CHAPTER IX. A SCRAPE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
When I reached the quarters of the etat-major, I found the greatcourtyard of the 'hotel' crowded with soldiers of every rank and arm ofthe service. Some were newly joined recruits waiting for the ordersto be forwarded to their respective regiments, some were invalidsjust issued from the hospital, some were sick and wounded on their wayhomeward. There were sergeants with their billet-rolls, and returns, andcourt-martial sentences. Adjutants with regimental documents hasteninghither and thither. Mounted orderlies, too, continually came and went;all was bustle, movement, and confusion. Officers in staff uniformscalled out the orders from the different windows, and despatches weresent off here and there with hot haste. The building was the ancientpalace of the Dukes of Lorraine, and a splendid fountain of white marblein the centre of the _cour_, still showed the proud armorial bearings ofthat princely house. Around the sculptured base of this now were seatedgroups of soldiers, their war-worn looks and piled arms contrastingstrangely enough with the great porcelain vases of flowering plants thatstill decorated the rich plateau. Shakos, helmets, and greatcoats werehung upon the orange-trees. The heavy boots of the cuirassier, the whiteleather apron of the sapeur, were drying along the marble benches of theterrace. The richly traceried veining of gilt iron-work, which separatedthe court from the garden, was actually covered with belts, swords,bayonets, and horse-gear, in every stage and process of cleaning. Withinthe garden itself, however, all was silent and still--two sentries, whopaced backwards and forwards beneath the grille, showing that the spotwas to be respected by those whose careless gestures and reckless airbetrayed how little influence the mere 'genius of the place' wouldexercise over them.
To me the interest of everything was increasing; and whether I lingeredto listen to the raw remarks of the new recruit, in wonder at all hesaw, or stopped to hear the campaigning stories of the old soldiersof the army, I never wearied. Few, if any, knew whither they weregoing--perhaps to the north to join the army of the Sambre; perhapsto the east to the force upon the Rhine. It might be that they weredestined for Italy--none cared! Meanwhile, at every moment, detachmentsmoved off, and their places were filled by fresh arrivals--all dusty andwayworn from the march. Some had scarcely time to eat a hurried morsel,when they were called on to 'fall in,' and again the word 'forward' wasgiven. Such of the infantry as appeared too weary for the march weresent on in great charrettes drawn by six or eight horses, and capable ofcarrying forty men in each; and of these there seemed to be no end. Nosooner was one detachment away than another succeeded. Whatever theirdestination, one thing seemed evident, the urgency that called them wasbeyond the common. For a while I forgot all about myself in the greaterinterest of the scene; but then came the thought that I too should havemy share in this onward movement, and now I set out to seek for my youngfriend, the sous-lieutenant. I had not asked his name, but his regimentI knew to be the 22nd Chasseurs a cheval. The uniform was light green,and easily enough to be recognised; yet nowhere was it to be seen.There were cuirassiers, and hussars, heavy dragoons, and carabiniers inabundance--everything, in short, but what I sought.
At last I asked of an old quartermaster where the 22nd were quartered,and heard, to my utter dismay, that they had marched that morning ateight o'clock. There were two more squadrons expected to arrive at noon,but the orders were that they were to proceed without further halt.
'And whither to,' asked I.
'To Treves, on the Moselle,' said he, and turned away as if he would notbe questioned further. It was true that my young friend could not havebeen much of a patron, yet the loss of him was deeply felt by me. He wasto have introduced me to his colonel, who probably might have obtainedthe leave I desired at once; and now I knew no one, not one even toadvise me how to act. I sat down upon a bench to think, but couldresolve on nothing; the very sight of that busy scene had now become areproach to me. There were the veterans of a hundred battles hasteningforward again to the field; there were the young soldiers just flushedwith recent victory; even the peasant boys were 'eager for the fray';but I alone was to have no part in the coming glory. The enthusiasm ofall around only served to increase and deepen my depression. There wasnot one there, from the old and war-worn veteran of the ranks to themerest boy, with whom I would not gladly have exchanged fortunes. Somehours passed over in these gloomy reveries, and when I looked up fromthe stupor my own thoughts had thrown over me, the _cour_ was almostempty. A few sick soldiers, waiting for their billets of leave, a fewrecruits not yet named to any corps, and a stray orderly or two standingbeside his horse, were all that remained.
I arose to go away, but in my preoccupation of mind, instead of turningtoward the street, I passed beneath a large archway into another courtof the building, somewhat smaller, but much richer in decoration andornament than the outer one. After spending some time admiring thequaint devices and grim heads which peeped out from all the architravesand friezes, my eye was caught by a low, arched doorway, in the middleof which was a small railed window, like the grille of a convent. Iapproached, and perceived that it led into a garden, by a long, narrowwalk of clipped yew, dense and upright as a wall The trimly rakedgravel, and the smooth surface of the hedge, showed the care bestowedon the grounds to be a wide contrast to the neglect exhibited in themansion itself; a narrow border of hyacinths and carnations ran alongeither side of the walk, the gorgeous blossoms appearing in strongrelief against the background of dark foliage.
The door, as I leaned against it, gently yielded to the pressure of myarm, and almost without knowing it, I found myself standing within theprecincts of the garden. My first impulse, of course, was to retire andclose the door again, but somehow, I never knew exactly why, I could notresist the desire to see a little more of a scene so tempting. There wasno mark of footsteps on the gravel, and I thought it likely the gardenwas empty. On I went, therefore, at first with cautious and uncertainsteps, at last with more confidence, for as I issued from thehedge-walk, and reached an open space beyond, the solitude seemedunbroken. Fruit-trees, loaded with blossom, stood in a closely shavenlawn, through which a small stream meandered, its banks planted withdaffodils and water-lilies. Some pheasants moved about through thegrass, but without alarm at my presence; while a young fawn boldly cameover to me, and although in seeming disappointment at not finding an oldfriend, continued to walk beside me as I went.
The grounds appeared of great extent: paths led off in every direction;and while, in some places, I could perceive the glittering roof andsides of a conservatory, in others the humble culture of a vegetablegarden was to be seen. There was a wondrous fascination in the calm andtranquil solitude around; and coming, as it did, so immediately afterthe busy bustle of the 'soldiering,' I soon not only forgot that I wasan intruder there, but suffered myself to wander 'fancy free,' followingout the thoughts each object suggested. I believe at that moment, if thechoice were given me, I would rather have been the 'Adam of that Eden'than the proudest of those generals that ever led a column to victory!Fortunately, or unfortunately--it would not be easy to decide which--thealternative was not open to me. It was while I was still musing, I foundmyself at the foot of a little eminence, on which stood a tower whoseheight and position showed it had been built for the view it affordedover a vast tract of country. Even from where I stood, at its base, Icould see over miles and miles of a great plain, with the main roadsleading towards the north and eastward. This spot was also the boundaryof the grounds, and a portion of the old boulevard of the town formedthe defence against the open country beyond. It was a deep ditch, withsides of sloping sward, cropped neatly, and kept in trimmest order, but,from its depth and width, forming a fence of a formidable kind. I waspeering cautiously down into the abyss, when I heard a voice so close tomy ear that I started with surprise. I listened, and perceived that thespeaker was directly above me, and leaning over the battlements at thetop of the tower.
'You're quite right,' cried he, as he adjusted a telescope to his eye,and directed his view towards the pl
ain. 'He has gone wrong! He hastaken the Strasbourg road, instead of the northern one.'
An exclamation of anger followed these words; and now I saw thetelescope passed to another hand, and, to my astonishment, that of alady.
'Was there ever stupidity like that? He saw the map like the others, andyet---- _Parbleu!_ it's too bad!'
I could perceive that a female voice made some rejoinder, but did notdistinguish the words; when the man again spoke--
'No, no; it's all a blunder of that old major; and here am I without anorderly to send after him. _Diable!_ it is provoking.'
'Isn't that one of your people at the foot of the tower?' said the lady,as she pointed to where I stood, praying for the earth to open and closeover me; for, as he moved his head to look down, I saw the epaulettes ofa staff-officer.
'Holloa!' cried he, 'are you on duty?'
'No, sir; I was----'
Not waiting for me to finish an explanation, he went on--
'Follow that division of cavalry that has taken the Strasbourg road, andtell Major Roquelard that he has gone wrong; he should have turned offto the left at the suburbs. Lose no time, but away at once. You aremounted, of course?'
'No, sir, my horse is at quarters; but I can----'
'No, no; it will be too late,' he broke in again. 'Take my troop-horse,and be off. You'll find him in the stable to your left.'
Then turning to the lady I heard him say--
'It may save Roquelard from an arrest.'
I did not wait for more, but hurried off in the direction he hadpointed. A short gravel walk brought me in front of a low building, inthe cottage style, but which, decorated with emblems of the chase, Iguessed to be the stable. Not a groom was to be seen; but the door beingunlatched I entered freely. Four large and handsome horses were feedingat the racks, their glossy coats and long silken manes showing the carebestowed upon them. Which is the trooper? thought I, as I surveyed themall with keen and scrutinising eye. All my skill in such matterswas unable to decide the point; they seemed all alike valuable andhandsome--in equally high condition, and exhibiting equal marks ofcareful treatment. Two were stamped on the haunches with the letters 'R.F.'; and these, of course, were cavalry horses. One was a powerful blackhorse, whose strong quarters and deep chest bespoke great action, whilethe backward glances of his eye indicated the temper of a 'tartar.'Making choice of him without an instant's hesitation, I threw on thesaddle, adjusted the stirrups to my own length, buckled the bridle, andled him forth. In all my 'school experience' I had never seen an animalthat pleased me so much; his well-arched neck and slightly dipped backshowed that an Arab cross had mingled with the stronger qualities of theNorman horse. I sprang to my saddle with delight; to be astride such abeast was to kindle up all the enthusiasm of my nature; and as I graspedthe reins, and urged him forward, I was half wild with excitement.
Apparently the animal was accustomed to more gentle treatment, for hegave a loud snort, such as a surprised or frightened horse will give,and then bounded forward once or twice, as if to dismount me. Thisfailing, he reared up perfectly straight, pawing madly, and threateningeven to fall backwards. I saw that I had, indeed, selected a wicked one;for in every bound and spring, in every curvet and leap, the object wasclearly to unseat the rider. At one instant he would crouch, as if tolie down, and then bound up several feet in the air, with a toss upof his haunches that almost sent me over the head. At another he wouldspring from side to side, writhing and twisting like a fish, till thesaddle seemed actually slipping away from his lithe body. Not only didI resist all these attacks, but vigorously continued to punish with whipand spur the entire time--a proceeding, I could easily see, he was notprepared for. At last, actually maddened with his inability to throwme, and enraged by my continuing to spur him, he broke away, anddashing headlong forward, rushed into the very thickest of the grove.Fortunately for me, the trees were either shrubs or of stunted growth,so that I had only to keep my saddle to escape danger; but suddenlyemerging from this, he gained the open sward, and as if his passionbecame more furious as he indulged in it, he threw up his head, andstruck out in full gallop. I had but time to see that he was heading forthe great fosse of the boulevard, when we were already on its brink. Ashout, and a cry of I know not what, came from the tower; but I heardnothing more. Mad as the maddened animal himself, perhaps at that momentjust as indifferent to life, I dashed the spurs into his flanks, andoyer we went, lighting on the green sward as easily as a seagull on awave. To all seeming, the terrible leap had somewhat sobered him; buton me it had produced the very opposite effect. I felt that I had gainedthe mastery, and resolved to use it. With unrelenting punishment, then,I rode him forward, taking the country as it lay straight before me. Thefew fences which divided the great fields were too insignificant to becalled leaps, and he took them in the 'sling' of his stretching gallop.He was now subdued, yielding to every turn of my wrist, and obeyingevery motive of my will like an instinct. It may read like a pettyvictory; but he who has ever experienced the triumph over an enragedand powerful horse, well knows that few sensations are more pleasurablyexciting. High as is the excitement of being borne along in full speed,leaving village and spire, glen and river, bridge and mill behindyou--now careering up the mountain-side, with the fresh breeze uponyour brow; now diving into the dark forest, startling the hare fromher cover, and sending the wild deer scampering before you--it is stillincreased by the sense of a victory; by feeling that the mastery is withyou, and that each bound of the noble beast beneath you has its impulsein your own heart.
Although the cavalry squadrons I was despatched to overtake had quittedNancy four hours before, I came up with them in less than an hour,and inquiring for the officer in command, rode up to the head of thedivision. He was a thin, gaunt-looking, stern-featured man, who listenedto my message without changing a muscle.
'Who sent you with this order?' said he.
'A general officer, sir, whose name I don't know, but who told me totake his own horse and follow you.'
'Did he tell you to kill the animal, sir?' said he, pointing to theheaving flanks and shaking tail of the exhausted beast.
'He bolted with me at first, major, and having cleared the ditch of theboulevard, rode away with me.'
'Why, it's Colonel Mahon's Arab, Aleppo,' said another officer; 'whatcould have persuaded him to mount an orderly on a beast worth tenthousand francs?'
I thought I'd have fainted, as I heard these words; the wholeconsequences of my act revealed themselves before me, and I saw arrest,trial, sentence, imprisonment, and Heaven knew what afterwards, like apanorama rolling out to my view.
'Tell the colonel, sir,' said the major, 'that I have taken the northroad, intending to cross over at Beaumont; that the artillery trainshave cut up the Metz road so deeply, cavalry cannot travel; tell him Ithank him much for his politeness in forwarding this despatch to me; andtell him, that I regret the rules of active service should prevent mysending back an escort to place yourself under arrest for the manner inwhich you have ridden--you hear, sir?'
I touched my cap in salute.
'Are you certain, sir, that you have my answer correctly?'
'I am, sir.'
'Repeat it, then.'
I repeated the reply, word for word, as he spoke it.
'No, sir,' said he as I concluded; 'I said for unsoldier-like and crueltreatment to your horse.'
One of his officers whispered something in his ear, and he quietlyadded--
'I find that I had not used these words, but I ought to have done so;give the message, therefore, as you heard it at first.'
'Mahon will shoot him, to a certainty,' muttered one of the captains.
'I'd not blame him,' joined another; 'that horse saved his life atQuiberon, when he fell in with a patrol; and look at him now!'
The major made a sign for me to retire, and I turned and set ont towardsNancy, with the feelings of a convict on the way to his fate.
If I did not feel that these brief records of a humble caree
r were'upon honour,' and that the only useful lesson a life so unimportant canteach, is the conflict between opposing influences, I might possiblybe disposed to blink the avowal, that, as I rode along towards Nancy, avery great doubt occurred to me as to whether I ought not to desert!It is a very ignoble expression; but it must out. There were not inthe French service any of those ignominious punishments which, onceundergone, a man is dishonoured for ever, and no more admissible to rankwith men of character than if convicted of actual crime; but there weremarks of degradation, almost as severe, then in vogue, and which mendreaded with a fear nearly as acute--such, for instance, as beingordered for service at the Bagne de Brest, in Toulon--the arduous dutyof guarding the galley-slaves, and which was scarcely a degree above thecondition of the condemned themselves. Than such a fate as this, Iwould willingly have preferred death. It was, then, this thought thatsuggested desertion; but I soon rejected the unworthy temptation, andheld on my way towards Nancy.
Aleppo, if at first wearied by the severe burst, soon rallied, while heshowed no traces of his fiery temper, and exhibited few of fatigue; andas I walked along at his side, washing his mouth and nostrils at eachfountain I passed, and slackening his saddle-girths to give him freedom,long before we arrived at the suburbs he had regained all his looks andmuch of his spirit.
At last we entered Nancy about nightfall, and, with a failing heart, Ifound myself at the gate of the ducal palace. The sentries suffered meto pass unmolested, and entering, I took my way through the courtyard,towards the small gate of the garden, which, as I had left it, wasunlatched.
It was strange enough, the nearer I drew towards the eventful moment ofmy fate, the more resolute and composed my heart became. It is possible,thought I, that in a fit of passion he will send a ball through me, asthe officer said. Be it so--the matter is the sooner ended. If, however,he will condescend to listen to my explanation, I may be able to assertmy innocence, at least so far as intention went. With this comfortingconclusion, I descended at the stable door. Two dragoons in undress weresmoking, as they lay at full length upon a bench, and speedily arose asI came up.
'Tell the colonel he's come, Jacques,' said one, in a loud voice, andthe other retired; while the speaker, turning towards me, took thebridle from my hand, and led the animal in, without vouchsafing a wordto me.
'An active beast that,' said I, affecting the easiest and coolestindifference. The soldier gave me a look of undisguised amazement, and Icontinued--
'He has had a bad hand on him, I should say--some one too flurried andtoo fidgety to give confidence to a hot-tempered horse.'
Another stare was all the reply.
'In a little time, and with a little patience, I'd make him as gentle asa lamb.'
'I'm afraid you'll not have the opportunity,' replied he significantly;'but the colonel, I see, is waiting for you, and you can discuss thematter together.'
The other dragoon had just then returned, and made me a sign to followhim. A few paces brought us to the door of a small pavilion, at which asentry stood; and having motioned to me to pass in, my guide left me.An orderly sergeant at the same instant appeared, and beckoning to me toadvance, he drew aside a curtain, and pushing me forward, let the heavyfolds close behind me; and now I found myself in a richly furnishedchamber, at the farther end of which an officer was at supper with ayoung and handsome woman. The profusion of wax-lights on the table--theglitter of plate, and glass, and porcelain--the richness of the lady'sdress, which seemed like the costume of a ball--were all objectsdistracting enough, but they could not turn me from the thought of myown condition; and I stood motionless, while the officer, a man of aboutfifty, with dark and stern features, deliberately scanned me from headto foot. Not a word did he speak, not a gesture did he make, but sat,with his black eyes actually piercing me. I would have given anythingfor some outbreak of anger, some burst of passion, that would have putan end to this horrible suspense, but none came; and there he remainedseveral minutes, as if contemplating something too new and strange forutterance. 'This must have an end,' thought I--'here goes'; and so, withmy hand in salute, I drew myself full up, and said--
'I carried your orders, sir, and received for answer that MajorRoquelard had taken the north road advisedly, as that by Beaumont wascut up by the artillery trains; that he would cross over to the MetzChaussee as soon as possible; that he thanked you for the kindness ofyour warning, and regretted that the rules of active service precludedhis despatching an escort of arrest along with me, for the manner inwhich I had ridden with the order.'
'Anything more?' asked the colonel, in a voice that sounded thick andguttural with passion.
'Nothing more, sir.'
'No further remark or observation?' 'None, sir--at least from themajor.'
'What then--from any other?'
'A captain, sir, whose name I do not know, did say something.'
'What was it?'
'I forget the precise words, sir, but their purport was, that ColonelMahon would certainly shoot me when I got back.'
'And you replied?'
'I don't believe I made any reply at the time, sir.'
'But you thought, sir--what were your thoughts?'
'I thought it very like what I'd have done myself in a like case,although certain to be sorry for it afterwards.'
Whether the emotion had been one for some time previous restrained, orthat my last words had provoked it suddenly, I cannot tell, but the ladyhere burst out into a fit of laughter, but which was as suddenly checkedby some sharp observation of the colonel, whose stern features grewsterner and darker every moment.
'There we differ, sir,' said he, 'for I should not' At the sameinstant he pushed his plate away, to make room on the table for a smallportfolio, opening which, he prepared to write.
'You will bring this paper,' continued he, 'to the provost-marshal.To-morrow morning you shall be tried by a regimental court-martial, andas your sentence may probably be the galleys and hard labour----'
'I 'll save them the trouble,' said I, quietly drawing my sword; butscarcely was it clear of the scabbard when a shriek broke from the lady,who possibly knew not the object of my act; at the same instant thecolonel bounded across the chamber, and striking me a severe blow uponthe arm, dashed the weapon from my hand to the ground.
'You want the fusillade--is that what you want?' cried he, as, in atowering fit of passion, he dragged me forward to the light. I was nowstanding close to the table; the lady raised her eyes towards me, andat once broke out into a burst of laughter--such hearty, merry laughter,that, even with the fear of death before me, I could almost have joinedin it.
'What is it--what do you mean, Laure?' cried the colonel angrily.
'Don't you see it?' said she, still holding her kerchief to herface--'can't you perceive it yourself? He has only one moustache!'
I turned hastily towards the mirror beside me, and there was the fatalfact revealed--one gallant curl disported proudly over the left cheek,while the other was left bare.
'Is the fellow mad--a mountebank?' said the colonel, whose anger was nowat its white heat.
'Neither, sir,' said I, tearing off my remaining moustache, in shameand passion together. 'Among my other misfortunes I have that of beingyoung; and what's worse, I was ashamed of it; but I begin to see myerror, and know that a man may be old without gaining either in dignityor temper.'
With a stroke of his closed fist upon the table, the colonel made everyglass and decanter spring from their places, while he uttered an oaththat was only current in the days of that army. 'This is beyond belief,'cried he. 'Come, _gredin_, you have at least had one piece of goodfortune: you've fallen precisely into the hands of one who can deal withyou.--Your regiment?'
'The Ninth Hussars.'
'Your name?'
'Tiernay.'
'Tiernay; that's not a French name?'
'Not originally; we were Irish once.'
'Irish,' said he, in a different tone from what he had hitherto used.'Any relative of a certain C
omte Maurice de Tiernay, who once served inthe Royal Guard?'
'His son, sir.'
'What--his son! Art certain of this, lad? You remember your mother'sname then--what was it?'
'I never knew which was my mother,' said I. 'Mademoiselle de la Lasterieor----'
He did not suffer me to finish, but throwing his arms around my neck,pressed me to his bosom.
'You are little Maurice, then,' said he, 'the son of my old and valuedcomrade! Only think of it, Laure--I was that boy's godfather.'
Here was a sudden change in my fortunes; nor was it without a greateffort that I could credit the reality of it, as I saw myself seatedbetween the colonel and his fair companion, both of whom overwhelmed mewith attention.
It turned out that Colonel Mahon had been a fellow-guardsman with myfather, for whom he had ever preserved the warmest attachment. One ofthe few survivors of the Garde du Corps, he had taken service withthe Republic, and was already reputed as one of the most distinguishedcavalry officers.
'Strange enough, Maurice,' said he to me, 'there was something in yourlook and manner, as you spoke to me there, that recalled your poorfather to my memory; and without knowing or suspecting why, I sufferedyou to bandy words with me, while at another moment I would have orderedyou to be ironed and sent to prison.'
Of my mother, of whom I wished much to learn something, he would notspeak, but adroitly changed the conversation to the subject of my ownadventures, and these he made me recount from the beginning. If the ladyenjoyed all the absurdities of my chequered fortune with a keen sense ofthe ridiculous, the colonel apparently could trace in them but so manyresemblances to my father's character, and constantly broke out intoexclamations of 'How like him!' 'Just what he would have done himself!''His own very words! 'and so on.
It was only in a pause of the conversation, as the clock on themantelpiece struck eleven, that I was aware of the lateness of the hour,and remembered that I should be on the punishment-roll the next morningfor absence from quarters.
'Never fret about that, Maurice--I 'll return your name as on a specialservice; and to have the benefit of truth on our side, you shall benamed one of my orderlies, with the grade of corporal.'
'Why not make him a sous-lieutenant?' said the lady, in a half-whisper.'I'm sure he is better worth his epaulettes than any I have seen on yourstaff.'
'Nay, nay,' muttered the colonel, 'the rules of the service forbid it.He'll win his spurs time enough, or I 'm much mistaken.'
While I thanked my new and kind patron for his goodness, I could nothelp saying that my heart was eagerly set upon the prospect of actualservice; and that proud as I should be of his protection, I would rathermerit it by my conduct than owe my advancement to favour.
'Which simply means that you are tired of Nancy, and riding drill, andwant to see how men comport themselves where the manoeuvres are notarranged beforehand. Well, so far you are right, boy. I shall, in alllikelihood, be stationed here for three or four months, during whichyou might have advanced a stage or so towards those epaulettes my fairfriend desires to see upon your shoulders. You shall, therefore, be sentforward to your own corps. I'll write to the colonel to confirm therank of corporal; the regiment is at present on the Moselle, and, if Imistake not, will soon be actively employed Come to me to-morrow beforenoon, and be prepared to march with the first detachments that are sentforward.'
A cordial shake of the hand followed these words; and the lady havingalso vouchsafed me an equal token of her good-will, I took my leave, thehappiest fellow that ever betook himself to quarters after hours, and asindifferent to the penalties annexed to the breach of discipline as ifthe whole code of martial law were a mere fable.