Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Sam W. and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net BIBLIOTHÈQUE DES CHEFS-D'OEUVRE DU ROMAN CONTEMPORAIN _KING OF CAMARGUE_ JEAN AICARD PRINTED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY BY GEORGE BARRIE & SONS, PHILADELPHIA COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY GEORGE BARRIE & SON THIS EDITION OF KING OF CAMARGUE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY TRANSLATED BY GEORGE B. IVES THE ETCHINGS ARE BY LOUIS V. RUET AND DRAWINGS BY GEORGE ROUX CHEFS-D'OEUVRE DU ROMAN CONTEMPORAIN ROMANCISTS THIS EDITION DEDICATED TO THE HONOR OF THE ACADÉMIE FRANÇAISE IS LIMITED TO ONE THOUSAND NUMBERED AND REGISTERED SETS, OF WHICH THIS IS NUMBER 358 THE ROMANCISTS JEAN AICARD KING OF CAMARGUE [Illustration: Chapter VI _This woman had a way of looking at people that disconcerted them. You would say that a sharp, threatening flame shot from her eyes. It penetrated your being, searched your heart, and you were powerless against it._] TO ÉMILE TRÉLAT My Very Dear Friend: Permit me to dedicate this book to you, whose incomparable friendship has been to the poet, obstinate in his idealism, of hourly assistance, a constant proof of the reality of true generosity and kindness of heart. Jean Aicard. _La Garde, near Toulon, April 11, 1890._ Contents PAGE I LIVETTE AND ZINZARA 3 II IN CAMARGUE 13 III THE DROVERS 21 IV THE SÉDEN 27 V THE LOVERS 39 VI RAMPAL 51 VII THE MEETING 57 VIII ON THE BENCH 73 IX THE PRAYER 83 X THE TERRACE 91 XI THE HIDING-PLACE 99 XII A SORCERESS 121 XIII THE SNAKE-CHARMER 143 XIV JOUSTING 165 XV MONSIEUR LE CURÉ'S ARCHÆOLOGY 177 XVI ON THE ROOF OF THE CHURCH 205