her woman's will against my experience, and she had come
off the victor. And then she had reviled me! As I took it all in, and
began to comprehend also the more remote results, and how completely her
move had made further progress on my part impossible, I hated her. She
had tricked me with her gracious ways and her slow-coming smile. And,
after all--for what she had said--it was this man's life or mine. 'What
had I done that another man would not do? MON DIEU! in the future there
was nothing I would not do. I would make her smart for those words of
hers! I would bring her to her knees!

Still, hot as I was, an hour might have restored me to coolness. But
when I started to return, I fell into a fresh rage, for I remembered
that I did not know my way out of the maze of rides and paths into which
she had drawn me; and this and the mishaps which followed, kept my rage
hot. For a full hour I wandered in the wood, unable, though I knew
where the village lay, to find any track which led continuously in one
direction. Whenever, at the end of each attempt, the thicket brought me
up short, I fancied that I heard her laughing on the farther side of the
brake; and the ignominy of this chance punishment, and the check which
the confinement placed on my rage, almost maddened me. In the darkness I
fell, and rose cursing; I tore my hands with thorns; I stained my suit,
which had suffered sadly once before. At length, when I had almost
resigned myself to lie in the wood, I caught sight of the lights of the
village, and, trembling between haste and anger, pressed towards them.
In a few minutes I stood in the little street.

The lights of the inn shone only fifty yards away; but before I could
show myself even there pride suggested that I should do something to
repair my clothes. I stopped, and scraped and brushed them; and, at the
same time, did what I could to compose my features. Then I advanced to
the door and knocked. Almost on the instant the landlord's voice cried
from the inside, 'Enter, Monsieur!'

I raised the latch and went in. The man was alone, squatting over the
fire warming his hands. A black pot simmered on the ashes, As I entered
he raised the lid and peeped inside. Then he glanced over his shoulder.

'You expected me?' I said defiantly, walking to the hearth, and setting
one of my damp boots on the logs.

'Yes,' he answered, nodding curtly. 'Your supper is just ready. I
thought that you would be in about this time.'