第11章

tacheditscolumnsoftrunksanditsdarkgreencanopyveryclearlyagainsttherocksofthegreyhillside。Hekepthiseyesfixedonitsteadily，andsuckedatanorangeashewalked。Thattemperamentalgood-

humouredcoolnessinthefaceofdangerwhichhadmadehimanofficerlikedbyhismenandappreciatedbyhissuperiorswasgraduallyassertingitself。Itwaslikegoingintobattle。Arrivingattheedgeofthewoodhesatdownonaboulder，holdingtheotherorangeinhishand，andreproachedhimselfforcomingsoridiculouslyearlyontheground。Beforeverylong，however，heheardtheswishingofbushes，footstepsonthehardground，andthesoundsofadisjointed，loudconversation。Avoicesomewherebehindhimsaidboastfully，"He"sgameformybag。"

Hethoughttohimself，"Heretheyare。What"sthisaboutgame?Aretheytalkingofme?"Andbecom-

ingawareoftheotherorangeinhishand，hethoughtfurther，"Theseareverygoodoranges。Leonie"sowntree。Imayjustaswelleatthisorangenowinsteadofflingingitaway。"

Emergingfromawildernessofrocksandbushes，GeneralFeraudandhissecondsdiscoveredGeneralD"Hubertengagedinpeelingtheorange。Theystoodstill，waitingtillhelookedup。Thenthesecondsraisedtheirhats，whileGeneralFeraud，puttinghishandsbehindhisback，walkedasidealittleway。

"Iamcompelledtoaskoneofyou，messieurs，toactforme。Ihavebroughtnofriends。Willyou?"

Theone-eyedcuirassiersaidjudicially，"Thatcannotberefused。"

Theotherveteranremarked，"It"sawkwardallthesame。"

"Owingtothestateofthepeople"smindsinthispartofthecountrytherewasnooneIcouldtrustsafelywiththeobjectofyourpresencehere，"explainedGeneralD"Hubert，urbanely。

Theysaluted，lookedround，andremarkedbothtogether:

"Poorground。"

"It"sunfit。"

"Whybotheraboutground，measurements，andsoon?Letussimplifymatters。Loadthetwopairsofpistols。IwilltakethoseofGeneralFeraud，andlethimtakemine。Or，betterstill，letustakeamixedpair。Oneofeachpair。Thenletusgointothewoodandshootatsight，whileyouremainoutside。Wedidnotcomehereforceremonies，butforwar——wartothedeath。Anygroundisgoodenoughforthat。IfIfall，youmustleavemewhereIlieandclearout。Itwouldn"tbehealthyforyoutobefoundhangingabouthereafterthat。"

ItappearedafterashortparleythatGeneralFeraudwaswillingtoaccepttheseconditions。Whilethesecondswereloadingthepistols，hecouldbeheardwhistling，andwasseentorubhishandswithperfectcontentment。Heflungoffhiscoatbriskly，andGeneralD"Huberttookoffhisownandfoldeditcare-

fullyonastone。

"Supposeyoutakeyourprincipaltotheothersideofthewoodandlethimenterexactlyintenminutesfromnow，"suggestedGeneralD"Hubert，calmly，butfeelingasifheweregivingdirectionsforhisownexecu-

tion。This，however，washislastmomentofweakness。

"Wait。Letuscomparewatchesfirst。"

Hepulledouthisown。TheofficerwiththechippednosewentovertoborrowthewatchofGeneralFeraud。

Theybenttheirheadsoverthemforatime。

"That"sit。Atfourminutestosixbyyours。Seventobymine。"

ItwasthecuirassierwhoremainedbythesideofGeneralD"Hubert，keepinghisoneeyefixedimmovablyonthewhitefaceofthewatchheheldinthepalmofhishand。Heopenedhismouth，waitingforthebeatofthelastsecondlongbeforehesnappedouttheword，"Avancez。"

GeneralD"Hubertmovedon，passingfromtheglaringsunshineoftheProvencalmorningintothecoolandaromaticshadeofthepines。Thegroundwasclearbetweenthereddishtrunks，whosemultitude，leaningatslightlydifferentangles，confusedhiseyeatfirst。Itwaslikegoingintobattle。Thecommandingqualityofconfidenceinhimselfwokeupinhisbreast。Hewasalltohisaffair。Theproblemwashowtokilltheadversary。Nothingshortofthatwouldfreehimfromthisimbecilenightmare。"It"snousewoundingthatbrute，"thoughtGeneralD"Hubert。Hewasknownasaresourcefulofficer。HiscomradesyearsagousedalsotocallhimTheStrategist。Anditwasafactthathecouldthinkinthepresenceoftheenemy。

WhereasFeraudhadbeenalwaysamerefighter——butadeadshot，unluckily。

"Imustdrawhisfireatthegreatestpossiblerange，"

saidGeneralD"Huberttohimself。

Atthatmomenthesawsomethingwhitemovingfaroffbetweenthetrees——theshirtofhisadversary。Hesteppedoutatoncebetweenthetrunks，exposinghim-

selffreely；then，quickaslightning，leapedback。Ithadbeenariskymovebutitsucceededinitsobject。

Almostsimultaneouslywiththepopofashotasmallpieceofbarkchippedoffbythebulletstunghisearpainfully。

GeneralFeraud，withoneshotexpended，wasgettingcautious。Peepingroundthetree，GeneralD"Hubertcouldnotseehimatall。Thisignoranceofthefoe"swhereaboutscarriedwithitasenseofinsecurity。

GeneralD"Hubertfelthimselfabominablyexposedonhisflankandrear。Againsomethingwhiteflutteredinhissight。Ha!Theenemywasstillonhisfront，then。Hehadfearedaturningmovement。ButapparentlyGeneralFeraudwasnotthinkingofit。

GeneralD"Hubertsawhimpasswithoutspecialhastefromonetreetoanotherinthestraightlineofapproach。

WithgreatfirmnessofmindGeneralD"Hubertstayedhishand。Toofaryet。Heknewhewasnomarksman。

Hismustbeawaitinggame——tokill。

Wishingtotakeadvantageofthegreaterthicknessofthetrunk，hesankdowntotheground。Extendedatfulllength，headontohisenemy，hehadhispersoncompletelyprotected。Exposinghimselfwouldnotdonow，becausetheotherwastoonearbythistime。

AconvictionthatFeraudwouldpresentlydosomethingrashwaslikebalmtoGeneralD"Hubert"ssoul。Buttokeephischinraisedoffthegroundwasirksome，andnotmuchuseeither。Hepeepedround，exposingafractionofhisheadwithdread，butreallywithlittlerisk。Hisenemy，asamatteroffact，didnotexpecttoseeanythingofhimsofardownasthat。

GeneralD"HubertcaughtafleetingviewofGeneralFeraudshiftingtreesagainwithdeliberatecau-

tion。"Hedespisesmyshooting，"hethought，dis-

playingthatinsightintothemindofhisantagonistwhichisofsuchgreathelpinwinningbattles。Hewasconfirmedinhistacticsofimmobility。"IfIcouldonlywatchmyrearaswellasmyfront!"hethoughtanx-

iously，longingfortheimpossible。

Itrequiredsomeforceofcharactertolayhispistolsdown；but，onasuddenimpulse，GeneralD"Hubertdidthisverygently——oneoneachsideofhim。Inthearmyhehadbeenlookeduponasabitofadandybecauseheusedtoshaveandputonacleanshirtonthedaysofbattle。Asamatteroffact，hehadalwaysbeenverycarefulofhispersonalappearance。Inamanofnearlyforty，inlovewithayoungandcharminggirl，thispraiseworthyself-respectmayruntosuchlittleweak-

nessesas，forinstance，beingprovidedwithanelegantlittleleatherfolding-casecontainingasmallivorycomb，andfittedwithapieceoflooking-glassontheoutside。GeneralD"Hubert，hishandsbeingfree，feltinhisbreeches"pocketsforthatimplementofinnocentvanityexcusableinthepossessoroflong，silkymoustaches。Hedrewitout，andthenwiththeut-

mostcoolnessandpromptitudeturnedhimselfoveronhisback。Inthisnewattitude，hisheadalittleraised，holdingthelittlelooking-glassjustclearofhistree，hesquintedintoitwithhislefteye，whiletherightkeptadirectwatchontherearofhisposition。ThuswasprovedNapoleon"ssaying，that"foraFrenchsoldier，thewordimpossibledoesnotexist。"Hehadtherighttreenearlyfillingthefieldofhislittlemirror。

"Ifhemovesfrombehindit，"hereflectedwithsatisfaction，"Iamboundtoseehislegs。Butinanycasehecan"tcomeuponmeunawares。"

AndsureenoughhesawthebootsofGeneralFeraudflashinandout，eclipsingforaninstanteverythingelsereflectedinthelittlemirror。Heshifteditspositionaccordingly。ButhavingtoformhisjudgmentofthechangefromthatindirectviewhedidnotrealizethatnowhisfeetandaportionofhislegswereinplainsightofGeneralFeraud。

GeneralFeraudhadbeengettinggraduallyimpressedbytheamazingclevernesswithwhichhisenemywaskeepingcover。Hehadspottedtherighttreewithbloodthirstyprecision。Hewasabsolutelycertainofit。

Andyethehadnotbeenabletoglimpseasmuchasthetipofanear。Ashehadbeenlookingforitattheheightofaboutfivefeetteninchesfromthegrounditwasnogreatwonder——butitseemedverywonderfultoGeneralFeraud。

Thefirstviewofthesefeetandlegsdeterminedarushofbloodtohishead。Heliterallystaggeredbehindhistree，andhadtosteadyhimselfagainstitwithhishand。Theotherwaslyingontheground，then!Ontheground!Perfectlystill，too!Exposed!Whatcoulditmean?……ThenotionthathehadknockedoverhisadversaryatthefirstshotenteredthenGeneralFeraud"shead。Oncethereitgrewwitheverysecondofattentivegazing，overshadowingeveryothersupposition——irresistible，triumphant，ferocious。

"WhatanassIwastothinkIcouldhavemissedhim，"hemutteredtohimself。"Hewasexposedenplein——thefool!——forquiteacoupleofseconds。"

GeneralFeraudgazedatthemotionlesslimbs，thelastvestigesofsurprisefadingbeforeanunboundedadmirationofhisowndeadlyskillwiththepistol。

"Turneduphistoes!Bythegodofwar，thatwasashot!"heexultedmentally。"Gotitthroughthehead，nodoubt，justwhereIaimed，staggeredbehindthattree，rolledoveronhisback，anddied。"

Andhestared!Hestared，forgettingtomove，almostawed，almostsorry。Butfornothingintheworldwouldhehavehaditundone。Suchashot!——

suchashot!Rolledoveronhisbackanddied!

Foritwasthishelplessposition，lyingontheback，thatshouteditsdirectevidenceatGeneralFeraud!

Itneveroccurredtohimthatitmighthavebeendeliberatelyassumedbyalivingman。Itwasin-

conceivable。Itwasbeyondtherangeofsanesup-

position。Therewasnopossibilitytoguessthereasonforit。Anditmustbesaid，too，thatGeneralD"Hu-

bert"sturned-upfeetlookedthoroughlydead。GeneralFeraudexpandedhislungsforastentorianshouttohisseconds，but，fromwhathefelttobeanexcessivescrupulousness，refrainedforawhile。

"Iwilljustgoandseefirstwhetherhebreathesyet，"hemumbledtohimself，leavingcarelesslytheshelterofhistree。Thismovewasimmediatelyper-

ceivedbytheresourcefulGeneralD"Hubert。Heconcludedittobeanothershift，butwhenhelostthebootsoutofthefieldofthemirrorhebecameuneasy。

GeneralFeraudhadonlysteppedalittleoutoftheline，buthisadversarycouldnotpossiblyhavesupposedhimwalkingupwithperfectunconcern。GeneralD"Hubert，beginningtowonderatwhathadbecomeoftheother，wastakenunawaressocompletelythatthefirstwarningofdangerconsistedinthelong，early-morningshadowofhisenemyfallingaslantonhisoutstretchedlegs。

Hehadnotevenheardafootfallonthesoftgroundbetweenthetrees!

Itwastoomuchevenforhiscoolness。Hejumpedupthoughtlessly，leavingthepistolsontheground。Theirresistibleinstinctofanaverageman(unlesstotallyparalyzedbydiscomfiture)wouldhavebeentostoopforhisweapons，exposinghimselftotheriskofbeingshotdowninthatposition。Instinct，ofcourse，isirre-

flective。Itisitsverydefinition。Butitmaybeaninquiryworthpursuingwhetherinreflectivemankindthemechanicalpromptingsofinstinctarenotaffectedbythecustomarymodeofthought。Inhisyoungdays，ArmandD"Hubert，thereflective，promisingofficer，hademittedtheopinionthatinwarfareoneshould"nevercastbackonthelinesofamistake。"Thisidea，de-

fendedanddevelopedinmanydiscussions，hadsettledintooneofthestocknotionsofhisbrain，hadbecomeapartofhismentalindividuality。Whetherithadgonesoinconceivablydeepastoaffectthedictatesofhisinstinct，orsimplybecause，ashehimselfdeclaredafter-

wards，hewas"tooscaredtoremembertheconfoundedpistols，"thefactisthatGeneralD"Hubertneverat-

temptedtostoopforthem。Insteadofgoingbackonhismistake，heseizedtheroughtrunkwithbothhands，andswunghimselfbehinditwithsuchimpetuositythat，goingrightroundintheveryflashandreportofthepistol-shot，hereappearedontheothersideofthetreefacetofacewithGeneralFeraud。Thislast，com-

pletelyunstrungbysuchashowofagilityonthepartofadeadman，wastremblingyet。Averyfaintmistofsmokehungbeforehisfacewhichhadanextraordinaryaspect，asifthelowerjawhadcomeunhinged。

"Notmissed!"hecroaked，hoarsely，fromthedepthsofadrythroat。

ThissinistersoundloosenedthespellthathadfallenonGeneralD"Hubert"ssenses。"Yes，missed——aboutportant，"heheardhimselfsaying，almostbeforehehadrecoveredthefullcommandofhisfaculties。There-

vulsionoffeelingwasaccompaniedbyagustofhomi-

cidalfury，resuminginitsviolencetheaccumulatedresentmentofalifetime。ForyearsGeneralD"Huberthadbeenexasperatedandhumiliatedbyanatrociousabsurdityimposeduponhimbythisman"ssavagecaprice。Besides，GeneralD"Huberthadbeeninthislastinstancetoounwillingtoconfrontdeathforthereactionofhisanguishnottotaketheshapeofadesiretokill。"AndIhavemytwoshotstofireyet，"headded，pitilessly。

GeneralFeraudsnapped-tohisteeth，andhisfaceassumedanirate，undauntedexpression。"Goon!"hesaid，grimly。

ThesewouldhavebeenhislastwordsifGeneralD"Huberthadbeenholdingthepistolsinhishands。

Butthepistolswerelyingonthegroundatthefootofapine。GeneralD"Huberthadthesecondofleisurenecessarytorememberthathehaddreadeddeathnotasaman，butasalover；notasadanger，butasarival；notasafoetolife，butasanobstacletomarriage。Andbehold!therewastherivaldefeated!——

utterlydefeated，crushed，donefor!

Hepickeduptheweaponsmechanically，and，insteadoffiringthemintoGeneralFeraud"sbreast，hegaveexpressiontothethoughtsuppermostinhismind，"Youwillfightnomoreduelsnow。"

Histoneofleisurely，ineffablesatisfactionwastoomuchforGeneralFeraud"sstoicism。"Don"tdawdle，then，damnyouforacold-bloodedstaff-coxcomb!"heroaredout，suddenly，outofanimpassivefacehelderectonarigidlystillbody。

GeneralD"Hubertuncockedthepistolscarefully。

Thisproceedingwasobservedwithmixedfeelingsbytheothergeneral。"Youmissedmetwice，"thevictorsaid，coolly，shiftingbothpistolstoonehand；"thelasttimewithinafootorso。Byeveryruleofsinglecom-

batyourlifebelongstome。ThatdoesnotmeanthatI

wanttotakeitnow。"

"Ihavenouseforyourforbearance，"mutteredGeneralFeraud，gloomily。

"Allowmetopointoutthatthisisnoconcernofmine，"saidGeneralD"Hubert，whoseeverywordwasdictatedbyaconsummatedelicacyoffeeling。Inangerhecouldhavekilledthatman，butincoldbloodherecoiledfromhumiliatingbyashowofgenerositythisunreasonablebeing——afellow-soldieroftheGrandeArmee，acompanioninthewondersandterrorsofthegreatmilitaryepic。"Youdon"tsetupthepretensionofdictatingtomewhatIamtodowithwhat"smyown。"

GeneralFeraudlookedstartled，andtheothercon-

tinued，"You"veforcedmeonapointofhonourtokeepmylifeatyourdisposal，asitwere，forfifteenyears。

Verywell。Nowthatthematterisdecidedtomyad-

vantage，IamgoingtodowhatIlikewithyourlifeonthesameprinciple。Youshallkeepitatmydis-

posalaslongasIchoose。Neithermorenorless。YouareonyourhonourtillIsaytheword。"

"Iam!But，sacrebleu!ThisisanabsurdpositionforaGeneraloftheEmpiretobeplacedin!"criedGeneralFeraud，inaccentsofprofoundanddismayedconviction。"Itamountstosittingalltherestofmylifewithaloadedpistolinadrawerwaitingforyourword。It"s——it"sidiotic；Ishallbeanobjectof——of——

derision。"

"Absurd?——idiotic?Doyouthinkso?"queriedGeneralD"Hubertwithslygravity。"Perhaps。ButI

don"tseehowthatcanbehelped。However，Iamnotlikelytotalkatlargeofthisadventure。Nobodyneedeverknowanythingaboutit。Justasnoonetothisday，Ibelieve，knowstheoriginofourquarrel……

Notawordmore，"headded，hastily。"Ican"treallydiscussthisquestionwithamanwho，asfarasIamconcerned，doesnotexist。"

Whenthetwoduellistscameoutintotheopen，Gen-

eralFeraudwalkingalittlebehind，andratherwiththeairofwalkinginatrance，thetwosecondshurriedtowardsthem，eachfromhisstationattheedgeofthewood。GeneralD"Hubertaddressedthem，speakingloudanddistinctly，"Messieurs，Imakeitapointofdeclaringtoyousolemnly，inthepresenceofGeneralFeraud，thatourdifferenceisatlastsettledforgood。

Youmayinformalltheworldofthatfact。"

"Areconciliation，afterall!"theyexclaimedto-

gether。

"Reconciliation?Notthatexactly。Itissome-

thingmuchmorebinding。Isitnotso，General?"

GeneralFeraudonlyloweredhisheadinsignofassent。Thetwoveteranslookedateachother。Laterintheday，whentheyfoundthemselvesaloneoutoftheirmoodyfriend"searshot，thecuirassierremarkedsuddenly，"Generallyspeaking，Icanseewithmyoneeyeasfarasmostpeople；butthisbeatsme。Hewon"tsayanything。"

"InthisaffairofhonourIunderstandtherehasbeenfromfirsttolastalwayssomethingthatnooneinthearmycouldquitemakeout，"declaredthechasseurwiththeimperfectnose。"Inmysteryitbegan，inmysteryitwenton，inmysteryitistoend，apparently。"

GeneralD"Hubertwalkedhomewithlong，hastystrides，bynomeansupliftedbyasenseoftriumph。

Hehadconquered，yetitdidnotseemtohimthathehadgainedverymuchbyhisconquest。Thenightbeforehehadgrudgedtheriskofhislifewhichappearedtohimmagnificent，worthyofpreservationasanopportunitytowinagirl"slove。Hehadknownmomentswhen，byamarvellousillusion，thisloveseemedtobealreadyhis，andhisthreatenedlifeastillmoremagnificentopportunityofdevotion。Nowthathislifewassafeithadsuddenlylostitsspecialmag-

nificence。Ithadacquiredinsteadaspeciallyalarmingaspectasasnarefortheexposureofunworthiness。Astothemarvellousillusionofconqueredlovethathadvisitedhimforamomentintheagitatedwatchesofthenight，whichmighthavebeenhislastonearth，hecom-

prehendednowitstruenature。Ithadbeenmerelyaparoxysmofdeliriousconceit。Thustothisman，soberedbythevictoriousissueofaduel，lifeappearedrobbedofitscharm，simplybecauseitwasnolongermenaced。

Approachingthehousefromtheback，throughtheorchardandthekitchengarden，hecouldnotnoticetheagitationwhichreignedinfront。Henevermetasinglesoul。Onlywhilewalkingsoftlyalongthecorridor，hebecameawarethatthehousewasawakeandmorenoisythanusual。Namesofservantswerebeingcalledoutdownbelowinaconfusednoiseofcomingandgoing。

Withsomeconcernhenoticedthatthedoorofhisownroomstoodajar，thoughtheshuttershadnotbeenopenedyet。Hehadhopedthathisearlyexcursionwouldhavepassedunperceived。Heexpectedtofindsomeservantjustgonein；butthesunshinefilteringthroughtheusualcracksenabledhimtoseelyingonthelowdivansomethingbulky，whichhadtheappear-

anceoftwowomenclaspedineachother"sarms。Tear-

fulanddesolatemurmursissuedmysteriouslyfromthatappearance。GeneralD"Hubertpulledopenthenear-

estpairofshuttersviolently。Oneofthewomenthenjumpedup。Itwashissister。Shestoodforamomentwithherhairhangingdownandherarmsraisedstraightupaboveherhead，andthenflungherselfwithastifledcryintohisarms。Hereturnedherembrace，tryingatthesametimetodisengagehimselffromit。Theotherwomanhadnotrisen。Sheseemed，onthecontrary，toclingclosertothedivan，hidingherfaceinthecushions。

Herhairwasalsoloose；itwasadmirablyfair。Gen-

eralD"Hubertrecognizeditwithstaggeringemotion。

MademoiselledeValmassigue!Adele!Indistress!

Hebecamegreatlyalarmed，andgotridofhissis-

ter"shugdefinitely。MadameLeoniethenextendedhershapelybarearmoutofherpeignoir，pointingdramaticallyatthedivan。"Thispoor，terrifiedchildhasrushedherefromhome，onfoot，twomiles——runningalltheway。"

"Whatonearthhashappened?"askedGeneralD"Hubertinalow，agitatedvoice。

ButMadameLeoniewasspeakingloudly。"Sherangthegreatbellatthegateandrousedallthehouse-

hold——wewereallasleepyet。Youmayimaginewhataterribleshock……Adele，mydearchild，situp。"

GeneralD"Hubert"sexpressionwasnotthatofamanwho"imagines"withfacility。Hedid，however，fishoutofthechaosofsurmisesthenotionthathisprospectivemother-in-lawhaddiedsuddenly，butonlytodismissitatonce。HecouldnotconceivethenatureoftheeventorthecatastrophewhichwouldinduceMademoiselledeValmassigue，livinginahousefullofservants，tobringthenewsoverthefieldsherself，twomiles，runningalltheway。

"Butwhyareyouinthisroom?"hewhispered，fullofawe。

"Ofcourse，Iranuptosee，andthischild……I

didnotnoticeit……shefollowedme。It"sthatabsurdChevalier，"wentonMadameLeonie，lookingtowardsthedivan……"Herhairisallcomedown。

Youmayimagineshedidnotstoptocallhermaidtodressitbeforeshestarted……Adele，mydear，situp……Heblurteditallouttoherathalf-pastfiveinthemorning。Shewokeupearlyandopenedhershutterstobreathethefreshair，andsawhimsittingcol-

lapsedonagardenbenchattheendofthegreatalley。

Atthathour——youmayimagine!Andtheeveningbeforehehaddeclaredhimselfindisposed。Shehurriedonsomeclothesandflewdowntohim。Onewouldbeanxiousforless。Helovesher，butnotveryintelli-

gently。Hehadbeenupallnight，fullydressed，thepooroldman，perfectlyexhausted。Hewasn"tinastatetoinventaplausiblestory……Whatacon-

fidantyouchosethere!Myhusbandwasfurious。Hesaid，"Wecan"tinterferenow。"Sowesatdowntowait。

Itwasawful。Andthispoorchildrunningwithherhairlooseoverherepublicly!Shehasbeenseenbysomepeopleinthefields。Shehasrousedthewholehousehold，too。It"sawkwardforher。Luckilyyouaretobemarriednextweek……Adele，situp。Hehascomehomeonhisownlegs……Weexpectedtoseeyoucomingonastretcher，perhaps——whatdoIknow?Goandseeifthecarriageisready。Imusttakethischildhomeatonce。Itisn"tproperforhertostayhereaminutelonger。"

GeneralD"Hubertdidnotmove。Itwasasthoughhehadheardnothing。MadameLeoniechangedhermind。"Iwillgoandseemyself，"shecried。"Iwantalsomycloak——Adele——"shebegan，butdidnotadd"situp。"Shewentoutsaying，inaveryloudandcheerfultone:"Ileavethedooropen。"

GeneralD"Hubertmadeamovementtowardsthedivan，butthenAdelesatup，andthatcheckedhimdead。Hethought，"Ihaven"twashedthismorning。I

mustlooklikeanoldtramp。There"searthonthebackofmycoatandpine-needlesinmyhair。"Itoccurredtohimthatthesituationrequiredagooddealofcircum-

spectiononhispart。

"Iamgreatlyconcerned，mademoiselle，"hebegan，vaguely，andabandonedthatline。Shewassittinguponthedivanwithhercheeksunusuallypinkandherhair，brilliantlyfair，fallingalloverhershoulders——

whichwasaverynovelsighttothegeneral。Hewalkedawayuptheroom，andlookingoutofthewindowforsafetysaid，"IfearyoumustthinkIbehavedlikeamadman，"inaccentsofsinceredespair。Thenhespunround，andnoticedthatshehadfollowedhimwithhereyes。Theywerenotcastdownonmeetinghisglance。Andtheexpressionofherfacewasnoveltohimalso。Itwas，onemighthavesaid，reversed。

Thoseeyeslookedathimwithgravethoughtful-

ness，whiletheexquisitelinesofhermouthseemedtosuggestarestrainedsmile。Thischangemadehertranscendentalbeautymuchlessmysterious，muchmoreaccessibletoaman"scomprehension。Anamazingeaseofmindcametothegeneral——andevensomeeaseofmanner。Hewalkeddowntheroomwithasmuchpleasurableexcitementashewouldhavefoundinwalk-

inguptoabatteryvomitingdeath，fire，andsmoke；

thenstoodlookingdownwithsmilingeyesatthegirlwhosemarriagewithhim(nextweek)hadbeensocarefullyarrangedbythewise，thegood，theadmirableLeonie。

"Ah!mademoiselle，"hesaid，inatoneofcourtlyregret，"ifonlyIcouldbecertainthatyoudidnotcomeherethismorning，twomiles，runningalltheway，merelyfromaffectionforyourmother!"

Hewaitedforananswerimperturbablebutinwardlyelated。Itcameinademuremurmur，eyelasheslow-

eredwithfascinatingeffect。"Youmustnotbeme-

chantaswellasmad。"

AndthenGeneralD"Hubertmadeanaggressivemovementtowardsthedivanwhichnothingcouldcheck。Thatpieceoffurniturewasnotexactlyinthelineoftheopendoor。ButMadameLeonie，comingbackwrappedupinalightcloakandcarryingalaceshawlonherarmforAdeletohideherincriminatinghairunder，hadaswiftimpressionofherbrothergettingupfromhisknees。

"Comealong，mydearchild，"shecriedfromthedoorway。

Thegeneral，nowhimselfagaininthefullestsense，showedthereadinessofaresourcefulcavalryofficerandtheperemptorinessofaleaderofmen。"Youdon"texpecthertowalktothecarriage，"hesaid，indignantly。

"Sheisn"tfit。Ishallcarryherdownstairs。"

Thishedidslowly，followedbyhisawedandre-

spectfulsister；butherushedbacklikeawhirlwindtowashoffallthesignsofthenightofanguishandthemorningofwar，andtoputonthefestivegarmentsofaconquerorbeforehurryingovertotheotherhouse。

Haditnotbeenforthat，GeneralD"Hubertfeltcapableofmountingahorseandpursuinghislateadversaryinordersimplytoembracehimfromexcessofhappiness。

"Ioweitalltothisstupidbrute，"hethought。"Hehasmadeplaininamorningwhatmighthavetakenmeyearstofindout——forIamatimidfool。Noself-confi-

dencewhatever。Perfectcoward。AndtheChevalier!

Delightfuloldman!"GeneralD"Hubertlongedtoembracehimalso。

TheChevalierwasinbed。Forseveraldayshewasveryunwell。ThemenoftheEmpireandthepost-revolutionyoungladiesweretoomuchforhim。

Hegotupthedaybeforethewedding，and，beingcuri-

ousbynature，tookhisnieceasideforaquiettalk。Headvisedhertofindoutfromherhusbandthetruestoryoftheaffairofhonour，whoseclaim，soimperativeandsopersistent，hadledhertowithinanaceoftragedy。

"Itisrightthathiswifeshouldbetold。Andnextmonthorsowillbeyourtimetolearnfromhimany-

thingyouwanttoknow，mydearchild。"

Lateron，whenthemarriedcouplecameonavisittothemotherofthebride，MadamelaGeneraleD"Hubertcommunicatedtoherbelovedoldunclethetruestoryshehadobtainedwithoutanydifficultyfromherhus-

band。

TheChevalierlistenedwithdeepattentiontotheend，tookapinchofsnuff，flickedthegrainsoftobaccofromthefrilledfrontofhisshirt，andasked，calmly，"Andthat"sallitwas?"

"Yes，uncle，"repliedMadamelaGenerale，openingherprettyeyesverywide。"Isn"titfunny?C"estinsense——tothinkwhatmenarecapableof!"

"H"m!"commentedtheoldemigre。"Itdependswhatsortofmen。ThatBonaparte"ssoldiersweresavages。Itisinsense。Asawife，mydear，youmustbelieveimplicitlywhatyourhusbandsays。"

ButtoLeonie"shusbandtheChevalierconfidedhistrueopinion。"Ifthat"sthetalethefellowmadeupforhiswife，andduringthehoneymoon，too，youmaydependonitthatnoonewilleverknownowthesecretofthisaffair。"

Considerablylaterstill，GeneralD"Hubertjudgedthetimecome，andtheopportunitypropitioustowritealettertoGeneralFeraud。Thisletterbeganbydis-

claimingallanimosity。"I"venever，"wrotetheGeneralBaronD"Hubert，"wishedforyourdeathdur-

ingallthetimeofourdeplorablequarrel。Allowme，"

hecontinued，"togiveyoubackinallformyourfor-

feitedlife。Itisproperthatwetwo，whohavebeenpartnersinsomuchmilitaryglory，shouldbefriendlytoeachotherpublicly。"

Thesamelettercontainedalsoanitemofdomesticinformation。ItwasinreferencetothislastthatGeneralFeraudansweredfromalittlevillageonthebanksoftheGaronne，inthefollowingwords:

"Ifoneofyourboy"snameshadbeenNapoleon——orJoseph——orevenJoachim，Icouldcongratulateyouontheeventwithabetterheart。AsyouhavethoughtpropertogivehimthenamesofCharlesHenriArmand，IamconfirmedinmyconvictionthatyouneverlovedtheEmperor。ThethoughtofthatsublimeherochainedtoarockinthemiddleofasavageoceanmakeslifeofsolittlevaluethatIwouldreceivewithpositivejoyyourinstructionstoblowmybrainsout。FromsuicideIconsidermyselfinhonourdebarred。ButI

keepaloadedpistolinmydrawer。"

MadamelaGeneraleD"Hubertliftedupherhandsindespairafterperusingthatanswer。

"Yousee?Hewon"tbereconciled，"saidherhus-

band。"Hemustnever，byanychance，beallowedtoguesswherethemoneycomesfrom。Itwouldn"tdo。

Hecouldn"tbearit。"

"Youareabravehomme，Armand，"saidMadamelaGenerale，appreciatively。

"Mydear，Ihadtherighttoblowhisbrainsout；

butasIdidn"t，wecan"tlethimstarve。Hehaslosthispensionandheisutterlyincapableofdoingany-

thingintheworldforhimself。Wemusttakecareofhim，secretly，totheendofhisdays。Don"tIowehimthemostecstaticmomentofmylife?……Ha!ha!

ha!Overthefields，twomiles，runningalltheway!

Icouldn"tbelievemyears!……Butforhisstupidferocity，itwouldhavetakenmeyearstofindyouout。

It"sextraordinaryhowinonewayoranotherthismanhasmanagedtofastenhimselfonmydeeperfeelings。"

APATHETICTALE

ILCONDE

"VediNapoliepoimori。"

THEfirsttimewegotintoconversationwasintheNationalMuseuminNaples，intheroomsonthegroundfloorcontainingthefamouscollectionofbronzesfromHerculaneumandPompeii:thatmarvellouslegacyofantiqueartwhosedelicateperfectionhasbeenpre-

servedforusbythecatastrophicfuryofavolcano。

Headdressedmefirst，overthecelebratedRestingHermeswhichwehadbeenlookingatsidebyside。Hesaidtherightthingsaboutthatwhollyadmirablepiece。

Nothingprofound。Histastewasnaturalratherthancultivated。Hehadobviouslyseenmanyfinethingsinhislifeandappreciatedthem:buthehadnojargonofadilettanteortheconnoisseur。Ahatefultribe。Hespokelikeafairlyintelligentmanoftheworld，aper-

fectlyunaffectedgentleman。

Wehadknowneachotherbysightforsomefewdayspast。Stayinginthesamehotel——good，butnotextravagantlyuptodate——Ihadnoticedhiminthevestibulegoinginandout。Ijudgedhewasanoldandvaluedclient。Thebowofthehotel-keeperwascordialinitsdeference，andheacknowledgeditwithfamiliarcourtesy。FortheservantshewasIlConde。

Therewassomesquabbleoveraman"sparasol——yellowsilkwithwhiteliningsortofthing——thewaitershaddis-

coveredabandonedoutsidethedining-roomdoor。Ourgold-laceddoor-keeperrecognizeditandIheardhimdirectingoneoftheliftboystorunafterIlCondewithit。PerhapshewastheonlyCountstayinginthehotel，orperhapshehadthedistinctionofbeingtheCountparexcellence，conferreduponhimbecauseofhistriedfidelitytothehouse。

HavingconversedattheMuseo——(andbythebyhehadexpressedhisdislikeofthebustsandstatuesofRomanemperorsinthegalleryofmarbles:theirfacesweretoovigorous，toopronouncedforhim)——havingconversedalreadyinthemorningIdidnotthinkIwasintrudingwhenintheevening，findingthedining-roomveryfull，Iproposedtosharehislittletable。Judgingbythequieturbanityofhisconsenthedidnotthinksoeither。Hissmilewasveryattractive。

Hedinedinaneveningwaistcoatanda"smoking"

(hecalleditso)withablacktie。Allthisofverygoodcut，notnew——justasthesethingsshouldbe。Hewas，morningorevening，verycorrectinhisdress。Ihavenodoubtthathiswholeexistencehadbeencorrect，wellorderedandconventional，undisturbedbystartlingevents。Hiswhitehairbrushedupwardsoffaloftyforeheadgavehimtheairofanidealist，ofanimaginativeman。Hiswhitemoustache，heavybutcarefullytrimmedandarranged，wasnotunpleasantlytintedagoldenyellowinthemiddle。Thefaintscentofsomeverygoodperfume，andofgoodcigars(thatlastanodourquiteremarkabletocomeuponinItaly)

reachedmeacrossthetable。Itwasinhiseyesthathisageshowedmost。Theywerealittlewearywithcreasedeyelids。Hemusthavebeensixtyoracoupleofyearsmore。Andhewascommunicative。Iwouldnotgosofarastocallitgarrulous——butdistinctlycommunicative。

Hehadtriedvariousclimates，ofAbbazia，oftheRiviera，ofotherplaces，too，hetoldme，buttheonlyonewhichsuitedhimwastheclimateoftheGulfofNaples。TheancientRomans，who，hepointedouttome，weremenexpertintheartofliving，knewverywellwhattheyweredoingwhentheybuilttheirvillasontheseshores，inBaiae，inVico，inCapri。Theycamedowntothisseasideinsearchofhealth，bringingwiththemtheirtrainsofmimesandflute-playerstoamusetheirleisure。HethoughtitextremelyprobablethattheRomansofthehigherclasseswerespeciallypredisposedtopainfulrheumaticaffections。

ThiswastheonlypersonalopinionIheardhimexpress。Itwasbasedonnospecialerudition。HeknewnomoreoftheRomansthananaverageinformedmanoftheworldisexpectedtoknow。Hearguedfrompersonalexperience。HehadsufferedhimselffromapainfulanddangerousrheumaticaffectiontillhefoundreliefinthisparticularspotofSouthernEurope。

Thiswasthreeyearsago，andeversincehehadtakenuphisquartersontheshoresofthegulf，eitherinoneofthehotelsinSorrentoorhiringasmallvillainCapri。Hehadapiano，afewbooks:pickeduptransientacquaintancesofaday，week，ormonthinthestreamoftravellersfromallEurope。Onecanimaginehimgoingoutforhiswalksinthestreetsandlanes，becomingknowntobeggars，shopkeepers，children，countrypeople；talkingamiablyoverthewallstothecontadini——andcomingbacktohisroomsorhisvillatositbeforethepiano，withhiswhitehairbrushedupandhisthickorderlymoustache，"tomakealittlemusicformyself。"

And，ofcourse，forachangetherewasNaplesnearby——life，movement，animation，opera。Alittleamuse-

ment，ashesaid，isnecessaryforhealth。Mimesandflute-players，infact。Onlyunlikethemagnatesofan-

cientRome，hehadnoaffairsofthecitytocallhimawayfromthesemoderatedelights。Hehadnoaffairsatall。Probablyhehadneverhadanygraveaffairstoattendtoinhislife。Itwasakindlyexistence，withitsjoysandsorrowsregulatedbythecourseofNature——

marriages，births，deaths——ruledbytheprescribedusagesofgoodsocietyandprotectedbytheState。

Hewasawidower；butinthemonthsofJulyandAugustheventuredtocrosstheAlpsforsixweeksonavisittohismarrieddaughter。Hetoldmehername。

Itwasthatofaveryaristocraticfamily。Shehadacastle——inBohemia，Ithink。ThisisasnearasIevercametoascertaininghisnationality。Hisownname，strangelyenough，henevermentioned。PerhapshethoughtIhadseenitonthepublishedlist。Truthtosay，Ineverlooked。Atanyrate，hewasagoodEu-

ropean——hespokefourlanguagestomycertainknowl-

edge——andamanoffortune。Notofgreatfortuneevidentlyandappropriately。Iimaginethattobeex-

tremelyrichwouldhaveappearedtohimimproper，outre——tooblatantaltogether。Andobviously，too，thefortunewasnotofhismaking。Themakingofafor-

tunecannotbeachievedwithoutsomeroughness。

Itisamatteroftemperament。Hisnaturewastookindlyforstrife。Inthecourseofconversationhementionedhisestatequitebytheway，inreferencetothatpainfulandalarmingrheumaticaffection。Oneyear，stayingincautiouslybeyondtheAlpsaslateasthemiddleofSeptember，hehadbeenlaidupforthreemonthsinthatlonelycountryhousewithnoonebuthisvaletandthecaretakingcoupletoattendtohim。

Because，asheexpressedit，he"keptnoestablishmentthere。"Hehadonlygoneforacoupleofdaystocon-