第9章

"Theverydevil，Lieutenant，"heblurtedout，intheinnocenceofhisheart，"isthatIhavedeclaredmyin-

tentiontogettothebottomofthisaffair。Andwhenacolonelsayssomething……yousee……"

Lieut。D"Hubertbrokeinearnestly:"Letmeen-

treatyou，Colonel，tobesatisfiedwithtakingmywordofhonourthatIwasputintoadamnablepositionwhereIhadnooption；Ihadnochoicewhatever，consistentwithmydignityasamanandanofficer……Afterall，Colonel，thisfactistheverybottomofthisaffair。

Hereyou"vegotit。Therestismeredetail……"

Thecolonelstoppedshort。ThereputationofLieut。

D"Hubertforgoodsenseandgoodtemperweighedinthebalance。Acoolhead，awarmheart，openastheday。Alwayscorrectinhisbehaviour。Onehadtotrusthim。Thecolonelrepressedmanfullyanim-

mensecuriosity。"H"m!Youaffirmthatasamanandanofficer……Nooption?Eh?"

"Asanofficer——anofficerofthe4thHussars，too，"

insistedLieut。D"Hubert，"Ihadnot。Andthatisthebottomoftheaffair，Colonel。"

"Yes。ButstillIdon"tseewhy，toone"scolonel……

Acolonelisafather——quediable!"

Lieut。D"Hubertoughtnottohavebeenallowedoutasyet。Hewasbecomingawareofhisphysicalin-

sufficiencywithhumiliationanddespair。Butthemorbidobstinacyofaninvalidpossessedhim，andatthesametimehefeltwithdismayhiseyesfillingwithwater。Thistroubleseemedtoobigtohandle。Atearfelldownthethin，palecheekofLieut。D"Hubert。

Thecolonelturnedhisbackonhimhastily。Youcouldhaveheardapindrop。"Thisissomesillywomanstory——isitnot?"

Sayingthesewordsthechiefspunroundtoseizethetruth，whichisnotabeautifulshapelivinginawell，butashybirdbestcaughtbystratagem。Thiswasthelastmoveofthecolonel"sdiplomacy。HesawthetruthshiningunmistakablyinthegestureofLieut。D"Hubertraisinghisweakarmsandhiseyestoheaveninsupremeprotest。

"Notawomanaffair——eh?"growledthecolonel，staringhard。"Idon"taskyouwhoorwhere。AllI

wanttoknowiswhetherthereisawomaninit?"

Lieut。D"Hubert"sarmsdropped，andhisweakvoicewaspatheticallybroken。

"Nothingofthekind，monColonel。"

"Onyourhonour?"insistedtheoldwarrior。

"Onmyhonour。"

"Verywell，"saidthecolonel，thoughtfully，andbithislip。TheargumentsofLieut。D"Hubert，helpedbyhislikingfortheman，hadconvincedhim。Ontheotherhand，itwashighlyimproperthathisintervention，ofwhichhehadmadenosecret，shouldproducenovisibleeffect。HekeptLieut。D"Hubertafewminuteslonger，anddismissedhimkindly。

"Takeafewdaysmoreinbed。Lieutenant。Whatthedevildoesthesurgeonmeanbyreportingyoufitforduty?"

Oncomingoutofthecolonel"squarters，Lieut。

D"Hubertsaidnothingtothefriendwhowaswaitingoutsidetotakehimhome。Hesaidnothingtoanybody。

Lieut。D"Hubertmadenoconfidences。Butontheeveningofthatdaythecolonel，strollingundertheelmsgrowingnearhisquarters，inthecompanyofhissecondincommand，openedhislips。

"I"vegottothebottomofthisaffair，"heremarked。

Thelieut-colonel，adry，brownchipofamanwithshortside-whiskers，prickeduphisearsatthatwithoutlettingasignofcuriosityescapehim。

"It"snotrifle，"addedthecolonel，oracularly。Theotherwaitedforalongwhilebeforehemurmured:

"Indeed，sir!"

"Notrifle，"repeatedthecolonel，lookingstraightbeforehim。"I"ve，however，forbiddenD"HuberteithertosendtoorreceiveachallengefromFeraudforthenexttwelvemonths。"

Hehadimaginedthisprohibitiontosavetheprestigeacolonelshouldhave。Theresultofitwastogiveanofficialsealtothemysterysurroundingthisdeadlyquarrel。Lieut。D"Hubertrepelledbyanimpassivesilenceallattemptstowormthetruthoutofhim。Lieut。

Feraud，secretlyuneasyatfirst，regainedhisassuranceastimewenton。Hedisguisedhisignoranceofthemeaningoftheimposedtrucebyslightsardoniclaughs，asthoughhewereamusedbywhatheintendedtokeeptohimself。"Butwhatwillyoudo?"hischumsusedtoaskhim。Hecontentedhimselfbyreplying"Quivivraverra"withalittletruculentair。Andeverybodyadmiredhisdiscretion。

BeforetheendofthetruceLieut。D"Hubertgothistroop。Thepromotionwaswellearned，butsomehownooneseemedtoexpecttheevent。WhenLieut。

Feraudheardofitatagatheringofofficers，hemutteredthroughhisteeth，"Isthatso?"Atonceheunhookedhissabrefromapegnearthedoor，buckleditoncare-

fully，andleftthecompanywithoutanotherword。Hewalkedhomewithmeasuredsteps，struckalightwithhisflintandsteel，andlithistallowcandle。Thensnatchinganunluckyglasstumbleroffthemantelpiecehedasheditviolentlyonthefloor。

NowthatD"Hubertwasanofficerofsuperiorranktherecouldbenoquestionofaduel。Neitherofthemcouldsendorreceiveachallengewithoutrenderinghimselfamenabletoacourt-martial。Itwasnottobethoughtof。Lieut。Feraud，whoformanydaysnowhadexperiencednorealdesiretomeetLieut。D"Hubertarmsinhand，chafedagainatthesystematicinjusticeoffate。

"Doeshethinkhewillescapemeinthatway?"hethought，indignantly。Hesawinthispromotionanintrigue，aconspiracy，acowardlymanoeuvre。Thatcolonelknewwhathewasdoing。Hehadhastenedtorecommendhisfavouriteforastep。Itwasoutrageousthatamanshouldbeabletoavoidtheconsequencesofhisactsinsuchadarkandtortuousmanner。

Ofahappy-go-luckydisposition，ofatemperamentmorepugnaciousthanmilitary，Lieut。Feraudhadbeencontenttogiveandreceiveblowsforsheerloveofarmedstrife，andwithoutmuchthoughtofadvance-

ment；butnowanurgentdesiretogetonsprangupinhisbreast。Thisfighterbyvocationresolvedinhismindtoseizeshowyoccasionsandtocourtthefavour-

ableopinionofhischiefslikeamereworldling。Heknewhewasasbraveasanyone，andneverdoubtedhispersonalcharm。Nevertheless，neitherthebraverynorthecharmseemedtoworkveryswiftly。Lieut。Feraud"sengaging，carelesstruculenceofabeausabreurunder-

wentachange。Hebegantomakebitterallusionsto"cleverfellowswhostickatnothingtogeton。"Thearmywasfullofthem，hewouldsay；youhadonlytolookround。Butallthetimehehadinviewonepersononly，hisadversary，D"Hubert。Onceheconfidedtoanappreciativefriend:"Yousee，Idon"tknowhowtofawnontherightsortofpeople。Itisn"tinmycharac-

ter。"

HedidnotgethissteptillaweekafterAusterlitz。

TheLightCavalryoftheGrandArmyhaditshandsveryfullofinterestingworkforalittlewhile。DirectlythepressureofprofessionaloccupationhadbeeneasedCaptainFeraudtookmeasurestoarrangeameetingwithoutlossoftime。"Iknowmybird，"heobserved，grimly。"IfIdon"tlooksharphewilltakecaretogethimselfpromotedovertheheadsofadozenbettermenthanhimself。He"sgottheknackforthatsortofthing。"

ThisduelwasfoughtinSilesia。Ifnotfoughttoafinish，itwas，atanyrate，foughttoastandstill。

Theweaponwasthecavalrysabre，andtheskill，thescience，thevigour，andthedeterminationdisplayedbytheadversariescompelledtheadmirationofthebe-

holders。ItbecamethesubjectoftalkonbothshoresoftheDanube，andasfarasthegarrisonsofGratzandLaybach。Theycrossedbladesseventimes。Bothhadmanycutswhichbledprofusely。Bothrefusedtohavethecombatstopped，timeaftertime，withwhatap-

pearedthemostdeadlyanimosity。ThisappearancewascausedonthepartofCaptainD"Hubertbyarationaldesiretobedoneonceforallwiththisworry；onthepartofCaptainFeraudbyatremendousexaltationofhispugnaciousinstinctsandtheincitementofwoundedvanity。Atlast，dishevelled，theirshirtsinrags，coveredwithgoreandhardlyabletostand，theywereledawayforciblybytheirmarvellingandhorrifiedseconds。

Lateron，besiegedbycomradesavidofdetails，thesegentlemendeclaredthattheycouldnothaveallowedthatsortofhackingtogoonindefinitely。Askedwhetherthequarrelwassettledthistime，theygaveitoutastheirconvictionthatitwasadifferencewhichcouldonlybesettledbyoneofthepartiesremaininglifelessontheground。Thesensationspreadfromarmycorpstoarmycorps，andpenetratedatlasttothesmallestdetachmentsofthetroopscantonedbe-

tweentheRhineandtheSave。InthecafesinViennaitwasgenerallyestimated，fromdetailstohand，thattheadversarieswouldbeabletomeetagaininthreeweeks"timeontheoutside。Somethingreallytranscendentinthewayofduellingwasexpected。

Theseexpectationswerebroughttonaughtbythenecessitiesoftheservicewhichseparatedthetwoofficers。Noofficialnoticehadbeentakenoftheirquarrel。Itwasnowthepropertyofthearmy，andnottobemeddledwithlightly。Butthestoryoftheduel，orrathertheirduellingpropensities，musthavestoodsomewhatinthewayoftheiradvancement，becausetheywerestillcaptainswhentheycametogetheragainduringthewarwithPrussia。DetachednorthafterJena，withthearmycommandedbyMarshalBerna-

dotte，PrinceofPonteCorvo，theyenteredLubecktogether。

ItwasonlyaftertheoccupationofthattownthatCaptainFeraudfoundleisuretoconsiderhisfuturecon-

ductinviewofthefactthatCaptainD"Huberthadbeengiventhepositionofthirdaide-de-camptothemarshal。Heconsidereditagreatpartofanight，andinthemorningsummonedtwosympatheticfriends。

"I"vebeenthinkingitovercalmly，"hesaid，gazingatthemwithblood-shot，tiredeyes。"IseethatImustgetridofthatintriguingpersonage。Herehe"smanagedtosneakontothepersonalstaffofthemarshal。It"sadirectprovocationtome。Ican"ttolerateasituationinwhichIamexposedanydaytoreceiveanorderthroughhim。AndGodknowswhatorder，too!Thatsortofthinghashappenedoncebefore——andthat"soncetoooften。Heunderstandsthisperfectly，neverfear。I

can"ttellyouanymore。Nowyouknowwhatitisyouhavetodo。"

ThisencountertookplaceoutsidethetownofLubeck，onveryopenground，selectedwithspecialcareindeferencetothegeneralsentimentofthecavalrydivisionbelongingtothearmycorps，thatthistimethetwoofficersshouldmeetonhorseback。Afterall，thisduelwasacavalryaffair，andtopersistinfightingonfootwouldlooklikeaslightonone"sownarmoftheservice。Theseconds，startledbytheunusualnatureofthesuggestion，hastenedtorefertotheirprincipals。

CaptainFeraudjumpedatitwithalacrity。Forsomeobscurereason，depending，nodoubt，onhispsychology，heimaginedhimselfinvincibleonhorseback。Allalonewithinthefourwallsofhisroomherubbedhishandsandmutteredtriumphantly，"Aha!myprettystaffofficer，I"vegotyounow。"

CaptainD"Hubertonhisside，afterstaringhardforaconsiderabletimeathisfriends，shruggedhisshouldersslightly。Thisaffairhadhopelesslyandunreasonablycomplicatedhisexistenceforhim。Oneabsurditymoreorlessinthedevelopmentdidnotmatter——allabsurditywasdistastefultohim；but，urbaneasever，heproducedafaintlyironicalsmile，andsaidinhiscalmvoice，"Itcertainlywilldoawaytosomeextentwiththemonot-

onyofthething。"

Whenleftalone，hesatdownatatableandtookhisheadintohishands。Hehadnotsparedhimselfoflateandthemarshalhadbeenworkingallhisaides-de-

campparticularlyhard。Thelastthreeweeksofcampaigninginhorribleweatherhadaffectedhishealth。

Whenover-tiredhesufferedfromastitchinhiswoundedside，andthatuncomfortablesensationalwaysdepressedhim。"It"sthatbrute"sdoing，too，"hethoughtbitterly。

Thedaybeforehehadreceivedaletterfromhome，announcingthathisonlysisterwasgoingtobemarried。

Hereflectedthatfromthetimeshewasnineteenandhetwenty-six，whenhewentawaytogarrisonlifeinStras-

bourg，hehadhadbuttwoshortglimpsesofher。Theyhadbeengreatfriendsandconfidants；andnowshewasgoingtobegivenawaytoamanwhomhedidnotknow——averyworthyfellownodoubt，butnothalfgoodenoughforher。HewouldneverseehisoldLeonieagain。Shehadacapablelittlehead，andplentyoftact；shewouldknowhowtomanagethefellow，tobesure。Hewaseasyinhismindaboutherhappinessbuthefeltoustedfromthefirstplaceinherthoughtswhichhadbeenhiseversincethegirlcouldspeak。A

melancholyregretofthedaysofhischildhoodsettleduponCaptainD"Hubert，thirdaide-de-camptothePrinceofPonteCorvo。

Hethrewasidetheletterofcongratulationhehadbeguntowriteasindutybound，butwithoutenthusi-

asm。Hetookafreshpieceofpaper，andtracedonitthewords:"Thisismylastwillandtestament。"Look-

ingatthesewordshegavehimselfuptounpleasantre-

flection；apresentimentthathewouldneverseethescenesofhischildhoodweigheddowntheequablespiritsofCaptainD"Hubert。Hejumpedup，pushinghischairback，yawnedelaboratelyinsignthathedidn"tcareanythingforpresentiments，andthrowinghimselfonthebedwenttosleep。Duringthenightheshiveredfromtimetotimewithoutwakingup。Inthemorningherodeoutoftownbetweenhistwoseconds，talkingofindifferentthings，andlookingrightandleftwithap-

parentdetachmentintotheheavymorningmistsshroudingtheflatgreenfieldsborderedbyhedges。Heleapedaditch，andsawtheformsofmanymountedmenmovinginthefog。"Wearetofightbeforeagallery，itseems，"hemutteredtohimself，bitterly。

Hissecondswereratherconcernedatthestateoftheatmosphere，butpresentlyapale，sicklysunstruggledoutofthelowvapours，andCaptainD"Hubertmadeout，inthedistance，threehorsemenridingalittleapartfromtheothers。ItwasCaptainFeraudandhisseconds。Hedrewhissabre，andassuredhimselfthatitwasproperlyfastenedtohiswrist。Andnowtheseconds，whohadbeenstandinginclosegroupwiththeheadsoftheirhorsestogether，separatedataneasycanter，leavingalarge，clearfieldbetweenhimandhisadversary。CaptainD"Hubertlookedatthepalesun，atthedismalfields，andtheimbecilityoftheimpendingfightfilledhimwithdesolation。Fromadistantpartofthefieldastentorianvoiceshoutedcommandsatproperintervals:Aupas——Autrot——Charrrgez!……Pre-

sentimentsofdeathdon"tcometoamanfornothing，hethoughtattheverymomentheputspurstohishorse。

Andthereforehewasmorethansurprisedwhen，attheveryfirstset-to，CaptainFeraudlaidhimselfopentoacutovertheforehead，whichblindinghimwithblood，endedthecombatalmostbeforeithadfairlybegun。Itwasimpossibletogoon。CaptainD"Hubert，leavinghisenemyswearinghorriblyandreelinginthesaddlebetweenhistwoappalledfriends，leapedtheditchagainintotheroadandtrottedhomewithhistwoseconds，whoseemedratherawestruckatthespeedyissueofthatencounter。IntheeveningCaptainD"Hubertfinishedthecongratulatoryletteronhissister"smarriage。

Hefinisheditlate。Itwasalongletter。CaptainD"Hubertgavereinstohisfancy。Hetoldhissisterthathewouldfeelratherlonelyafterthisgreatchangeinherlife；butthenthedaywouldcomeforhim，too，togetmarried。Infact，hewasthinkingalreadyofthetimewhentherewouldbenoonelefttofightwithinEuropeandtheepochofwarswouldbeover。"I

expectthen，"hewrote，"tobewithinmeasurabledis-

tanceofamarshal"sbaton，andyouwillbeanex-

periencedmarriedwoman。Youshalllookoutawifeforme。Iwillbe，probably，baldbythen，andalittleblase。Ishallrequireayounggirl，prettyofcourse，andwithalargefortune，whichshouldhelpmetoclosemygloriouscareerinthesplendourbefittingmyexaltedrank。"Heendedwiththeinformationthathehadjustgivenalessontoaworrying，quarrelsomefellowwhoimaginedhehadagrievanceagainsthim。"Butifyou，inthedepthsofyourprovince，"hecontinued，"everhearitsaidthatyourbrotherisofaquarrelsomedisposition，don"tyoubelieveitonanyaccount。Thereisnosayingwhatgossipfromthearmymayreachyourinnocentears。Whateveryouhearyoumayrestassuredthatyourever-lovingbrotherisnotaduellist。"ThenCaptainD"Hubertcrumpleduptheblanksheetofpaperheadedwiththewords"Thisismylastwillandtesta-

ment，"andthrewitinthefirewithagreatlaughathimself。Hedidn"tcareasnapforwhatthatlunaticcoulddo。Hehadsuddenlyacquiredtheconvictionthathisadversarywasutterlypowerlesstoaffecthislifeinanysortofway；except，perhaps，inthewayofputtingaspecialexcitementintothedelightful，gayintervalsbetweenthecampaigns。

Fromthisontherewere，however，tobenopeacefulintervalsinthecareerofCaptainD"Hubert。HesawthefieldsofEylauandFriedland，marchedandcounter-

marchedinthesnow，inthemud，inthedustofPolishplains，pickingupdistinctionandadvancementonalltheroadsofNorth-easternEurope。Meantime，Cap-

tainFeraud，despatchedsouthwardswithhisregiment，madeunsatisfactorywarinSpain。ItwasonlywhenthepreparationsfortheRussiancampaignbeganthathewasorderednorthagain。Heleftthecountryofmantillasandorangeswithoutregret。

ThefirstsignsofanotunbecomingbaldnessaddedtotheloftyaspectofColonelD"Hubert"sforehead。

Thisfeaturewasnolongerwhiteandsmoothasinthedaysofhisyouth；thekindlyopenglanceofhisblueeyeshadgrownalittlehardasiffrommuchpeeringthroughthesmokeofbattles。TheebonycroponColonelFeraud"shead，coarseandcrinklylikeacapofhorsehair，showedmanysilverthreadsaboutthetemples。Adetestablewarfareofambushesandin-

glorioussurpriseshadnotimprovedhistemper。Thebeak-likecurveofhisnosewasunpleasantlysetoffbyadeepfoldoneachsideofhismouth。Theroundorbitsofhiseyesradiatedwrinkles。Morethaneverhere-

calledanirritableandstaringbird——somethinglikeacrossbetweenaparrotandanowl。Hewasstillex-

tremelyoutspokeninhisdislikeof"intriguingfellows。"

Heseizedeveryopportunitytostatethathedidnotpickuphisrankintheante-roomsofmarshals。Theunluckypersons，civilormilitary，who，withanin-

tentionofbeingpleasant，beggedColonelFeraudtotellthemhowhecamebythatveryapparentscarontheforehead，wereastonishedtofindthemselvessnubbedinvariousways，someofwhichweresimplyrudeandothersmysteriouslysardonic。Youngofficerswerewarnedkindlybytheirmoreexperiencedcomradesnottostareopenlyatthecolonel"sscar。Butindeedanofficerneedhavebeenveryyounginhisprofessionnottohaveheardthelegendarytaleofthatdueloriginatinginamysterious，unforgivableoffence。

III

TheretreatfromMoscowsubmergedallprivatefeelingsinaseaofdisasterandmisery。Colonelswithoutregiments，D"HubertandFeraudcarriedthemusketintheranksoftheso-calledsacredbattalion——abattalionrecruitedfromofficersofallarmswhohadnolongeranytroopstolead。

Inthatbattalionpromotedcolonelsdiddutyassergeants；thegeneralscaptainedthecompanies；amarshalofFrance，PrinceoftheEmpire，commandedthewhole。Allhadprovidedthemselveswithmusketspickedupontheroad，andwithcartridgestakenfromthedead。Inthegeneraldestructionofthebondsofdisciplineanddutyholdingtogetherthecompanies，thebattalions，theregiments，thebrigades，anddivisionsofanarmedhost，thisbodyofmenputitsprideinpre-

servingsomesemblanceoforderandformation。Theonlystragglerswerethosewhofellouttogiveuptothefrosttheirexhaustedsouls。Theyploddedon，andtheirpassagedidnotdisturbthemortalsilenceoftheplains，shiningwiththelividlightofsnowsunderaskythecolourofashes。Whirlwindsranalongthefields，brokeagainstthedarkcolumn，envelopeditinatur-

moilofflyingicicles，andsubsided，disclosingitcreepingonitstragicwaywithouttheswingandrhythmofthemilitarypace。Itstruggledonwards，themenex-

changingneitherwordsnorlooks；wholeranksmarchedtouchingelbow，dayafterdayandneverraisingtheireyesfromtheground，asiflostindespairingreflections。

Inthedumb，blackforestsofpinesthecrackingofover-

loadedbrancheswastheonlysoundtheyheard。Oftenfromdaybreaktodusknoonespokeinthewholecolumn。Itwaslikeamacabremarchofstrugglingcorpsestowardsadistantgrave。OnlyanalarmofCossackscouldrestoretotheireyesasemblanceofmartialresolution。Thebattalionfacedaboutanddeployed，orformedsquareundertheendlessflutteringofsnowflakes。Acloudofhorsemenwithfurcapsontheirheads，levelledlonglances，andyelled"Hurrah!

Hurrah!"aroundtheirmenacingimmobilitywhence，withmuffleddetonations，hundredsofdarkredflamesdartedthroughtheairthickwithfallingsnow。Inaveryfewmomentsthehorsemenwoulddisappear，asifcarriedoffyellinginthegale，andthesacredbattalionstandingstill，aloneintheblizzard，heardonlythehowlingofthewind，whoseblastssearchedtheirveryhearts。Then，withacryortwoof"Vivel"Empereur!"

itwouldresumeitsmarch，leavingbehindafewlife-

lessbodieslyinghuddledup，tinyblackspecksonthewhiteimmensityofthesnows。

Thoughoftenmarchingintheranks，orskirmishinginthewoodssidebyside，thetwoofficersignoredeachother；thisnotsomuchfrominimicalintentionasfromaveryrealindifference。Alltheirstoreofmoralenergywasexpendedinresistingtheterrificenmityofnatureandthecrushingsenseofirretrievabledisaster。Tothelasttheycountedamongthemostactive，theleastdemoralizedofthebattalion；theirvigorousvitalityinvestedthembothwiththeappearanceofanheroicpairintheeyesoftheircomrades。Andtheyneverexchangedmorethanacasualwordortwo，exceptoneday，whenskirmishinginfrontofthebattalionagainstaworryingattackofcavalry，theyfoundthemselvescutoffinthewoodsbyasmallpartyofCossacks。Ascoreoffur-capped，hairyhorsemenrodetoandfro，brandish-

ingtheirlancesinominoussilence；butthetwoofficershadnomindtolaydowntheirarms，andColonelFeraudsuddenlyspokeupinahoarse，growlingvoice，bringinghisfirelocktotheshoulder。"Youtakethenearestbrute，ColonelD"Hubert；I"llsettlethenextone。Iamabettershotthanyouare。"

ColonelD"Hubertnoddedoverhislevelledmusket。

Theirshoulderswerepressedagainstthetrunkofalargetree；ontheirfrontenormoussnowdriftsprotectedthemfromadirectcharge。Twocarefullyaimedshotsrangoutinthefrostyair，twoCossacksreeledintheirsaddles。Therest，notthinkingthegamegoodenough，closedroundtheirwoundedcomradesandgallopedawayoutofrange。Thetwoofficersmanagedtorejointheirbattalionhaltedforthenight。Duringthatafter-

noontheyhadleaneduponeachothermorethanonce，andtowardstheend，ColonelD"Hubert，whoselonglegsgavehimanadvantageinwalkingthroughsoftsnow，peremptorilytookthemusketofColonelFeraudfromhimandcarrieditonhisshoulder，usinghisownasastaff。

Ontheoutskirtsofavillagehalfburiedinthesnowanoldwoodenbarnburnedwithaclearandanim-

menseflame。Thesacredbattalionofskeletons，muffledinrags，crowdedgreedilythewindwardside，stretchinghundredsofnumbed，bonyhandstotheblaze。Nobodyhadnotedtheirapproach。Beforeenteringthecircleoflightplayingonthesunken，glassy-

eyed，starvedfaces，ColonelD"Hubertspokeinhisturn:

"Here"syourmusket，ColonelFeraud。Icanwalkbetterthanyou。"

ColonelFeraudnodded，andpushedontowardsthewarmthofthefierceflames。ColonelD"Hubertwasmoredeliberate，butnotthelessbentongettingaplaceinthefrontrank。Thosetheyshoulderedasidetriedtogreetwithafaintcheerthereappearanceofthetwoindomitablecompanionsinactivityandendurance。

Thosemanlyqualitieshadneverperhapsreceivedahighertributethanthisfeebleacclamation。

ThisisthefaithfulrecordofspeechesexchangedduringtheretreatfromMoscowbyColonelsFeraudandD"Hubert。ColonelFeraud"staciturnitywastheout-

comeofconcentratedrage。Short，hairy，blackfaced，withlayersofgrimeandthethicksproutingofawirybeard，afrost-bittenhandwrappedupinfilthyragscarriedinasling，heaccusedfateofunparalleledperfidytowardsthesublimeManofDestiny。ColonelD"Hubert，hislongmoustachespendentiniciclesoneachsideofhiscrackedbluelips，hiseyelidsinflamedwiththeglareofsnows，theprincipalpartofhiscostumeconsistingofasheepskincoatlootedwithdifficultyfromthefrozencorpseofacampfollowerfoundinanabandonedcart，tookamorethoughtfulviewofevents。

Hisregularlyhandsomefeatures，nowreducedtomerebonylinesandfleshlesshollows，lookedoutofawoman"sblackvelvethood，overwhichwasrammedforciblyacockedhatpickedupunderthewheelsofanemptyarmyfourgon，whichmusthavecontainedatonetimesomegeneralofficer"sluggage。Thesheepskincoatbeingshortforamanofhisinchesendedveryhighup，andtheskinofhislegs，bluewiththecold，showedthroughthetattersofhisnethergarments。Thisunderthecircumstancesprovokedneitherjeersnorpity。Noonecaredhowthenextmanfeltorlooked。

ColonelD"Huberthimself，hardenedtoexposure，suf-

feredmainlyinhisself-respectfromthelamentablein-

decencyofhiscostume。Athoughtlesspersonmaythinkthatwithawholehostofinanimatebodiesbe-

strewingthepathofretreattherecouldnothavebeenmuchdifficultyinsupplyingthedeficiency。Buttolootapairofbreechesfromafrozencorpseisnotsoeasyasitmayappeartoameretheorist。Itrequirestimeandlabour。Youmustremainbehindwhileyourcompanionsmarchon。ColonelD"Huberthadhisscruplesastofallingout。Oncehehadsteppedasidehecouldnotbesureofeverrejoininghisbattalion；andtheghastlyintimacyofawrestlingmatchwiththefrozendeadopposingtheunyieldingrigidityofirontoyourviolencewasrepugnanttothedelicacyofhisfeelings。Luckily，oneday，grubbinginamoundofsnowbetweenthehutsofavillageinthehopeoffindingthereafrozenpotatoorsomevegetablegarbagehecouldputbetweenhislongandshakyteeth，ColonelD"HubertuncoveredacoupleofmatsofthesortRussianpeasantsusetolinethesidesoftheircartswith。

These，beatenfreeoffrozensnow，bentabouthiselegantpersonandfastenedsolidlyroundhiswaist，madeabell-shapednethergarment，asortofstiffpetti-

coat，whichrenderedColonelD"Hubertaperfectlydecent，butamuchmorenoticeablefigurethanbefore。

Thusaccoutred，hecontinuedtoretreat，neverdoubt-

ingofhispersonalescape，butfullofothermisgivings。

Theearlybuoyancyofhisbeliefinthefuturewasdestroyed。Iftheroadofgloryledthroughsuchunfore-

seenpassages，heaskedhimself——forhewasreflective——

whethertheguidewasaltogethertrustworthy。Itwasapatrioticsadness，notunmingledwithsomepersonalconcern，andquiteunliketheunreasoningindignationagainstmenandthingsnursedbyColonelFeraud。

RecruitinghisstrengthinalittleGermantownforthreeweeks，ColonelD"Hubertwassurprisedtodiscoverwithinhimselfaloveofrepose。Hisreturningvigourwasstrangelypacificinitsaspirations。Hemeditatedsilentlyuponthisbizarrechangeofmood。Nodoubtmanyofhisbrotherofficersoffieldrankwentthroughthesamemoralexperience。Butthesewerenotthetimestotalkofit。InoneofhislettershomeColonelD"Hubertwrote，"Allyourplans，mydearLeonie，formarryingmetothecharminggirlyouhavediscoveredinyourneighbourhood，seemfartheroffthanever。

Peaceisnotyet。Europewantsanotherlesson。Itwillbeahardtaskforus，butitshallbedone，becausetheEmperorisinvincible。"

ThuswroteColonelD"HubertfromPomeraniatohismarriedsisterLeonie，settledinthesouthofFrance。

AndsofarthesentimentsexpressedwouldnothavebeendisownedbyColonelFeraud，whowrotenoletterstoanybody，whosefatherhadbeeninlifeanilliterateblacksmith，whohadnosisterorbrother，andwhomnoonedesiredardentlytopairoffforalifeofpeacewithacharmingyounggirl。ButColonelD"Hubert"slettercontainedalsosomephilosophicalgeneralitiesupontheuncertaintyofallpersonalhopes，whenboundupentirelywiththeprestigiousfortuneofoneincompar-

ablygreatitistrue，yetstillremainingbutamaninhisgreatness。ThisviewwouldhaveappearedrankheresytoColonelFeraud。Somemelancholyfore-

bodingsofamilitarykind，expressedcautiously，wouldhavebeenpronouncedasnothingshortofhightreasonbyColonelFeraud。ButLeonie，thesisterofColonelD"Hubert，readthemwithprofoundsatisfaction，and，foldingtheletterthoughtfully，remarkedtoherselfthat"Armandwaslikelytoproveeventuallyasensiblefellow。"SincehermarriageintoaSouthernfamilyshehadbecomeaconvincedbelieverinthereturnofthelegitimateking。Hopefulandanxioussheofferedprayersnightandmorning，andburntcandlesinchurchesforthesafetyandprosperityofherbrother。

Shehadeveryreasontosupposethatherprayerswereheard。ColonelD"HubertpassedthroughLutzen，Bautzen，andLeipsiclosingnolimb，andacquiringadditionalreputation。Adaptinghisconducttotheneedsofthatdesperatetime，hehadnevervoicedhismisgivings。HeconcealedthemunderacheerfulcourtesyofsuchpleasantcharacterthatpeoplewereinclinedtoaskthemselveswithwonderwhetherColonelD"Hubertwasawareofanydisasters。Notonlyhismanners，butevenhisglancesremaineduntroubled。

Thesteadyamenityofhisblueeyesdisconcertedallgrumblers，andmadedespairitselfpause。

ThisbearingwasremarkedfavourablybytheEmperorhimself；forColonelD"Hubert，attachednowtotheMajor-General"sstaff，cameonseveraloccasionsundertheimperialeye。ButitexasperatedthehigherstrungnatureofColonelFeraud。PassingthroughMagdeburgonservice，thislastallowedhimself，whileseatedgloomilyatdinnerwiththeCommandantdePlace，tosayofhislife-longadversary:"ThismandoesnotlovetheEmperor，"andhiswordswerereceivedbytheotherguestsinprofoundsilence。ColonelFeraud，troubledinhisconscienceattheatrocityoftheasper-

sion，felttheneedtobackitupbyagoodargument。

"Ioughttoknowhim，"hecried，addingsomeoaths。

"Onestudiesone"sadversary。Ihavemethimonthegroundhalfadozentimes，asallthearmyknows。

Whatmoredoyouwant?Ifthatisn"topportunityenoughforanyfooltosizeuphisman，maythedeviltakemeifIcantellwhatis。"Andhelookedaroundthetable，obstinateandsombre。

LateroninParis，whileextremelybusyreorganizinghisregiment，ColonelFeraudlearnedthatColonelD"Huberthadbeenmadeageneral。Heglaredathisinformantincredulously，thenfoldedhisarmsandturnedawaymuttering，"Nothingsurprisesmeonthepartofthatman。"

Andaloudheadded，speakingoverhisshoulder，"YouwouldobligemegreatlybytellingGeneralD"Hubertatthefirstopportunitythathisadvancementsaveshimforatimefromaprettyhotencounter。I

wasonlywaitingforhimtoturnuphere。"

Theotherofficerremonstrated。

"Couldyouthinkofit，ColonelFeraud，atthistime，wheneverylifeshouldbeconsecratedtothegloryandsafetyofFrance?"

Butthestrainofunhappinesscausedbymilitaryre-

verseshadspoiledColonelFeraud"scharacter。Likemanyothermen，hewasrenderedwickedbymisfortune。

"IcannotconsiderGeneralD"Hubert"sexistenceofanyaccounteitherforthegloryorsafetyofFrance，"

hesnappedviciously。"Youdon"tpretend，perhaps，toknowhimbetterthanIdo——Iwhohavemethimhalfadozentimesontheground——doyou?"

Hisinterlocutor，ayoungman，wassilenced。ColonelFeraudwalkedupanddowntheroom。

"Thisisnotthetimetomincematters，"hesaid。"I

can"tbelievethatthatmaneverlovedtheEmperor。

Hepickeduphisgeneral"sstarsunderthebootsofMarshalBerthier。Verywell。I"llgetmineinanotherfashion，andthenweshallsettlethisbusinesswhichhasbeendraggingontoolong。"

GeneralD"Hubert，informedindirectlyofColonelFeraud"sattitude，madeagestureasiftoputasideanimportunateperson。Histhoughtsweresolicitedbygravercares。Hehadhadnotimetogoandseehisfamily。Hissister，whoseroyalisthopeswererisinghighereveryday，thoughproudofherbrother，re-

grettedhisrecentadvancementinameasure，becauseitputonhimaprominentmarkoftheusurper"sfavour，whichlateroncouldhaveanadverseinfluenceuponhiscareer。Hewrotetoherthatnoonebutaninveterateenemycouldsayhehadgothispromotionbyfavour。

Astohiscareer，heassuredherthathelookednofartherforwardintothefuturethanthenextbattlefield。

BeginningthecampaignofFranceinthisdoggedspirit，GeneralD"HubertwaswoundedontheseconddayofthebattleunderLaon。WhilebeingcarriedoffthefieldheheardthatColonelFeraud，promotedthismomenttogeneral，hadbeensenttoreplacehimattheheadofhisbrigade。Hecursedhisluckimpulsively，notbeingableatthefirstglancetodiscernallthead-

vantagesofanastywound。AndyetitwasbythisheroicmethodthatProvidencewasshapinghisfuture。

Travellingslowlysouthtohissister"scountryhomeunderthecareofatrustyoldservant，GeneralD"Hu-

bertwassparedthehumiliatingcontactsandtheper-

plexitiesofconductwhichassailedthemenofNapole-

onicempireatthemomentofitsdownfall。Lyinginhisbed，withthewindowsofhisroomopenwidetothesunshineofProvence，heperceivedtheundisguisedaspectoftheblessingconveyedbythatjaggedfrag-

mentofaPrussianshell，which，killinghishorseandrippingopenhisthigh，savedhimfromanactivecon-

flictwithhisconscience。Afterthelastfourteenyearsspentswordinhandinthesaddle，andwiththesenseofhisdutydonetotheveryend，GeneralD"Hubertfoundresignationaneasyvirtue。Hissisterwasdelightedwithhisreasonableness。"Ileavemyselfaltogetherinyourhands，mydearLeonie，"hehadsaidtoher。

Hewasstilllaidupwhen，thecreditofhisbrother-

in-law"sfamilybeingexertedonhisbehalf，hereceivedfromtheroyalgovernmentnotonlytheconfirmationofhisrank，buttheassuranceofbeingretainedontheactivelist。Tothiswasaddedanunlimitedconva-

lescentleave。TheunfavourableopinionentertainedofhiminBonapartistcircles，thoughitrestedonnoth-

ingmoresolidthantheunsupportedpronouncementofGeneralFeraud，wasdirectlyresponsibleforGeneralD"Hubert"sretentionontheactivelist。AstoGeneralFeraud，hisrankwasconfirmed，too。Itwasmorethanhedaredtoexpect；butMarshalSoult，thenMinisterofWartotherestoredking，waspartialtoofficerswhohadservedinSpain。Onlynoteventhemarshal"sprotectioncouldsecureforhimactiveemployment。

Heremainedirreconcilable，idle，andsinister。Hesoughtinobscurerestaurantsthecompanyofotherhalf-payofficerswhocherisheddingybutgloriousoldtricolourcockadesintheirbreast-pockets，andbuttonedwiththeforbiddeneaglebuttonstheirshabbyuniforms，declaringthemselvestoopoortoaffordtheexpenseoftheprescribedchange。

ThetriumphantreturnfromElba，anhistoricalfactasmarvellousandincredibleastheexploitsofsomemythologicaldemi-god，foundGeneralD"Hubertstillquiteunabletositahorse。Neithercouldhewalkverywell。Thesedisabilities，whichMadameLeonieaccountedmostlucky，helpedtokeepherbrotheroutofallpossiblemischief。Hisframeofmindatthattime，shenotedwithdismay，becameveryfarfromreason-

able。Thisgeneralofficer，stillmenacedbythelossofalimb，wasdiscoveredonenightinthestablesofthechateaubyagroom，who，seeingalight，raisedanalarmofthieves。Hiscrutchwaslyinghalf-buriedinthestrawofthelitter，andthegeneralwashoppingononeleginalooseboxaroundasnortinghorsehewastryingtosaddle。Suchweretheeffectsofimperialmagicuponacalmtemperamentandaponderedmind。

Besetinthelightofstablelanterns，bythetears，en-

treaties，indignation，remonstrancesandreproachesofhisfamily，hegotoutofthedifficultsituationbyfaintingawaythereandtheninthearmsofhisnearestrelatives，andwascarriedofftobed。Beforehegotoutofitagain，thesecondreignofNapoleon，theHundredDaysoffeverishagitationandsupremeeffort，passedawaylikeaterrifyingdream。Thetragicyear1815，beguninthetroubleandunrestofconsciences，wasendinginvengefulproscriptions。

HowGeneralFeraudescapedtheclutchesoftheSpecialCommissionandthelastofficesofafiringsquadheneverknewhimself。ItwaspartlyduetothesubordinatepositionhewasassignedduringtheHun-

dredDays。TheEmperorhadnevergivenhimactivecommand，buthadkepthimbusyatthecavalrydepotinParis，mountinganddespatchinghastilydrilledtroopersintothefield。Consideringthistaskasunworthyofhisabilities，hehaddischargeditwithnooffensivelynoticeablezeal；butforthegreaterparthewassavedfromtheexcessesofRoyalistreactionbytheinterferenceofGeneralD"Hubert。

Thislast，stillonconvalescentleave，butablenowtotravel，hadbeendespatchedbyhissistertoParistopresenthimselftohislegitimatesovereign。Asnooneinthecapitalcouldpossiblyknowanythingoftheepisodeinthestablehewasreceivedtherewithdistinc-

tion。Militarytotheverybottomofhissoul，thepros-

pectofrisinginhisprofessionconsoledhimfromfindinghimselfthebuttofBonapartistmalevolence，whichpursuedhimwithapersistencehecouldnotaccountfor。AlltherancourofthatembitteredandpersecutedpartypointedtohimasthemanwhohadneverlovedtheEmperor——asortofmonsteressentiallyworsethanamerebetrayer。

GeneralD"Hubertshruggedhisshoulderswithoutangeratthisferociousprejudice。Rejectedbyhisoldfriends，andmistrustingprofoundlytheadvancesofRoyalistsociety，theyoungandhandsomegeneral(hewasbarelyforty)adoptedamannerofcold，punctiliouscourtesy，whichatthemerestshadowofanintendedslightpassedeasilyintoharshhaughtiness。Thuspre-

pared，GeneralD"HubertwentabouthisaffairsinParisfeelinginwardlyveryhappywiththepeculiarup-

liftinghappinessofamanverymuchinlove。Thecharminggirllookedoutbyhissisterhadcomeuponthescene，andhadconqueredhiminthethoroughmannerinwhichayounggirlbymerelyexistinginhissightcanmakeamanoffortyherown。Theywerego-

ingtobemarriedassoonasGeneralD"Huberthadobtainedhisofficialnominationtoapromisedcom-

mand。

Oneafternoon，sittingontheterrasseoftheCafeTortoni，GeneralD"Hubertlearnedfromthecon-

versationoftwostrangersoccupyingatablenearhisown，thatGeneralFeraud，includedinthebatchofsuperiorofficersarrestedafterthesecondreturnoftheking，wasindangerofpassingbeforetheSpecialCom-

mission。Livingallhissparemoments，asisfrequentlythecasewithexpectantlovers，adayinadvanceofreality，andinastateofbestarredhallucination，itrequirednothinglessthanthenameofhisperpetualantagonistpronouncedinaloudvoicetocalltheyoungestofNapoleon"sgeneralsawayfromthementalcontemplationofhisbetrothed。Helookedround。Thestrangersworecivilianclothes。Leanandweather-beaten，lollingbackintheirchairs，theyscowledatpeoplewithmoodyanddefiantabstractionfromundertheirhatspulledlowovertheireyes。ItwasnotdifficulttorecognizethemfortwoofthecompulsorilyretiredofficersoftheOldGuard。Asfrombravadoorcarelessnesstheychosetospeakinloudtones，GeneralD"Hubert，whosawnoreasonwhyheshouldchangehisseat，heardeveryword。TheydidnotseemtobethepersonalfriendsofGeneralFeraud。

Hisnamecameupamongstothers。Hearingitrepeated，GeneralD"Hubert"stenderanticipationsofadomesticfutureadornedwithawoman"sgraceweretraversedbytheharshregretofhiswarlikepast，ofthatonelong，intoxicatingclashofarms，uniqueinthemagnitudeofitsgloryanddisaster——themarvellousworkandthespecialpossessionofhisowngeneration。

Hefeltanirrationaltendernesstowardshisoldadver-

saryandappreciatedemotionallythemurderousab-

surditytheirencounterhadintroducedintohislife。Itwaslikeanadditionalpinchofspiceinahotdish。Herememberedtheflavourwithsuddenmelancholy。Hewouldnevertasteitagain。Itwasallover。"Ifancyitwasbeingleftlyinginthegardenthathadexasperatedhimsoagainstmefromthefirst，"hethought，indul-

gently。

ThetwostrangersatthenexttablehadfallensilentafterthethirdmentionofGeneralFeraud"sname。Pres-

entlytheelderofthetwo，speakingagaininabittertone，affirmedthatGeneralFeraud"saccountwasset-

tled。Andwhy?Simplybecausehewasnotlikesomebigwigswholovedonlythemselves。TheRoyalistsknewtheycouldnevermakeanythingofhim。HelovedTheOthertoowell。

TheOtherwastheManofSt。Helena。Thetwoofficersnoddedandtouchedglassesbeforetheydranktoanimpossiblereturn。Thenthesamewhohadspokenbefore，remarkedwithasardoniclaugh，"Hisadversaryshowedmorecleverness。"

"Whatadversary?"askedtheyounger，asifpuzzled。

"Don"tyouknow?Theyweretwohussars。Ateachpromotiontheyfoughtaduel。Haven"tyouheardoftheduelgoingoneversince1801?"

Theotherhadheardoftheduel，ofcourse。Nowheunderstoodtheallusion。GeneralBaronD"Hubertwouldbeablenowtoenjoyhisfatking"sfavourinpeace。

"Muchgoodmayitdotohim，"mumbledtheelder。

"Theywerebothbravemen。IneversawthisD"Hu-

bert——asortofintriguingdandy，Iamtold。ButIcanwellbelievewhatI"veheardFeraudsayofhim——thatheneverlovedtheEmperor。"

Theyroseandwentaway。

GeneralD"Hubertexperiencedthehorrorofasom-

nambulistwhowakesupfromacomplacentdreamofactivitytofindhimselfwalkingonaquagmire。A

profounddisgustofthegroundonwhichhewasmakinghiswayovercamehim。Eventheimageofthecharm-

inggirlwassweptfromhisviewinthefloodofmoraldistress。EverythinghehadeverbeenorhopedtobewouldtasteofbitterignominyunlesshecouldmanagetosaveGeneralFeraudfromthefatewhichthreatenedsomanybraves。Undertheimpulseofthisalmostmorbidneedtoattendtothesafetyofhisadversary，GeneralD"Hubertworkedsowellwithhandsandfeet(astheFrenchsayingis)，thatinlessthantwenty-fourhourshefoundmeansofobtaininganextraordinaryprivateaudiencefromtheMinisterofPolice。

GeneralBaronD"Hubertwasshowninsuddenlywithoutpreliminaries。IntheduskoftheMinister"scabinet，behindtheformsofwriting-desk，chairs，andtables，betweentwobunchesofwaxcandlesblazinginsconces，hebeheldafigureinagorgeouscoatposturingbeforeatallmirror。TheoldconventionnelFouche；，SenatoroftheEmpire，traitortoeveryman，toeveryprincipleandmotiveofhumanconduct。DukeofOtran-

to，andthewilyartizanofthesecondRestoration，wastryingthefitofacourtsuitinwhichhisyoungandaccomplishedfianceehaddeclaredherintentiontohavehisportraitpaintedonporcelain。Itwasacaprice，acharmingfancywhichthefirstMinisterofPoliceofthesecondRestorationwasanxioustogratify。Forthatman，oftencomparedinwilinessofconducttoafox，butwhoseethicalsidecouldbeworthilysymbolizedbynothinglessemphaticthanaskunk，wasasmuchpossessedbyhisloveasGeneralD"Huberthimself。

Startledtobediscoveredthusbytheblunderofaservant，hemetthislittlevexationwiththecharacteris-

ticimpudencewhichhadservedhisturnsowellintheendlessintriguesofhisself-seekingcareer。Withoutalteringhisattitudeahair"s-breadth，oneleginasilkstockingadvanced，hisheadtwistedoverhisleftshoulder，hecalledoutcalmly，"Thisway，General。

Prayapproach。Well?Iamallattention。"

WhileGeneralD"Hubert，illateaseasifoneofhisownlittleweaknesseshadbeenexposed，presentedhisrequestasshortlyaspossible，theDukeofOtrantowentonfeelingthefitofhiscollar，settlingthelapelsbeforetheglass，andbucklinghisbackinanefforttobeholdthesetofthegoldembroideredcoat-skirtsbehind。Hisstillface，hisattentiveeyes，couldnothaveexpressedamorecompleteinterestinthosemattersifhehadbeenalone。