stone seat was
placed near the bank. Here Lecour drew to shore, and handed out Cyrene.
The two Guardsmen were watching him closely. When Jude rose from the
stem seat he felt a sudden strong turn given to the boat. He clutched
the air, it did not save him; one black silk leg kicked up, and he
disappeared under the water.

The face of Cyrene, who had seated herself on the stone bench, was for a
moment one of alarm.

The depth was not, however, above the Abbe's waist, and when he rose his
look of furious misery was too comical for any pity. The water streamed
in a cataract from his wig over his elongated countenance and ruined
clothes. He had screwed his face into the black slime of the bottom; it
was now besides distorted with his efforts to breathe, and he
unconsciously held up his blackened hands in the attitude of blessing.
The whole party could not contain their laughter. D'Amoreau, Grancey,
and the other Guardsmen sent up continuous roars on roars from their
boats. The Prince smiled; de Bailleul's efforts to control himself were
ineffectual; the ladies all tittered, except Madame, who stood on shore,
and even the considerate Cyrene could restrain herself no longer, but
turned her head from the moving appeal of the unfortunate figure before
her, and gave way to a silvery chime of undiluted enjoyment.

"Hush, cousin," cried the Princess de Poix, stilted as ever; "such a sad
accident."

"Repentigny, by Castor and Pollux," swore d'Amoreau at the first moment
of their meeting in private, "here are not five louis, but twenty. You
were made for a Marshal of France."

"Dominique," Germain called out, "spend this with your fellows" (by
instinct he knew it was part of his _role_ to be lavish), "and tell them
to drink to that meddlesome blackleg."

"In cold water," d'Amoreau added.

CHAPTER IX

A PHILOSOPHER BEHIND HORSE-PISTOLS

The procession of carriages containing the guests rolled back to the
Palace through the forest.

The carriage of the Prince came last and in it sat the Prince and
Princess, Cyrene and Jude, while Lecour rode alongside for some miles.
How more and more he dreaded the revelation of his humble birth. He said
his adieux at length and turned back with the keenest misery in his
breast he had ever felt--such misery indeed that after a little he could
not resist retracing his route.

The Prince's coach meanwhile had lagged behind the others at a point
where the road cut through a small