CHAPTER XXIV.
THE ENCOUNTER.
The king with his hand made, first to the musketeer, and then to Saint-Aignan, an imperious and significant gesture, as much as to say, "On your lives, not a word." D'Artagnan withdrew, like a soldier, into a corner of the room; Saint-Aignan, in his character of favorite, leaned over the back of the king's chair.

Manicamp, with his right foot properly advanced, a smile upon his lips, and his white and well-formed hands gracefully disposed, advanced to make his reverence to the king, who returned the salutation by a bow.

"Good evening, M.de Manicamp," he said.
"Your majesty did me the honor to send for me," said Manicamp.
"Yes, in order to learn from you all the details of the unfortunate accident which has befallen the Comte de Guiche." "Oh! sire, it is very grievous indeed." "You were there ?" "Not precisely so, sire." "But you arrived on the scene where the accident occurred a few minutes after it took place ?" "I did so, sire, about half an hour afterward." "And where did the accident happen ?" "I believe, sire, the place is called the Rond-point du Bois-Rochin." "Oh! the rendezvous of the hunt." "The very spot, sire." "Very good; tell me what details you are acquainted with, respecting this unhappy affair, Monsieur de Manicamp." "Perhaps your majesty has already been informed of them, and I fear to fatigue you by useless repetitions." "No, do not be afraid of that." Manicamp looked all around him; he only saw D'Artagnan leaning with his back against the wainscot--D'Artagnan, calm, kind, and good-natured as usual--and Saint-Aignan whom he had accompanied, and who still leaned over the king's armchair with an expression of countenance equally full of good feeling.

He determined, therefore, to speak out.

"Your majesty is perfectly aware," he said, "that accidents are very frequent in hunting." "In hunting, do you say ?" "I mean, sire, when an animal is brought to bay." "Ah! ah!" said the king, "it was when the animal was brought to bay, then, that the accident happened." "Alas! sire, unhappily, it was so." The king paused for a moment before he said: "What animal was being hunted ?" "A wild boar, sire." "And what could possibly have possessed De Guiche to go to a wild-boar hunt by himself; that is but a clownish idea of sport, and only fit for that class of people who, unlike the Marechal de Grammont, have no dogs and huntsmen to hunt as gentlemen should do." Manicamp shrugged his shoulders.