midday
By avoiding the main roads and large towns and keeping to by-paths I lessened the chance of danger as much as possible . At Candes , which lies at the junction of the Loire and the Vienne , I heard that the Guidon of Montpensier was hard at hand , and , knowing well the reputation of this person , I bade Pierrebon saddle up , and we started without a meal , though we had ridden far and fast . In a short time we entered the forest of Fontevrault , and my spirits rose high at the thought that in a brief space I would be in Poitiers , where Montluc lay , and my mission accomplished . So far so good ; but towards midday I began to feel the need of rest , and splashing across a ford of the Negron I called a halt on the opposite bank and looked around me ; whilst Pierrebon , who was a little stiff , jumped from his hackney , and began to mop his brow and stretch his legs . We were in the heart of the forest , and to the north , south , east , and west of us there was nothing but trees and dense underwood , with here and there a long , shimmering glade or an open space , through which a small streamlet hummed , its banks gay with flowers . But I confess that at the moment I had no eyes for the scene -- for the yellow mary-buds , the blue of the wild hyacinth , or the white stars of the wind-flowers ; for leaf and shade , and all the enchantment of the woodland . In brief , I was famished , and would have given a gold Henri to have seen a signboard swinging in the air .