house, in search of the stray ones; the servants likewise received
orders to disperse themselves over the grounds in different directions;
and madame de l'Hopital and her companion were only aroused to a
recollection of the flight of time by hearing their names loudly shouted
by a dozen different voices. Fortunately they were just in time to
separate in opposite paths, and thus to enter the castle without any
suspicion being excited of their having been so recently in each other's
company. The marquis angrily remonstrated with his lady for having
obliged him to send in search of her, and she excused herself by
protesting that she had not heard the dinner-bell. The marquis replied,
that the thing was impossible; and after some angry discussion the
matter rested there.

A few days after this the marchioness, with her husband and cousin, were
rambling over the grounds, when they found themselves at the entrance of
a hermitage, where madame de l'Hopital had told the marquis she had
sat down to rest herself on the day of her failing to attend the
dinner-hour. M. de l'Hopital resumed the dispute, by protesting that
from this situation the dinner-bell might easily be heard: the lady
continued firm in protesting it could not, till, at last, feigning
extreme anger, she exclaimed. "Well then, sir, since you refuse to
believe _my_ assertion, go yourself and ring the bell as loudly as you
please, your cousin will remain here with me, and determine if it be
possible to distinguish the sound from here."

The fool of a marquis set off in the height of his zeal to convince
his wife, and, arriving at the turret where the bell was placed, began
ringing it with all his might and main, leaving the lovers the
undisturbed opportunity they were not slow in taking advantage of. When
the marquis had ceased his chimes, the loving pair went to meet him.

"Well, my good cousin," inquired he, as they approached, "which of us
was right? Could you hear it or not?"

"Yourself, most assuredly," replied the young man, not without a slight
blush. "I can assure you that both madame and myself heard the bell the
whole time you were ringing it."

"There, I told you so; I told you so"; cried the delighted husband,
triumphantly rubbing his hands.

I thought when this lively and piquant adventure was related to me, that
it was well worthy of being immortalized by the pen of a La Fontaine.
The marchioness gave these anecdotes with a grace and talent pec