114 LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. Manicamp looked very uncomfortable and ill at ease. "I am angry with you. Monsieur Manicamp/' continued the king. With me, sire?"
- 'Yes. How was it that you, who are De Guiche's inti-
mate friend, and who know that he is subject to such acts of folly, did not stop him in time?" Manicamp hardly knew what to do; the tone in which the king spoke was not exactly that of a credulous man. On the other hand, the tone did not indicate any particular severity, nor did he seem to care very much about the cross- examination. There was more of raillery in it than of menace. "And you say, then," continued the king, "that it was positively De Guiche's horse that was found dead?" "Quite positive, sire." "Did that astonish you?" "No, sire; foryour majesty will remember that at the last hunt Monsieur de St. Maure had a horse killed under him, and in the same way." "Yes, but that one was ripped open." "Of course, sire." "Had De Guiche's horse been ripped open like Monsieur de St. Maure's horse, that would not have astonished me indeed." Manicamp opened his eyes very wide. "Am I mistaken?" resumed the king. "Was it not in the temple that De Guiche's horse was struck? You must admit. Monsieur de Manicamp, that that is a very singular wound." "You are aware, sire, that the horse is a very intelligent animal, and he endeavored to defend himself." "But a horse defends himself with his hind feet, and not with his head." "In that case, the terrified horse may have slipped or fallen down," said Manicamp, "and the boar, you under- stand, sire, the boar " "Oh! I understand that perfectly, as far as the horse is concerned; but how about the rider?" "Well, that, too, is simple enough; the boar left the horse and attacked the rider; and, as I have already had the honor of informing your majesty, shattered De Guiche's hand at the very moment he was about to discharge his second pistol at him, and then, with a blow of his tusk, made that terrible hole in his chest. "
