And the servant-girl herself looked at her master with admiration, thinking that he was going to accompany the carriage on horseback, and during all the meals, she listened to him talking of riding, recounting his former exploits, at his father’s house.

Oh! he had been to a good school, and, once the beast was between his legs, he was afraid of nothing—no, nothing!

He would repeat to his wife, rubbing his hands:

‘If they could give me an animal a bit high spirited, I would be delighted. You will see how I ride: and if you like, we will come home by the Champs-Élysées at the time when all the people are coming back from the Bois. As we shall put up a good show, I shouldn’t be sorry if we met someone from the Ministry. It doesn’t require more than that to make yourself respected by your chiefs.’

On the appointed day, the carriage and the horse arrived at the same time before the door. He came down at once to examine his mount. He had got understraps sewn to his trousers, and was swishing a riding whip he had bought the night before.

He raised and felt, one after the other, the four legs of the beast, touched the neck, the ribs, the hocks, tried the loins with his finger, opened the mouth, examined the teeth, declared how old it was, and, as all the family came down, he delivered a sort of little theoretical and practical course on the horse in general, and on this one in particular, which he recognized as excellent.

When everybody was nicely placed in the carriage, he verified the girths of the saddle: then raising himself on a stirrup, let himself drop on the animal which began to dance under the weight, and almost unsaddled his rider.

Hector, distressed, tried to calm him.

‘Come now, quietly, my friend, quietly.’

Then when the beast who carried him had recovered his tranquillity, and the man who was carried his self-possession, he asked:

‘Everybody ready?’

All their voices answered:

‘Yes.’

Then he gave the order.

‘March!’

And the cavalcade set out.

All their eyes were fixed on him. He trotted in the English fashion, exaggerating the action. Hardly had he fallen into the saddle again, than he rebounded as if to mount into space. Often he seemed about to fall on the horse’s neck: and he kept his eyes fixed in front of him, with his face set and his cheeks pale.

His wife, holding one of the children on her knees, and the maid who was carrying the other, went on repeating ceaselessly:

‘Look at daddy, look at daddy!’