white lies-第59部分

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re。　　The　colonel　and　a　hundred　men　are　fighting　hand　to　hand　with　the　Prussians；　who　have　charged　out　at　the　back　doors　of　the　bastion。　Success　there；　and　the　bastion　must　fallboth　sides　know　this。

The　colors　disappeared。　　There　was　a　groan　from　the　French　lines。　The　colors　reappeared；　and　close　under　the　bastion。

And　now　in　front　the　attack　was　so　hot；　that　often　the　Prussian　gunners　were　seen　to　jump　down；　driven　from　their　posts；　and　the　next　moment　a　fierce　hurrah　from　the　rear　told　that　the　French　had　won　some　great　advantage　there。　　The　fire　slackening　told　a　similar　tale　and　presently　down　came　the　Prussian　flag…staff。　　That　might　be　an　accident。　　A　few　moments　of　thirsting　expectation；　and　up　went　the　colors　of　the　24th　brigade　upon　the　Bastion　St。　Andre。

The　French　army　raised　a　shout　that　rent　the　sky；　and　their　cannon　began　to　play　on　the　Prussian　lines　and　between　the　bastion　and　the　nearest　fort；　to　prevent　a　recapture。

Sudden　there　shot　from　the　bastion　a　cubic　acre　of　fire：　it　carried　up　a　heavy　mountain　of　red　and　black　smoke　that　looked　solid　as　marble。　　There　was　a　heavy；　sullen；　tremendous　explosion　that　snuffed　out　the　sound　of　the　cannon；　and　paralyzed　the　French　and　Prussian　gunners'　hands；　and　checked　the　very　beating　of　their　hearts。　　Thirty　thousand　pounds　of　gunpowder　were　in　that　awful　explosion。　　War　itself　held　its　breath；　and　both　armies；　like　peaceable　spectators；　gazed　wonder…struck；　terror…struck。　　Great　hell　seemed　to　burst　through　the　earth's　crust；　and　to　be　rushing　at　heaven。　　Huge　stones；　cannons；　corpses；　and　limbs　of　soldiers；　were　seen　driven　or　falling　through　the　smoke。　　Some　of　these　last　came　quite　clear　of　the　ruins；　ay；　into　the　French　and　Prussian　lines；　that　even　the　veterans　put　their　hands　to　their　eyes。　　Raynal　felt　something　patter　on　him　from　the　skyit　was　blooda　comrade's　perhaps。


The　smoke　cleared。　　Where；　a　moment　before；　the　great　bastion　stood　and　fought；　was　a　monstrous　pile　of　blackened；　bloody　stones　and　timbers；　with　dismounted　cannon　sticking　up　here　and　there。

And；　rent　and　crushed　to　atoms　beneath　the　smoking　mass；　lay　the　relics　of　the　gallant　brigade；　and　their　victorious　colors。


CHAPTER　XXII。


A　few　wounded　soldiers　of　the　brigade　lay　still　till　dusk。　　Then　they　crept　back　to　the　trenches。　　These　had　all　been　struck　down　or　disabled　short　of　the　bastion。　　Of　those　that　had　taken　the　place　no　one　came　home。

Raynal；　after　the　first　stupefaction；　pressed　hard　and　even　angrily　for　an　immediate　assault　on　the　whole　Prussian　line。　　Not　they。　　It　was　on　paper　that　the　assault　should　be　at　daybreak　to…morrow。　　Such　leaders　as　they　were　cannot　IMPROVISE。

Rage　and　grief　in　his　heart；　Raynal　waited　chafing　in　the　trenches　till　five　minutes　past　midnight。　　He　then　became　commander　of　the　brigade；　gave　his　orders；　and　took　thirty　men　out　to　creep　up　to　the　wreck　of　the　bastion；　and　find　the　late　colonel's　body。

Going　for　so　pious　a　purpose；　he　was　rewarded　by　an　important　discovery。　　The　whole　Prussian　lines　had　been　abandoned　since　sunset；　and；　mounting　cautiously　on　the　ramparts；　Raynal　saw　the　town　too　was　evacuated；　and　lights　and　other　indications　on　a　rising　ground　behind　it　convinced　him　that　the　Prussians　were　in　full　retreat；　probably　to　effect　that　junction　with　other　forces　which　the　assault　he　had　recommended　would　have　rendered　impossible。

They　now　lighted　lanterns；　and　searched　all　over　and　round　the　bastion　for　the　poor　colonel；　in　the　rear　of　the　bastion　they　found　many　French　soldiers；　most　of　whom　had　died　by　the　bayonet。　　The　Prussian　dead　had　all　been　carried　off。

Here　they　found　the　talkative　Sergeant　La　Croix。　　The　poor　fellow　was　silent　enough　now。　　A　terrible　sabre…cut　on　the　skull。　　The　colonel　was　not　there。　　Raynal　groaned；　and　led　the　way　on　to　the　bastion。　　The　ruins　still　smoked。　　Seven　or　eight　bodies　were　discovered　by　an　arm　or　a　foot　protruding　through　the　masses　of　masonry。　　Of　these　some　were　Prussians；　a　proof　that　some　devoted　hand　had　fired　the　train；　and　destroyed　both　friend　and　foe。

They　found　the　tube　of　Long　Tom　sticking　up；　just　as　he　had　shown　over　the　battlements　that　glorious　day；　with　this　exception；　that　a　great　piece　was　knocked　off　his　lip；　and　the　slice　ended　in　a　long；　broad　crack。

The　soldiers　looked　at　this。　　〃That　is　our　bullet's　work；〃　said　they。　　Then　one　old　veteran　touched　his　cap；　and　told　Raynal　gravely；　he　knew　where　their　beloved　colonel　was。　　〃Dig　here；　to　the　bottom；〃　said　he。　　〃HE　LIES　BENEATH　HIS　WORK。〃

Improbable　and　superstitious　as　this　was；　the　hearts　of　the　soldiers　assented　to　it。

Presently　there　was　a　joyful　cry　outside　the　bastion。　　A　rush　was　made　thither。　　But　it　proved　to　be　only　Dard；　who　had　discovered　that　Sergeant　La　Croix's　heart　still　beat。　　They　took　him　up　carefully；　and　carried　him　gently　into　camp。　　To　Dard's　delight　the　surgeon　pronounced　him　curable。　　For　all　that；　he　was　three　days　insensible；　and　after　that　unfit　for　duty。　　So　they　sent　him　home　invalided；　with　a　hundred　francs　out　of　the　poor　colonel's　purse。

Raynal　reported　the　evacuation　of　the　place；　and　that　Colonel　Dujardin　was　buried　under　the　bastion；　and　soon　after　rode　out　of　the　camp。

The　words　Camille　had　scratched　with　a　pencil；　and　sent　him　from　the　edge　of　the　grave；　were　few　but　striking。


〃A　dead　man　takes　you　once　more　by　the　hand。　　My　last　thought；　thank　God；　is　France。　　For　her　sake　and　mine；　Raynal。　　GO　FOR　GENERAL　BONAPARTE。　　Tell　him；　from　a　dying　soldier；　the　Rhine　is　a　river　to　these　generals；　but　to　him　a　field　of　glory。　　He　will　lay　out　our　lives；　not　waste　them。〃


There　was　nothing　to　hinder　Raynal　from　carrying　out　this　sacred　request：　for　the　24th　brigade　had　ceased　to　exist：　already　thinned　by　hard　service；　it　was　reduced　to　a　file　or　two　by　the　fatal　bastion。　　It　was　incorporated　with　the　12th；　and　Raynal　rode　heavy　at　heart　to　Paris；　with　a　black　scarf　across　his　breast。


CHAPTER　XXIII。


You　see　now　into　what　a　fatal　entanglement　two　high…minded　young　ladies　were　led；　step　by　step；　through　yielding　to　the　natural　foible　of　their　sexthe　desire　to　hide　everything　painful　from　those　they　love；　even　at　the　expense　of　truth。

A　nice　mess　they　made　of　it　with　their　amiable　dishonesty。　　And　pray　take　notice　that　after　the　first　White　Lie　or　two；　circumstances　overpowered　them；　and　drove　them　on　against　their　will。　　It　was　no　small　part　of　all　their　misery　that　they　longed　to　get　back　to　truth　and　could　not。

We　shall　see　presently　how　far　they　succeeded　in　that　pious　object；　for　the　sake　of　which　they　first　entered　on　concealments。　　But　first　a　word　is　due　about　one　of　the　victims　of　their　amiable；　self…　sacrificing　lubricity。　　Edouard　Riviere　fell　in　one　night；　from　happiness　and　confidence；　such　as　till　that　night　be　had　never　enjoyed；　to　deep　and　hopeless　misery。

He　lost　that　which；　to　every　heart　capable　of　really　loving；　is　the　greatest　earthly　blessing；　the　woman　he　adored。　　But　worse　than　that；　he　lost　those　prime　treasures　of　the　masculine　soul；　belief　in　human　goodness；　and　in　female　purity。　　To　him　no　more　could　there　be　in　nature　a　candid　eye；　a　virtuous　ready…mantling　cheek：　for　frailty　and　treachery　had　put　on　these　signs　of　virtue　and　nobility。　Henceforth；　let　him　live　a　hundred　years；　whom　could　he　trust　or　believe　in？

Here　was　a　creature　whose　virtues　seemed　to　make　frailty　impossible：　treachery；　doubly　impossible：　a　creature　whose　very　faultsfor　faults　she　hadhad　seemed　as　opposite　to　treachery　as　her　very　virtues　were。　　Yet　she　was　all　frailty　and　falsehood。

He　passed　in　that　one　night　of　anguish　from　youth　to　age。　　He　went　about　his　business　like　a　leaden　thing。　　His　food　turned　tasteless。　His　life　seemed　ended。　　Nothing　appeared　what　it　had　been。　　The　very　landscape　seemed　cut　in　stone；　and　he　a　stone　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　his　heart　a　stone　in　him。　　At　times；　across　that　heavy　heart　came　gushes　of　furious　rage　and　bitter　mortification；　his　heart　was　broken；　and　his　faith　was　gone；　for　his　vanity　had　been　stabbed　as　fiercely　as　his　love。　　〃Georges　Dandin！〃　he　would　cry；　〃curse　her！　curse　her！〃　　But　love　and　misery　overpowered　these　heats；　and　froze　him　to　stone　again。

The　poor　boy　pined　and　pined。　　His　clothes　hung　loose　about　him；　his　face　was　so　drawn　with　suffering；　you　would　not　have　known　him。　　He　hated　company。　　The　things　he　was　expected　to　talk　about！he　with　his　crushed　heart。　　He　could　not。　　He　would　not。　　He　shunned　all　the　world；　he　went　alone　like　a　wounded　deer。　　The　good　doctor；　on　his　return　from　Paris；　called　on　him　to　see　if　he　was　ill：　since　he　had　not　come　for　days　to　the　chateau。　　He　saw　the　doctor　coming　and　bade　the　servant　say　he　was　not　in　the　village。

He　drew　down　the　blind；　that　he　might　never　see　the　chateau　again。　He　drew　it　up　again：　he　could　not　exist　without　seeing　it。　　〃She　will　be　miserable；　too；〃　he　cried；　gnashing　his　teeth。　　〃She　will　see　whether　she　has　chosen　well。〃　　At　other　times；　all　his　courage；　and　his　hatred；　and　his　wounded　vanity；　were　drowned　in　his　love　and　its　despair；　and　then　he　bowed　his　head；　and　sobbed　and　cried　as　if　his　heart　would　burst。　　One　morning　he　was　so　sobbing　with　his　head　on　the　table；　when　his　landlady　tapped　at　his　door。　　He　started　up　and　turned　his　head　away　from　the　door。

〃A　young　woman　from　Beaurepaire；　monsieur。〃

〃From　Beaurepaire？〃　his　heart　gave　a　furious　leap。　　〃Show　her　in。〃

He　wiped　his　eyes　and　seated　himself　at　a　table；　and；　all　in　a　flutter；　pretended　to　be　the　state's。

It　was　not　Jacintha；　as　he　expected；　but　the　other　servant。　　She　made　a　low　reverence；　cast　a　look　of　admiration　on　him；　and　gave　him　a　letter。　　His　eye　darted　on　it：　his　hand　trembled　as　he　took　it。　He　turned　away　again　to　open　it。　　He　forced　himself　to　say；　in　a　tolerably　calm　voice；　〃I　will　send　an　answer。〃

The　letter　was　apparently　from　the　baroness　de　Beaurepaire；　a　mere　line　inviting　him　to　pay　her　a　visit。　　It　was　written　in　a　tremulous　hand。　　Edouard　examined　the　writing；　and　saw　directly　it　was　written　by　Rose。

Being　now；　naturally　enough；　full　of　suspicion；　he　set　this　down　as　an　attempt　to　disguise　her　hand。　　〃So；〃　said　he；　to　himself；　〃this　is　the　game。　　The　old　woman　is　to　be　drawn　into　it；　too。　　She　is　to　help　to　make　Georges