ess:--

"I might venture to beg the young men to entertain us at this supper,
according to the ancient custom, not to sit silent and munch: are we
Capuchin fathers? Whoever keeps silent among the gentry acts exactly like
a hunter who lets his cartridge rust in his gun; therefore I praise highly
the garrulity of our ancestors. After the chase they went to the table not
only to eat, but that they might together speak forth freely what each one
had within his heart; the faults and merits of the huntsmen and the
beaters, the hounds, the shots--all were included in the order of the day;
there would arise a hubbub as dear to the ears of the sportsmen as a
second rousing of the beast. I know, I know what ails you all; that cloud
of black cares has undoubtedly arisen from Robak's cowl! You are ashamed
of your bad shots! Let not your shame burn you; I have known better
hunters than you, and they used to miss; to hit, to miss, to correct one's
mistake, that is hunter's luck. I myself, though I have been carrying a
gun ever since I was a child, have often missed; that famous sportsman
Tuloszczyk used to miss, and even the late Pan Rejtan did not always hit
the mark. Of Rejtan I will speak later. As for letting the beast escape
from the line of beaters, as for the two young gentlemen's not holding
their ground before the beast as they ought, though they had a pike in
their hands, _that_ no one can either praise or blame: for to retreat with
one's gun loaded was, according to our old ideas, to be a coward of
cowards; likewise to shoot blindly, as many do, without letting the beast
come close or sighting at it, is a shameful thing; but whoever aims well,
whoever lets the beast come near him as is proper, even if he misses, may
retire without shame; or he may fight with the pike, but at his own
pleasure and not from compulsion; since the pike is put in a sportsman's
hands not for attack but for defence alone. Such was the ancient custom;
and so believe me, and do not take your retreat to heart, my beloved
Thaddeus and Your Honour the Count. But whenever you call to mind the
happenings of to-day, remember also the caution of the old Seneschal, that
one hunter should never get in another's way, and that two should never
shoot at the same time at the same game."

The Seneschal was just pronouncing the word _game_, when the Assessor
whispered under his breath, _dame_. "Bravo," cried the young men; there
arose a murmur and laughter; all re