white lies-第72章

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is　own　credit；　and　that　of　the　other　colonels　of　the　second　division。

RAIMBAUT；　General　of　Division。


Camille　put　the　paper　into　his　bosom。

〃Now；　general；　you　may　leave　all　to　me。　　I　swear　to　you；　Raynal　shall　not　dieshall　not　lead　this　assault。〃

〃Your　hand；　colonel。　　You　are　an　honor　to　the　French　armies。　　How　will　you　do　it？〃

〃Leave　it　to　me；　general；　it　shall　be　done。〃

〃I　feel　it　will；　my　noble　fellow：　but；　alas！　I　fear　not　without　risking　some　valuable　life　or　other；　most　likely　your　own。　　Tell　me！〃

〃General；　I　decline。〃

〃You　refuse　me；　sir？〃

〃Yes；　this　order　gives　me　a　discretionary　power。　　I　will　hand　back　the　order　at　your　command；　but　modify　it　I　will　not。　　Come；　sir；　you　veteran　generals　have　been　unjust　to　me；　and　listened　to　me　too　little　all　through　this　siege；　but　at　last　you　have　honored　me。　This　order　is　the　greatest　honor　that　was　ever　done　me　since　I　wore　a　sword。〃。

〃My　poor　colonel！〃

〃Let　me　wear　it　intact；　and　carry　it　to　my　grave。〃

〃Say　no　more！　　One　wordIs　there　anything　on　earth　I　can　do　for　you；　my　brave　soldier？〃

〃Yes；　general。　　Be　so　kind　as　to　retire　to　your　quarters；　there　are　reasons　why　you　ought　not　to　be　near　this　post　in　half　an　hour。〃

〃I　go。　　Is　there　NOTHING　else？〃

〃Well；　general；　ask　the　good　priest　Ambrose；　to　pray　for　all　those　who　shall　die　doing　their　duty　to　their　country　this　afternoon。〃

They　parted。　　General　Raimbaut　looked　back　more　than　once　at　the　firm；　intrepid　figure　that　stood　there　unflinching；　on　the　edge　of　the　grave。　　But　HE　never　took　his　eye　off　Raynal。　　The　next　minute　the　sad　letter　was　finished；　and　Raynal　walked　out　of　the　tent；　and　confronted　the　man　he　had　challenged　to　single　combat。

I　have　mentioned　elsewhere　that　Colonel　Dujardin　had　eyes　strangely　compounded　of　battle　and　love；　of　the　dove　and　the　hawk。　　And　these；　softened　by　a　noble　act　he　meditated；　now　rested　on　Raynal　with　a　strange　expression　of　warmth　and　goodness。　　This　strange　gaze　struck　Raynal；　so　far　at　least　as　this；　he　saw　it　was　no　hostile　eye。　　He　was　glad　of　that；　for　his　own　heart　was　calmed　and　softened　by　the　solemn　prospect　before　him。

〃We；　too；　have　a　little　account　to　settle　before　I　order　out　the　men；〃　said　he；　calmly；　〃and　I　can't　give　you　a　long　credit。　　I　am　pressed　for　time。〃

〃Our　quarrel　is　at　an　end。　　When　duty　sounds　the　recall；　a　soldier's　heart　leaves　private　feuds。　　See！　I　come　to　you　without　anger　and　ill…will。　　Just　now　my　voice　was　loud；　my　manner；　I　dare　say；　offensive；　and　menacing　even；　and　that　always　tempts　a　brave　fellow　like　you　to　resist。　　But　now；　you　see；　I　am　harmless　as　a　woman。　　We　are　alone。　　Humbug　to　the　winds！　　I　know　that　you　are　the　only　man　in　this　army　fit　to　command　a　division。　　I　know　that　when　you　say　the　assault　of　that　bastion　is　death；　death　it　is。　　To　the　point　then；　now　that　my　manner　is　no　longer　irritating；　now　that　I　am　going　to　die；　Camille　Dujardin；　my　old　comrade；　have　you　the　heart　to　refuse　me？　am　I　to　die　unhappy？〃

〃No；　no：　I　will　do　whatever　you　like。〃

〃You　will　marry　that　poor　girl；　then？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Aha！　did　not　I　always　say　he　was　a　good　fellow？　　Clench　the　nail；　give　me　your　honor。〃

〃I　give　you　my　honor　to　marry　her；　if　I　live。〃

〃You　take　a　load　off　me；　may　Heaven　reward　you。　　In　one　hour　those　poor　women；　whose　support　I　had　promised　to　be；　will　lose　their　protector；　but　I　give　them　another　in　you。　　We　shall　not　leave　that　family　in　tears；　Rose　in　shame；　and　your　child　without　a　name。〃

Dujardin　stared　at　the　speaker。　　What　new　and　devilish　deception　was　this？

〃My　child！〃　he　faltered。　　〃What　child？〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Raynal；　〃what　a　fool　I　was！　　That　is　the　first　thing　I　ought　to　have　told　you。　　Poor　little　fellow！　　I　surprised　him　in　his　cradle；　his　mother　and　Josephine　were　rocking　him；　and　singing　over　him。　　Oh！　it　was　a　scene；　I　can　tell　you。　　My　poor　wife　had　been　ill　for　some　time；　and　was　so　weakened　by　it；　that　I　frightened　her　into　a　fit；　stealing　a　march　on　her　that　way。　　She　fainted　away。　　Perhaps　it　is　as　well　she　did；　for　II　did　not　know　what　to　think；　it　looked　ugly；　but　while　she　lay　at　our　feet　insensible；　I　forced　the　truth　from　Rose；　she　owned　the　boy　was　hers。〃

While　Raynal　told　him　this　strange　story；　Camille　turned　hot　and　cold。　　First　came　a　thrill　of　glowing　joy；　he　had　some　clew　to　all　this：　he　was　a　father；　that　child　was　Josephine's　and　his；　the　next　moment　he　froze　within。　　So　Josephine　had　not　only　gulled　her　husband；　but　him；　too；　she　had　refused　him　the　sad　consolation　of　knowing　he　had　a　child。　　Cruelty；　calculation；　and　baseness　unexampled！　　Here　was　a　creature　who　could　sacrifice　anything　and　anybody　to　her　comfort；　to　the　peace　and　sordid　smoothness　of　her　domestic　life。　　She　stood　between　two　mena　thing。　　Between　two　truthsa　double　lie。

His　heart；　in　one　moment；　turned　against　her　like　a　stone。　　A　musket…bullet　through　the　body　does　not　turn　life　to　death　quicker　than　Raynal　turned　his　rival's　love　to　despair　and　scorn：　that　love　which　neither　wounds；　absence；　prison；　nor　even　her　want　of　constancy　had　prevailed　to　shake。

〃Out　of　my　bosom！〃　he　cried〃out　of　it；　in　this　world　and　the　next！〃

He　forgot；　in　his　lofty　rage；　who　stood　beside　him。

〃What？what？〃　cried　Raynal。

〃No　matter；〃　said　Camille；　〃only　I　esteem　YOU；　Raynal。　　You　are　truth；　you　are　a　man；　and　deserve　a　better　lot。〃

〃Don't　say　that；〃　replied　Raynal；　quite　misunderstanding　him。　　〃It　is　a　soldier's　end：　I　never　desired　nor　hoped　a　better：　only；　of　course；　I　feel　sad。　　You　are　a　happy　fellow；　to　have　a　child　and　to　live　to　see　it；　and　her　you　love。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　am　very　happy；〃　replied　the　poor　fellow；　his　lip　quivering。

〃Watch　over　all　those　poor　women；　comrade；　and　sometimes　speak　to　them　of　me。　　It　is　foolish；　but　we　like　to　be　remembered。〃

〃Yes！　but　do　not　let　us　speak　of　that。　　Raynal；　you　and　I　were　lieutenants　together；　do　you　remember　saving　my　life　in　the　Arno？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then　promise　me；　if　you　should　live；　to　remember　not　our　quarrel　of　to…day；　nor　anything；　but　only　those　early　days；　AND　THIS　AFTERNOON。〃

〃I　do。〃

〃Your　hand；　comrade。〃

〃There；　comrade；　there。〃

They　wrung　one　another's　hands；　and　turned　away　and　hid　their　faces　from　each　other；　for　their　eyes　were　moist。

〃This　won't　do；　comrade；　I　must　go。　　I　shall　attack　from　your　position。　　So　I　shall　go　down　the　line；　and　bring　the　men　up。　Meantime；　pick　me　your　detachment。　　Give　me　a　good　spice　of　veterans。　　I　shall　get　one　word　with　you　before　we　go　out。　　God　bless　you！〃

〃God　bless　you；　Raynal！〃

The　moment　Raynal　was　gone；　Camille　beckoned　a　lieutenant　to　him；　and　ordered　half　the　brigade　to　form　in　a　strong　column　on　both　sides　Death's　Alley。

His　eye　fell　upon　private　Dard；　as　luck　would　have　it。　　〃Come　here；〃　said　he。　　Dard　came　and　saluted。

〃Have　you　anybody　at　Beaurepaire　that　would　be　sorry　if　you　were　killed？〃

〃Yes；　colonel！　　Jacintha；　that　used　to　make　your　broth；　colonel。〃

〃Take　this　line　to　Colonel　Raynal。　　You　will　find　him　with　the　12th　brigade。〃

He　wrote　a　few　lines　in　pencil；　folded　them；　and　Dard　went　off　with　them；　little　dreaming　that　the　colonel　of　his　brigade　was　taking　the　trouble　to　save　his　life；　because　he　came　from　Beaurepaire。　　Colonel　Dujardin　then　went　into　his　tent；　and　closed　the　aperture；　and　took　the　good　book　the　priest　had　given　him；　and　prayed　humbly；　and　forgave　all　the　world。

Then　he　sat　down；　his　head　in　his　hands；　and　thought　of　his　child；　and　how　hard　it　was　he　must　die　and　never　see　him。　　Then　he　lighted　a　candle；　and　sealed　up　his　orders　of　valor；　and　wrote　a　line；　begging　that　they　might　be　sent　to　his　sister。　　He　also　sealed　up　his　purse；　and　left　a　memorandum　that　the　contents　should　be　given　to　disabled　soldiers　of　his　brigade　upon　their　being　invalided。

Then　he　took　out　Josephine's　letter。　　〃Poor　coward；〃　he　said；　〃let　me　not　be　unkind。　　See；　I　burn　your　letter；　lest　it　should　be　found；　and　disturb　the　peace　you　prize　so　highly。　　I；　too；　shall　soon　be　at　peace。〃　　He　lighted　the　letter；　and　dropped　it　on　the　ground：　it　burned　slowly　away。　　He　eyed　it；　despairingly。　　〃Ay；〃　said　he；　〃you　perish；　last　record　of　an　unhappy　love：　and　even　so　pass　away　my　life；　my　hopes　of　glory；　and　my　dreams　of　love；