pause, 'this is about the most ridiculous scrape I've ever been involved in. What will they think at the château?'

'If they saw your horse when he bolted

'Of course they did,' said she; but what could they do? The Comte d'Espagne is always mounted on a slow horse: he couldn't overtake me; then the maîtres couldn't pass the grand maître.'

'What!' cried I, in amazement; 'I don't comprehend you perfectly.'

'It's quite clear, nevertheless,' replied she; 'but I see you don't know the rules of the chasse in Flanders.'

With this she entered into a detail of the laws of the hunting-field, which more than once threw me into fits of laughter. It seemed, then, that the code decided that each horseman who followed the hounds should not be left to the wilfulness of his horse or the aspirings of his ambition, as to the place he occupied in the chase. It was no momentary superiority of skill or steed, no display of jockeyship, no blood that decided this momentous question. No; that was arranged on principles far less vacillating and more permanent at the commencement of the hunting season, by which it was laid down as a rule that the grand maître was always to ride first. His pace might be fast or it might be slow, but his place was there. After him came the maîtres, the people in scarlet, who in right of paying double subscription were thus costumed and thus privileged; while the 'aspirants' in green followed last, their smaller contribution only permitting them to see so much of the sport as their respectful distance opened to them-and thus that indiscriminate rush, so observable in our hunting-fields, was admirably avoided and provided against. It was no headlong piece of reckless daring, no impetuous dash of bold horsemanship; on the contrary, it was a decorous and stately canter-not after hounds, but after an elderly gentleman in a red coat and a brass tube, who was taking a quiet airing in the pleasing delusion that he was hunting an animal unknown. Woe unto the man who forgot his place in the procession! You might as well walk into dinner before your host, under the pretence that you were a more nimble pedestrian.

Besides this, there were subordinate rules to no end. Certain notes on the cor de chasse were royalties of the grand maître; the maîtres possessed others as their privileges which no aspirant' dare venture on. There were quavers for one, and semiquavers for the other; and, in fact, a most complicated system of legislation comprehended every incident, and I believe every accident, of the sport, so much that I can't trust my memory as to whether the wretched 'aspirants' were not limited to tumbling in one particular direction—which, if so, must have been somewhat of a tyranny, seeing they were but men, and Belgians.

'This might seem all very absurd and very fabulous if I referred to a number of years back; but when I say that the code still exists, in the year of grace, 1856, what will they say at Melton or Grantham? So you may imagine,' said Laura, on concluding her description, which she gave with much humour, 'how manifold your transgressions have been this day. You have offended the grand maître, maîtres, and aspirants, in one coup; you have broken up the whole "order of their going."'

'And run away with the belle of the château,' added I, pour comble de hardiesse. She did not seem half to relish my jest, however; and gave a little shake of the head, as though to say, 'You're not out of that scrape yet.'

Thus did we chat over our dinner, which was really excellent, the host's eulogy on the Meuse trout being admirably sustained by their merits; nor did his flask of Haut-Brion lower the character of his cellar. Still no note of preparation seemed to indicate any arrangements for our departure; and although, sooth to say, I could have reconciled myself wonderfully to the inconvenience of the Toison d'Or for the whole week if necessary, Laura was becoming momentarily more impatient, as she said

'Do see if they are getting anything like a carriage ready, or even horses; we can ride, if they'll only get us animals.'