The king immediately took notice of it:  “Chevalier,” said he, “Termes is not arrived then?” “Pardon me, sire,” said he, “God be thanked!” “Why God be thanked?” said the king; “has anything happened to him on the road?” “Sire,” said the Chevalier de Grammont, “this is the history of my dress, and of Termes, my messenger.”  At these words the ball, ready to begin, was suspended:  the dancers making a circle around the Chevalier de Grammont, he continued his story in the following manner: 

“It is now two days since this fellow ought to have been here, according to my orders and his protestations:  you may judge of my impatience all this day, when I found he did not come:  at last, after I had heartily cursed him, about an hour ago he arrived, splashed all over from head to foot, booted up to the waist, and looking as if he had been excommunicated ‘Very well, Mr. Scoundrel,’ said I, ’this is just like you, you must be waited for to the very last minute, and it is a miracle that you are arrived at all.’  ‘Yes, faith,’ said he, ’it is a miracle.  You are always grumbling:  I had the finest suit in the world made for you, which the Duke de Guise himself was at the trouble of ordering.’  ‘Give it me then, scoundrel,’ said I.  ‘Sir,’ said he, ’if I did not employ a dozen embroiderers upon it, who did nothing but work day and night, I am a rascal:  I never left them one moment:  ’And where is it traitor?’ said I:  ’do not stand here prating, while I should be dressing.’  ‘I had,’ continued he, ’packed it up, made it tight, and folded it in such a manner, that all the rain in the world could never have been able to reach it; and I rid post, day and night, knowing your impatience, and that you were not to be trifled with.’  ’But where is it?’ said I.  ‘Lost, sir,’ said he, clasping his hands.  ‘How! lost,’ said I, in surprise.  ’Yes, lost, perished, swallowed up:  what can I say more?’ ‘What! was the packet-boat cast away then?’ said I.  ’Oh! indeed, sir, a great deal worse, as you shall see,’ answered he:  ’I was within half a league of Calais yesterday morning, and I was resolved to go by the sea-side, to make greater haste; but, indeed, they say very true, that nothing is like the highway; for I got into a quicksand, where I sunk up to the chin.’  ‘A quicksand,’ said I, ‘near Calais?’ ’Yes, sir,’ said he, ’and such a quicksand that, the devil take me, if they saw anything but the top of my head when they pulled me out:  as for my horse, fifteen men could scarce get him out; but the portmanteau, where I had unfortunately put your clothes, could never be found:  it must be at least a league under ground.’

“This, sire,” continued the Chevalier de Grammont, “is the adventure, and the relation which this honest gentleman has given me of it.  I should certainly have killed him, but I was afraid of making Miss Hamilton wait, and I was desirous of giving your Majesty immediate advice of the quicksand, that your couriers may take care to avoid it.”