she stumbled several timesshe managed, by dint of courage, to climb the other side of it.The bull had driven Felicite up against a fence; the foam from hismuzzle flew in her face and in another minute he would havedisembowelled her. She had just time to slip between two bars and thehuge animal, thwarted, paused.For years, this occurrence was a topic of conversation in Pont-l'Eveque. But Felicite took no credit to herself, and probably neverknew that she had been heroic.Virginia occupied her thoughts solely, for the shock she had sustainedgave her a nervous affection, and the physician, M. Poupart,prescribed the salt-water bathing at Trouville. In those days,Trouville was not greatly patronised. Madame Aubain gatheredinformation, consulted Bourais, and made preparations as if they weregoing on an extended trip.The baggage was sent the day before on Liebard's cart. On thefollowing morning, he brought around two horses, one of which had awoman's saddle with a velveteen back to it, while on the crupper ofthe other was a rolled shawl that was to be used for a seat. MadameAubain mounted the second horse, behind Liebard. Felicite took chargeof the little girl, and Paul rode M. Lechaptois' donkey, which hadbeen lent for the occasion on the condition that they should becareful of it.The road was so bad that it took two hours to cover the eight miles.The two horses sank knee-deep into the mud and stumbled into ditches;sometimes they had to jump over them. In certain places, Liebard'smare stopped abruptly. He waited patiently till she started again, andtalked of the people whose estates bordered the road, adding his ownmoral reflections to the outline of their histories. Thus, when theywere passing through Toucques, and came to some windows draped withnasturtiums, he shrugged his shoulders and said: "There's a woman,Madame Lehoussais, who, instead of taking a young man--" Felicitecould not catch what followed; the horses began to trot, the donkey togallop, and they turned into a lane; then a gate swung open, two farm-hands appeared and they all dismounted at the very threshold of thefarm-house.Mother Liebard, when she caught sight of her mistress, was lavish withjoyful demonstrations. She got up a lunch which comprised a leg ofmutton, tripe, sausages, a chicken fricassee, sweet cider, a fruittart and some preserved prunes; then to all this the good woman addedpolite remarks about Madame, who appeared to be in better health,Mademoiselle, who had grown to be "superb," and Paul, who had becomesingularly sturdy; she spoke also of their deceased grandparents, whomthe Liebards had known, for they had been in the service of the familyfor several generations.Like its owners, the farm had an ancient appearance. The beams of theceiling were mouldy, the walls black with smoke and the windows greywith dust. The oak sideboard was filled with all sorts of utensils,plates, pitchers, tin bowls, wolf-traps. The children laughed whenthey saw a huge syringe. There was not a tree in the yard that did nothave mushrooms growing around its foot, or a bunch of mistletoehanging in its branches. Several of the trees had been blown down, butthey had started to grow in the middle and