I had been enjoying my solitude for a few minutes, and I was turning over the folio pages of the _Neustra pia_, while smiling at my own happiness, when I fancied I heard the gallop of a horse in the avenue, and soon after on the pavement of the court. Some hunter behind time, I thought, and, taking up my pen, I began extracting from the enormous volume the passage relating to the General Chapters of the Benedictines; but a new and more serious interruption came to afflict me; some one was knocking at the library-door. I shook my head with ill-humor, and I said "Come in!" in the same tone in which I might have said "Go away!" Some one did come in. I had seen, a few moments before, Madame de Palme taking her flight, feathers and all, at the head of the cavalcade, and I was not a little surprised to find her again within two steps of me as soon as the door was open. Her head was bare, and her hair was tucked up behind in an odd manner; she held her whip in one hand, and with the other lifted up the long train of her riding-habit. The excitement of the rapid ride she had just had seemed further to intensify the expression of audacity which is habitual to her look and to her features. And yet her voice was less assured than usual when she exclaimed as she came in: "Ah! I beg your pardon! I thought Madame de Malouet was here?" I had risen at once to my full height. "No, madam, she is not here." "Ah! excuse me. Do you know where she is?" "I do not, madam; but I can go and ascertain, if you wish." "Thanks, thanks! I'll find her easily enough. The fact is, I met with a little accident." "Indeed!" "Oh, not much! a trailing limb tore the band off my hat, and my feathers dropped off." "Your blue feathers, madam?" "Yes, my blue feathers. In short, I have returned to the chateau to have my hat-band sewed on again. You are comfortable there to work?" "Perfectly so, madam, I could not be better." "Are you very busy just now?" "Well, yes, madam, rather busy." "Ah! I am sorry." "Why so?" "Because, I had an idea. I thought of asking you to accompany me to the forest. The gentlemen will be nearly there when I am ready to start again--and I cannot very well go on alone so far." While lisping this somewhat confused explanation, the Little Countess had an expression at once sly and embarrassed, which greatly fortified the sentiment of distrust which the awkwardness of her entrance had excited in my mind. "Madam," I said, "you really distress me. I shall regret all my life to have missed the delightful occasion you are kind enough to offer me; but it is indispensable that to-morrow's mail shall carry off this report, which the minister is expecting with extreme impatience." "You are afraid to lose your situation?" "I have none to lose, madam." "Well, then, let the minister wait, for my sake; it will flatter me." "That is impossible, madam." She assumed a very dry tone: