“By the way,” I said, “your daughter did not expect my coming.”  It was perhaps a vain hope, but I thought that I might save Marie from a tirade.

The old woman shrugged her shoulders, and observed carelessly: 

“The fool may do what she likes;” and with this she knocked at the door.

I did not wait to see it opened—­to confess the truth, I felt not sure of my temper were I forced to see her and Marie together—­but went downstairs and into my own room.  There I sat down in a chair by the window close to a small table, for I meant to write a letter or two to friends at home, in case the duke’s left hand should prove more skillful than mine when we met that evening.  But, finding that I could hardly write with my right hand and couldn’t write at all with the other, I contented myself with scrawling laboriously a short note to Gustave de Berensac, which I put in my pocket, having indorsed on it a direction for its delivery in case I should meet with an accident.  Then I lay back in my chair, regretting, I recollect, that, as my luggage was left at Avranches, I had not a clean shirt to fight in; and then, becoming drowsy, I began to stare idly along the road in front of the window, rehearsing the events of the last few days in my mind, but coming back to Marie Delhasse.

So an hour passed away.  Then I rose and stretched myself, and gave a glance out of the window to see if we were likely to have a fine evening for our sport, for clouds had been gathering up all day.  And when I had made up my mind that the rain would hold off long enough for our purpose, I looked down at the road again, and there I saw two figures which I knew.  From the direction of Pontorson came Jacques Bontet the inn-keeper, slouching along and smoking a thin black cigar.

“Ah! he has been to deliver the note to our friends the officers,” said I to myself.

And then I looked at the other familiar figure, which was that of Mme. Delhasse.  She wore the bonnet and cloak which had been lying on the bed in her room at the time of my intrusion.  She was just leaving the premises of the inn strolling, nay dawdling, along.  She met Bontet and stopped for a moment in conversation with him.  Then she pursued her leisurely walk in the direction of Pontorson, and I watched her till she was about three hundred yards off.  But her form had no charms, and, growing tired of the prospect, I turned away remarking to myself: 

“I suppose the old lady wants just a little stroll before dinner.”

Nor did I see any reason to be dissatisfied with either of my inferences—­at the moment.  So I disturbed myself no more, but rang the bell and ordered some coffee and a little glass of the least bad brandy in the inn.  For it could not be long before I was presented with the Duke of Saint-Maclou’s compliments and an intimation that he would be glad to have my company on a walk in the cool of the evening.