“Ah! Lord! Monsieur, everyone has his share of grievances, and Marguerite has fallen to mine. Besides, after all she is only cross, and not malicious. The worst is, that her affection for two children by a former husband makes her play the stepmother with my two sons. She cannot bear the sight of them, and by her goodwill they would never set a foot within my door. But on this point I always stand firm, and never will consent to abandon the poor lads to the world’s mercy, as she has often solicited me to do. In everything else I let her have her own way; and truly she manages a family rarely, that I must say for her.”

We were conversing in this manner, when our discourse was interrupted by a loud halloo which rang through the forest.