sed my eyes, so strong was the temptation, and repeated my
refrain, 'I don't want to marry.' But I was afraid, seriously afraid;
and when I met Mme. de Noriolis I always saw her surrounded, as by a
halo, by the little red line of my aunt, and I said to myself: 'A
charming, and clever, and sensible woman, whose first husband was an
idiot, and this and that, and two thousand acres without a break. Run
away, wretch, run away, since you don't wish to marry.'

"And I ran away! But this time by what means could I run away? I was
there, miserable, in the grass, covered with sand, with my hair in
disorder, my clothes in rags, and my unfortunate leg stiff. And Mme. de
Noriolis came nearer, looking spick and span--always in the halo of the
little red line--and said to me:

"'You, M. de La Roche-Targe, is it you? What are you doing there? What
has happened to you?'

"I frankly confessed my fall.

"'At least you are not wounded?'

"'No, no, I'm not wounded. I've something the matter with that leg; but
it's nothing serious, I know.'

"'And what horse played you that trick?'

"'Why, this one.'

"And I pointed out Brutus to Mme. de Noriolis. Brutus was there, quite
near us, untied, peacefully crunching little tufts of broom.

"'What, that one, that brave horse? Oh, he has well made up for his
faults, I assure you. I will tell you about it, but later on. You must
first get home, and at once.'

"'I can't walk a step.'

"'But I am going to take you back myself, at the risk of compromising
you.'

"And she called Bob, her little groom, and taking me gently by the arm,
while Bob took me by the other, she made me get into her carriage; five
minutes later we were bowling off, both of us, in the direction of La
Roche-Targe: she, holding the reins and driving the pony with a light
hand; I, looking at her, feeling troubled, confused, embarrassed,
ridiculous, and stupid. We were alone in the carriage. Bob was
commissioned to bring Brutus, who, very docile, had allowed himself to
be taken.

"'Lie down,' Mme. de Noriolis said to me; 'keep your leg straight; I am
going to drive you slowly so as to avoid bumps.'

"In short, she made a lot of little amiable and pleasant remarks; then,
when she saw me well settled, she said:

"'Tell me how you came to fall, and then I will tell you how I happened
to come to your aid. It seems to me this horse story must be queer.'

"I began my tale; but as soon as I spoke of Brutus's efforts to unh