attention to the sport than to me." He groaned, and said: "Did you not
order me to kill the animal myself?" And she replied gravely: "Of course
I reckon upon it. You must kill it under my eyes."

Then he trembled in his saddle, spurred his horse until it reared, and,
losing all patience, exclaimed: "But, by Jove, Madame, that is
impossible if we remain here." Then she spoke tenderly to him, laying
her hand on his arm, or stroking his horse's mane, as if from
abstraction, and said with a laugh: "But you must do it ... or else ...
so much the worse for you."

Just then they turned to the right, into a narrow path which was
overhung by trees, and suddenly, to avoid a branch which barred their
way, she leaned towards him so closely, that he felt her hair tickling
his neck, and he suddenly threw his arms brutally round her, and
putting his thick moustache onto her forehead, he gave her a furious
kiss.

At first she did not move, and remained motionless under that mad
caress; then she turned her head with a jerk, and either by accident or
design her little lips met his, under their wealth of light hair, and a
moment afterwards, either from confusion or remorse, she struck her
horse with her riding-whip, and went off at full gallop, and they rode
on like that for some time, without exchanging a look.

The noise of the hunt came nearer, the thickets seemed to tremble, and
suddenly the wild boar broke through the bushes, covered with blood, and
trying to shake off the hounds who had fastened onto him, and the baron,
uttering a shout of triumph, exclaimed: "Let him who loves me, follow
me!" And he disappeared in the copse, as if the wood had swallowed him