\"ExcludefromtheoperationsoftheSpecialCourtacertainFeraud，GabrielFlorian，Generalofbrigadeofthepromotionof1814?\"herepeated，inaslightlywonderingtone，andthenturnedawayfromtheglass。
\"Whyexcludehimprecisely?\"
\"IamsurprisedthatyourExcellency，socompetentintheevaluationofmenofhistime，shouldhavethoughtworthwhiletohavethatnameputdownonthelist。\"
\"ArabidBonapartist!\"
\"Soiseverygrenadierandeverytrooperofthearmy，asyourExcellencywellknows。AndtheindividualityofGeneralFeraudcanhavenomoreweightthanthatofanycasualgrenadier。Heisamanofnomentalgrasp，ofnocapacitywhatever。Itisinconceivablethatheshouldeverhaveanyinfluence。\"
\"Hehasawell-hungtongue，though，\"interjectedFouche。
\"Noisy，Iadmit，butnotdangerous。\"
\"Iwillnotdisputewithyou。Iknownexttonoth-
ingofhim。Hardlyhisname，infact。\"
\"AndyetyourExcellencyhasthepresidencyoftheCommissionchargedbythekingtopointoutthosewhoweretobetried，\"saidGeneralD\'Hubert，withanemphasiswhichdidnotmisstheminister\'sear。
\"Yes，General，\"hesaid，walkingawayintothedarkpartofthevastroom，andthrowinghimselfintoadeeparmchairthatswallowedhimup，allbutthesoftgleamofgoldembroideriesandthepallidpatchoftheface——
\"yes，General。Takethischairthere。\"
GeneralD\'Hubertsatdown。
\"Yes，General，\"continuedthearch-masterintheartsofintrigueandbetrayals，whoseduplicity，asifattimesintolerabletohisself-knowledge，foundreliefinburstsofcynicalopenness。\"Ididhurryontheforma-
tionoftheproscribingCommission，andItookitspresi-
dency。Anddoyouknowwhy?SimplyfromfearthatifIdidnottakeitquicklyintomyhandsmyownnamewouldheadthelistoftheproscribed。Sucharethetimesinwhichwelive。ButIamministerofthekingyet，andIaskyouplainlywhyIshouldtakethenameofthisobscureFeraudoffthelist?Youwonderhowhisnamegotthere!Isitpossiblethatyoushouldknowmensolittle?MydearGeneral，attheveryfirstsittingoftheCommissionnamespouredonuslikerainofftheroofoftheTuileries。Names!Wehadourchoiceofthousands。HowdoyouknowthatthenameofthisFeraud，whoselifeordeathdon\'tmattertoFrance，doesnotkeepoutsomeothername?\"
Thevoiceoutofthearmchairstopped。OppositeGeneralD\'Hubertsatstill，shadowyandsilent。Onlyhissabreclinkedslightly。Thevoiceinthearmchairbeganagain。\"AndwemusttrytosatisfytheexigenciesoftheAlliedSovereigns，too。ThePrincedeTalleyrandtoldmeonlyyesterdaythatNesselrodehadinformedhimofficiallyofHisMajestytheEmperorAlexander\'sdissatisfactionatthesmallnumberofexamplestheGovernmentofthekingintendstomake——especiallyamongstmilitarymen。Itellyouthisconfidentially。\"
\"Uponmyword!\"brokeoutGeneralD\'Hubert，speakingthroughhisteeth，\"ifyourExcellencydeignstofavourmewithanymoreconfidentialinformationI
don\'tknowwhatIwilldo。It\'senoughtobreakone\'sswordoverone\'sknee，andflingthepieces……\"
\"Whatgovernmentyouimaginedyourselftobeserving?\"interruptedtheminister，sharply。
AfterashortpausethecrestfallenvoiceofGeneralD\'Hubertanswered，\"TheGovernmentofFrance。\"
\"That\'spayingyourconscienceoffwithmerewords，General。Thetruthisthatyouareservingagovern-
mentofreturnedexiles，ofmenwhohavebeenwithoutcountryfortwentyyears。Ofmenalsowhohavejustgotoveraverybadandhumiliatingfright……
Havenoillusionsonthatscore。\"
TheDukeofOtrantoceased。Hehadrelievedhim-
self，andhadattainedhisobjectofstrippingsomeself-
respectoffthatmanwhohadinconvenientlydiscoveredhimposturinginagold-embroideredcourtcostumebeforeamirror。Buttheywereahot-headedlotinthearmy；itoccurredtohimthatitwouldbeinconvenientifawell-disposedgeneralofficer，receivedinaudienceontherecommendationofoneofthePrinces，weretodosomethingrashlyscandalousdirectlyafterapri-
vateinterviewwiththeminister。Inachangedtoneheputaquestiontothepoint:\"Yourrelation——thisFeraud?\"
\"No。Norelationatall。\"
\"Intimatefriend?\"
\"Intimate……yes。Thereisbetweenusanintimateconnectionofanaturewhichmakesitapointofhonourwithmetotry……\"
Theministerrangabellwithoutwaitingfortheendofthephrase。Whentheservanthadgoneout，afterbringinginapairofheavysilvercandelabraforthewriting-desk，theDukeofOtrantorose，hisbreastglis-
teningalloverwithgoldinthestronglight，andtakingapieceofpaperoutofadrawer，helditinhishandosten-
tatiouslywhilehesaidwithpersuasivegentleness:
\"Youmustnotspeakofbreakingyourswordacrossyourknee，General。Perhapsyouwouldnevergetanother。TheEmperorwillnotreturnthistime……
Diabled\'homme!Therewasjustamoment，hereinParis，soonafterWaterloo，whenhefrightenedme。
Itlookedasthoughhewerereadytobeginalloveragain。Luckilyoneneverdoesbeginalloveragain，really。Youmustnotthinkofbreakingyoursword，General。\"
GeneralD\'Hubert，lookingontheground，movedslightlyhishandinahopelessgestureofrenunciation。
TheMinisterofPoliceturnedhiseyesawayfromhim，andscanneddeliberatelythepaperhehadbeenholdingupallthetime。
\"Thereareonlytwentygeneralofficersselectedtobemadeanexampleof。Twenty。Aroundnumber。
Andlet\'ssee，Feraud……Ah，he\'sthere。Ga-
brielFlorian。Parfaitement。That\'syourman。Well，therewillbeonlynineteenexamplesmadenow。\"
GeneralD\'Hubertstoodupfeelingasthoughhehadgonethroughaninfectiousillness。\"ImustbegyourExcellencytokeepmyinterferenceaprofoundsecret。
Iattachthegreatestimportancetohisneverlearn-
ing……\"
\"Whoisgoingtoinformhim，Ishouldliketoknow?\"
saidFouche，raisinghiseyescuriouslytoGeneralD\'Hubert\'stense，setface。\"Takeoneofthesepens，andrunitthroughthenameyourself。Thisistheonlylistinexistence。Ifyouarecarefultotakeupenoughinknoonewillbeabletotellwhatwasthenamestruckout。But，parexemple，Iamnotresponsi-
bleforwhatClarkewilldowithhimafterwards。IfhepersistsinbeingrabidhewillbeorderedbytheMinisterofWartoresideinsomeprovincialtownunderthesupervisionofthepolice。\"
AfewdayslaterGeneralD\'Hubertwassayingtohissister，afterthefirstgreetingshadbeengotover:\"Ah，mydearLeonie!itseemedtomeIcouldn\'tgetawayfromParisquickenough。\"
\"Effectoflove，\"shesuggested，withamalicioussmile。
\"Andhorror，\"addedGeneralD\'Hubert，withpro-
foundseriousness。\"Ihavenearlydiedthereof……
ofnausea。\"
Hisfacewascontractedwithdisgust。Andashissisterlookedathimattentivelyhecontinued，\"IhavehadtoseeFouche。Ihavehadanaudience。Ihavebeeninhiscabinet。Thereremainswithone，whohadthemisfortunetobreathetheairofthesameroomwiththatman，asenseofdiminisheddignity，anuneasyfeel-
ingofbeingnotsoclean，afterall，asonehopedonewas……Butyoucan\'tunderstand。\"
Shenoddedquicklyseveraltimes。Sheunderstoodverywell，onthecontrary。Sheknewherbrotherthoroughly，andlikedhimashewas。Moreover，thescornandloathingofmankindwerethelotoftheJacobinFouche，who，exploitingforhisownadvantageeveryweakness，everyvirtue，everygenerousillusionofmankind，madedupesofhiswholegeneration，anddiedobscurelyasDukeofOtranto。
\"MydearArmand，\"shesaid，compassionately，\"whatcouldyouwantfromthatman?\"
\"Nothinglessthanalife，\"answeredGeneralD\'Hubert。\"AndI\'vegotit。Ithadtobedone。ButIfeelyetasifIcouldneverforgivethenecessitytothemanIhadtosave。\"
GeneralFeraud，totallyunableasisthecasewithmostofustocomprehendwhatwashappeningtohim，receivedtheMinisterofWar\'sordertoproceedatoncetoasmalltownofCentralFrancewithfeelingswhosenaturalexpressionconsistedinafiercerollingoftheeyeandsavagegrindingoftheteeth。Thepassingawayofthestateofwar，theonlyconditionofsocietyhehadeverknown，thehorribleviewofaworldatpeace，frightenedhim。Hewentawaytohislittletownfirmlyconvincedthatthiscouldnotlast。Therehewasin-
formedofhisretirementfromthearmy，andthathispensioncalculatedonthescaleofacolonel\'srankwasmadedependentonthecorrectnessofhisconduct，andonthegoodreportsofthepolice。Nolongerinthearmy!Hefeltsuddenlystrangetotheearth，likeadisembodiedspirit。Itwasimpossibletoexist。Butatfirsthereactedfromsheerincredulity。Thiscouldnotbe。Hewaitedforthunder，earthquakes，naturalcataclysms；butnothinghappened。TheleadenweightofanirremediableidlenessdescendeduponGeneralFeraud，whohavingnoresourceswithinhimselfsankintoastateofawe-inspiringhebetude。Hehauntedthestreetsofthelittletown，gazingbeforehimwithlack-
lustreeyes，disregardingthehatsraisedonhispassage；
andpeople，nudgingeachotherashewentby，whispered，\"That\'spoorGeneralFeraud。Hisheartisbroken。
BeholdhowhelovedtheEmperor。\"
TheotherlivingwreckageofNapoleonictempestclusteredroundGeneralFeraudwithinfiniterespect。
He，himself，imaginedhissoultobecrushedbygrief。
Hesufferedfromquicklysucceedingimpulsestoweep，tohowl，tobitehisfiststillbloodcame，tospenddaysonhisbedwithhisheadthrustunderthepillow；butthesearosefromsheerennui，fromtheanguishofanimmense，indescribable，inconceivableboredom。Hismentalin-
abilitytograspthehopelessnatureofhiscaseasawholesavedhimfromsuicide。Henevereventhoughtofitonce。Hethoughtofnothing。Buthisappetiteabandonedhim，andthedifficultyheexperiencedtoexpresstheoverwhelmingnatureofhisfeelingsthemostfuriousswearingcoulddonojusticetoitinducedgraduallyahabitofsilence——asortofdeathtoasoutherntemperament。
Great，therefore，wasthesensationamongstthean-
ciensmilitairesfrequentingacertainlittlecafe；fullofflieswhenonestuffyafternoon\"thatpoorGeneralFeraud\"
letoutsuddenlyavolleyofformidablecurses。
HehadbeensittingquietlyinhisownprivilegedcornerlookingthroughtheParisgazetteswithjustasmuchinterestasacondemnedmanontheeveofexe-
cutioncouldbeexpectedtoshowinthenewsoftheday。
AillfindoutpresentlythatIamaliveyet，\"hedeclared，inadogmatictone。\"However，thisisaprivateaffair。
Anoldaffairofhonour。Bah!Ourhonourdoesnotmatter。Herewearedrivenoffwithasplitearlikealotofcasttroophorses——goodonlyforaknacker\'syard。ButitwouldbelikestrikingablowfortheEmperor……Messieurs，Ishallrequiretheassis-
tanceoftwoofyou。\"
Everymanmovedforward。GeneralFeraud，deeplytouchedbythisdemonstration，calledwithvisibleemotionupontheone-eyedveterancuirassierandtheofficeroftheChasseursaChevalwhohadleftthetipofhisnoseinRussia。Heexcusedhischoicetotheothers。
\"Acavalryaffairthis——youknow。\"
Hewasansweredwithavariedchorusof\"Parfaite-
ment，monGeneral……C\'estjuste……Par-
bleu，c\'estconnu……\"Everybodywassatisfied。
Thethreeleftthecafetogether，followedbycriesof\"Bonnechance。\"
Outsidetheylinkedarms，thegeneralinthemiddle。
Thethreerustycockedhatswornenbataillewithasinisterforwardslantbarredthenarrowstreetnearlyrightacross。Theoverheatedlittletownofgreystonesandredtileswasdrowsingawayitsprovincialafternoonunderabluesky。Theloudblowsofacooperhoopingacaskreverberatedregularlybetweenthehouses。Thegeneraldraggedhisleftfootalittleintheshadeofthewalls。
\"Thisdamnedwinterof1813hasgotintomybonesforgood。Nevermind。Wemusttakepistols，that\'sall。Alittlelumbago。Wemusthavepistols。He\'sgameformybag。Myeyesareaskeenasever。YoushouldhaveseenmeinRussiapickingoffthedodgingCossackswithabeastlyoldinfantrymusket。Ihaveanaturalgiftforfirearms。\"
InthisstrainGeneralFeraudranon，holdinguphishead，withowlisheyesandrapaciousbeak。Amerefighterallhislife，acavalryman，asabreur，heconceivedwarwiththeutmostsimplicity，as，inthemain，amassedlotofpersonalcontests，asortofgregariousduelling。
Andherehehadinhandawarofhisown。Herevived。
Theshadowofpeacepassedawayfromhimliketheshadowofdeath。ItwasthemarvellousresurrectionofthenamedFeraud，GabrielFlorian，engagevolontaireof1793，Generalof1814，buriedwithoutceremonybymeansofaserviceordersignedbytheWarMinisteroftheSecondRestoration。
IV
Nomansucceedsineverythingheundertakes。Inthatsenseweareallfailures。Thegreatpointisnottofailinorderingandsustainingtheeffortofourlife。
Inthismattervanityiswhatleadsusastray。Ithurriesusintosituationsfromwhichwemustcomeoutdam-
aged；whereasprideisoursafeguard，bythereserveitimposesonthechoiceofourendeavourasmuchasbythevirtueofitssustainingpower。
GeneralD\'Hubertwasproudandreserved。Hehadnotbeendamagedbyhiscasualloveaffairs，successfulorotherwise。Inhiswar-scarredbodyhisheartatfortyremainedunscratched。Enteringwithreserveintohissister\'smatrimonialplans，hehadfelthimselffallingirremediablyinloveasonefallsoffaroof。Hewastooproudtobefrightened。Indeed，thesensationwastoodelightfultobealarming。
Theinexperienceofamanoffortyisamuchmoreseriousthingthantheinexperienceofayouthoftwenty，foritisnothelpedoutbytherashnessofhotblood。
Thegirlwasmysterious，asyounggirlsarebythemereeffectoftheirguardedingenuity；andtohimthemysteriousnessofthatyounggirlappearedexceptionalandfascinating。ButtherewasnothingmysteriousaboutthearrangementsofthematchwhichMadameLeoniehadpromoted。Therewasnothingpeculiar，either。Itwasaveryappropriatematch，commendingitselfextremelytotheyounglady\'smotherthefatherwasdeadandtolerabletotheyounglady\'suncle——anoldemigrelatelyreturnedfromGermany，andpervad-
ing，caneinhand，aleanghostoftheancienregime，thegardenwalksoftheyounglady\'sancestralhome。
GeneralD\'Hubertwasnotthemantobesatisfiedmerelywiththewomanandthefortune——whenitcametothepoint。Hisprideandprideaimsalwaysattruesuccesswouldbesatisfiedwithnothingshortoflove。
Butastrueprideexcludesvanity，hecouldnotimagineanyreasonwhythismysteriouscreaturewithdeepandbrillianteyesofavioletcolourshouldhaveanyfeelingforhimwarmerthanindifference。TheyoungladyhernamewasAdelebaffledeveryattemptataclearunder-
standingonthatpoint。Itistruethattheattemptswereclumsyandmadetimidly，becausebythenGeneralD\'Huberthadbecomeacutelyawareofthenumberofhisyears，ofhiswounds，ofhismanymoralimperfec-
tions，ofhissecretunworthiness——andhadincidentallylearnedbyexperiencethemeaningofthewordfunk。
Asfarashecouldmakeoutsheseemedtoimplythat，withanunboundedconfidenceinhermother\'saffectionandsagacity，shefeltnounsurmountabledislikeforthepersonofGeneralD\'Hubert；andthatthiswasquitesufficientforawell-brought-upyoungladytobeginmarriedlifeupon。ThisviewhurtandtormentedtheprideofGeneralD\'Hubert。Andyetheaskedhimself，withasortofsweetdespair，whatmorecouldheexpect?
Shehadaquietandluminousforehead。Hervioleteyeslaughedwhilethelinesofherlipsandchinremainedcomposedinadmirablegravity。Allthiswassetoffbysuchagloriousmassoffairhair，byacomplexionsomarvellous，bysuchagraceofexpression，thatGeneralD\'Hubertreallyneverfoundtheopportunitytoexaminewithsufficientdetachmenttheloftyexigenciesofhispride。Infact，hebecameshyofthatlineofinquirysinceithadledonceortwicetoacrisisofsolitarypas-
sioninwhichitwasborneuponhimthathelovedherenoughtokillherratherthanloseher。Fromsuchpassages，notunknowntomenofforty，hewouldcomeoutbroken，exhausted，remorseful，alittledismayed。
Hederived，however，considerablecomfortfromthequietistpracticeofsittingnowandthenhalfthenightbyanopenwindowandmeditatinguponthewonderofherexistence，likeabelieverlostinthemysticcon-
templationofhisfaith。
Itmustnotbesupposedthatallthesevariationsofhisinwardstateweremademanifesttotheworld。
GeneralD\'Hubertfoundnodifficultyinappearingwreathedinsmiles。Because，infact，hewasveryhappy。Hefollowedtheestablishedrulesofhiscondi-
tion，sendingoverflowersfromhissister\'sgardenandhot-housesearlyeverymorning，andalittlelaterfol-
lowinghimselftolunchwithhisintended，hermother，andheremigreuncle。Themiddleofthedaywasspentinstrollingorsittingintheshade。Awatchfuldefer-
ence，tremblingonthevergeoftendernesswasthenoteoftheirintercourseonhisside——withaplayfulturnofthephraseconcealingtheprofoundtroubleofhiswholebeingcausedbyherinaccessiblenearness。LateintheafternoonGeneralD\'Hubertwalkedhomebetweenthefieldsofvines，sometimesintenselymiserable，some-
timessupremelyhappy，sometimespensivelysad；butalwaysfeelingaspecialintensityofexistence，thatela-
tioncommontoartists，poets，andlovers——tomenhauntedbyagreatpassion，anoblethought，oranewvisionofplasticbeauty。
TheoutwardworldatthattimedidnotexistwithanyspecialdistinctnessforGeneralD\'Hubert。Oneevening，however，crossingaridgefromwhichhecouldseebothhouses，GeneralD\'Hubertbecameawareoftwofiguresfardowntheroad。Thedayhadbeendivine。
Thefestaldecorationoftheinflamedskylentagentleglowtothesobertintsofthesouthernland。Thegreyrocks，thebrownfields，thepurple，undulatingdistancesharmonizedinluminousaccord，exhaledalreadythescentsoftheevening。Thetwofiguresdowntheroadpresentedthemselvesliketworigidandwoodensil-
houettesallblackontheribbonofwhitedust。GeneralD\'Hubertmadeoutthelong，straight，militarycapotesbuttonedcloselyrightuptotheblackstocks，thecockedhats，thelean，carven，browncountenances——oldsoldiers——vieillesmoustaches!Thetallerofthetwohadablackpatchoveroneeye；theother\'shard，drycoun-
tenancepresentedsomebizarre，disquietingpeculiarity，whichonnearerapproachprovedtobetheabsenceofthetipofthenose。Liftingtheirhandswithonemove-
menttosalutetheslightlylamecivilianwalkingwithathickstick，theyinquiredforthehousewheretheGen-
eralBaronD\'Hubertlived，andwhatwasthebestwaytogetspeechwithhimquietly。
\"Ifyouthinkthisquietenough，\"saidGeneralD\'Hubert，lookingroundatthevine-fields，framedinpurplelines，anddominatedbythenestofgreyanddrabwallsofavillageclusteringaroundthetopofaconicalhill，sothatthebluntchurchtowerseemedbuttheshapeofacrowningrock——\"ifyouthinkthisspotquietenough，youcanspeaktohimatonce。AndI
begyou，comrades，tospeakopenly，withperfectcon-
fidence。\"
Theysteppedbackatthis，andraisedagaintheirhandstotheirhatswithmarkedceremoniousness。
Thentheonewiththechippednose，speakingforboth，remarkedthatthematterwasconfidentialenough，andtobearrangeddiscreetly。Theirgeneralquarterswereestablishedinthatvillageoverthere，wheretheinfernalclodhoppers——damntheirfalse，Royalisthearts!——lookedremarkablycross-eyedatthreeunassumingmilitarymen。ForthepresentheshouldonlyaskforthenameofGeneralD\'Hubert\'sfriends。
\"Whatfriends?\"saidtheastonishedGeneralD\'Hu-
bert，completelyoffthetrack。\"Iamstayingwithmybrother-in-lawoverthere。\"
\"Well，hewilldoforone，\"saidthechippedveteran。
\"We\'rethefriendsofGeneralFeraud，\"interjectedtheother，whohadkeptsilenttillthen，onlygloweringwithhisoneeyeatthemanwhohadneverlovedtheEmperor。Thatwassomethingtolookat。Foreventhegold-lacedJudaseswhohadsoldhimtotheEnglish，themarshalsandprinces，hadlovedhimatsometimeorother。ButthismanhadneverlovedtheEmperor。
GeneralFeraudhadsaidsodistinctly。
GeneralD\'Hubertfeltaninwardblowinhischest。
Foraninfinitesimalfractionofaseconditwasasifthespinningoftheearthhadbecomeperceptiblewithanawful，slightrustleintheeternalstillnessofspace。
Butthisnoiseofbloodinhisearspassedoffatonce。
Involuntarilyhemurmured，\"Feraud!Ihadforgottenhisexistence。\"
\"He\'sexistingatpresent，veryuncomfortably，itistrue，intheinfamousinnofthatnestofsavagesupthere，\"saidtheone-eyedcuirassier，drily。\"Wearrivedinyourpartsanhouragoonposthorses。He\'sawaitingourreturnwithimpatience。Thereishurry，youknow。
TheGeneralhasbrokentheministerialordertoobtainfromyouthesatisfactionhe\'sentitledtobythelawsofhonour，andnaturallyhe\'sanxioustohaveitalloverbeforethegendarmeriegetsonhisscent。\"
Theotherelucidatedtheideaalittlefurther。\"Getbackonthequiet——youunderstand?Phitt!Noonethewiser。Wehavebrokenout，too。Yourfriendthekingwouldbegladtocutoffourscurvypittancesatthefirstchance。It\'sarisk。Buthonourbeforeevery-
thing。\"
GeneralD\'Huberthadrecoveredhispowersofspeech。\"Soyoucomeherelikethisalongtheroadtoinvitemetoathroat-cuttingmatchwiththat——
that……\"Alaughingsortofragetookpossessionofhim。\"Ha!ha!ha!ha!\"
Hisfistsonhiships，heroaredwithoutrestraint，whiletheystoodbeforehimlankandstraight，asthoughtheyhadbeenshotupwithasnapthroughatrapdoorintheground。Onlyfour-and-twentymonthsagothemas-
tersofEurope，theyhadalreadytheairofantiqueghosts，theyseemedlesssubstantialintheirfadedcoatsthantheirownnarrowshadowsfallingsoblackacrossthewhiteroad:themilitaryandgrotesqueshadowsoftwentyyearsofwarandconquests。Theyhadanout-
landishappearanceoftwoimperturbablebonzesofthereligionofthesword。AndGeneralD\'Hubert，alsooneoftheex-mastersofEurope，laughedattheseseriousphantomsstandinginhisway。
Saidone，indicatingthelaughingGeneralwithajerkofthehead:\"Amerrycompanion，that。\"
\"Therearesomeofusthathaven\'tsmiledfromthedayTheOtherwentaway，\"remarkedhiscomrade。
Aviolentimpulsetosetuponandbeatthoseunsub-
stantialwraithstothegroundfrightenedGeneralD\'Hubert。Heceasedlaughingsuddenly。Hisdesirenowwastogetridofthem，togetthemawayfromhissightquicklybeforehelostcontrolofhimself。Hewonderedatthefuryhefeltrisinginhisbreast。Buthehadnotimetolookintothatpeculiarityjustthen。
\"Iunderstandyourwishtobedonewithmeasquicklyaspossible。Don\'tletuswastetimeinemptyceremonies。Doyouseethatwoodthereatthefootofthatslope?Yes，thewoodofpines。Letusmeetthereto-morrowatsunrise。Iwillbringwithmemyswordormypistols，orbothifyoulike。\"
ThesecondsofGeneralFeraudlookedateachother。
\"Pistols，General，\"saidthecuirassier。
\"Sobeit。Aurevoir——to-morrowmorning。Tillthenletmeadviseyoutokeepcloseifyoudon\'twantthegendarmeriemakinginquiriesaboutyoubeforeitgetsdark。Strangersarerareinthispartofthecoun-
try。\"
Theysalutedinsilence。GeneralD\'Hubert，turninghisbackontheirretreatingforms，stoodstillinthemiddleoftheroadforalongtime，bitinghislowerlipandlookingontheground。Thenhebegantowalkstraightbeforehim，thusretracinghisstepstillhefoundhimselfbeforetheparkgateofhisintended\'shouse。
Duskhadfallen。Motionlesshestaredthroughthebarsatthefrontofthehouse，gleamingclearbeyondthethicketsandtrees。Footstepsscrunchedonthegravel，andpresentlyatallstoopingshapeemergedfromthelateralalleyfollowingtheinnersideoftheparkwall。
LeChevalierdeValmassigue，uncleoftheadorableAdele，ex-brigadierinthearmyofthePrinces，book-
binderinAltona，afterwardsshoemakerwithagreatreputationforeleganceinthefitofladies\'shoesinanothersmallGermantown，woresilkstockingsonhisleanshanks，lowshoeswithsilverbuckles，abrocadedwaistcoat。Along-skirtedcoat，alafrancaise，coveredlooselyhisthin，bowedback。Asmallthree-corneredhatrestedonalotofpowderedhair，tiedinaqueue。
\"MonsieurleChevalier，\"calledGeneralD\'Hubert，softly。
\"What?Youhereagain，monami?Haveyouforgottensomething?\"
\"Byheavens!that\'sjustit。Ihaveforgottensome-
thing。Iamcometotellyouofit。No——outside。
Behindthiswall。It\'stooghastlyathingtobeletinatallwhereshelives。\"
TheChevaliercameoutatoncewiththatbenevolentresignationsomeoldpeopledisplaytowardsthefugueofyouth。OlderbyaquarterofacenturythanGeneralD\'Hubert，helookeduponhiminthesecretofhisheartasarathertroublesomeyoungsterinlove。Hehadheardhisenigmaticalwordsverywell，butattachednoundueimportancetowhatameremanoffortysohardhitwaslikelytodoorsay。TheturnofmindofthegenerationofFrenchmengrownupduringtheyearsofhisexilewasalmostunintelligibletohim。Theirsenti-
mentsappearedtohimundulyviolent，lackingfinenessandmeasure，theirlanguageneedlesslyexaggerated。
HejoinedcalmlytheGeneralontheroad，andtheymadeafewstepsinsilence，theGeneraltryingtomasterhisagitation，andgetpropercontrolofhisvoice。
\"Itisperfectlytrue；Iforgotsomething。IforgottillhalfanhouragothatIhadanurgentaffairofhonouronmyhands。It\'sincredible，butitisso!\"
Allwasstillforamoment。Thenintheprofoundeveningsilenceofthecountrysidetheclear，agedvoiceoftheChevalierwasheardtremblingslightly:\"Mon-
sieur!That\'sanindignity。\"
Itwashisfirstthought。Thegirlbornduringhisexile，theposthumousdaughterofhispoorbrothermur-
deredbyabandofJacobins，hadgrownsincehisreturnverydeartohisoldheart，whichhadbeenstarvingonmerememoriesofaffectionforsomanyyears。\"Itisaninconceivablething，Isay!Amansettlessuchaf-
fairsbeforehethinksofaskingforayounggirl\'shand。
Why!Ifyouhadforgottenfortendayslonger，youwouldhavebeenmarriedbeforeyourmemoryreturnedtoyou。Inmytimemendidnotforgetsuchthings——
noryetwhatisduetothefeelingsofaninnocentyoungwoman。IfIdidnotrespectthemmyself，Iwouldqualifyyourconductinawaywhichyouwouldnotlike。\"
GeneralD\'Hubertrelievedhimselffranklybyagroan。\"Don\'tletthatconsiderationpreventyou。
Yourunnoriskofoffendinghermortally。\"
Buttheoldmanpaidnoattentiontothislover\'snonsense。It\'sdoubtfulwhetherheevenheard。
\"Whatisit?\"heasked。\"What\'sthenatureof……?\"
\"Callitayouthfulfolly，MonsieurleChevalier。Aninconceivable，incredibleresultof……\"Hestoppedshort。\"Hewillneverbelievethestory，\"hethought。
\"HewillonlythinkIamtakinghimforafool，andgetoffended。\"GeneralD\'Hubertspokeupagain:\"Yes，originatinginyouthfulfolly，ithasbecome……\"
TheChevalierinterrupted:\"Well，thenitmustbearranged。\"
\"Arranged?\"
\"Yes，nomatteratwhatcosttoyouramourpropre。
Youshouldhaverememberedyouwereengaged。Youforgotthat，too，Isuppose。Andthenyougoandforgetyourquarrel。It\'sthemosthopelessexhibitionoflevityIeverheardof。\"
\"Goodheavens，Monsieur!Youdon\'timagineI
havebeenpickingupthisquarrellasttimeIwasinParis，oranythingofthesort，doyou?\"
\"Eh!Whatmatterstheprecisedateofyourinsaneconduct，\"exclaimedtheChevalier，testily。\"Theprin-
cipalthingistoarrangeit。\"
NoticingGeneralD\'Hubertgettingrestiveandtry-
ingtoplaceaword，theoldemigreraisedhishand，andaddedwithdignity，\"I\'vebeenasoldier，too。Iwouldneverdaresuggestadoubtfulsteptothemanwhosenamemynieceistobear。Itellyouthatentregalantshommesanaffaircanalwaysbearranged。\"
\"Butsaperiotte，MonsieurleChevalier，it\'sfifteenorsixteenyearsago。Iwasalieutenantofhussarsthen。\"
TheoldChevalierseemedconfoundedbythevehe-
mentlydespairingtoneofthisinformation。\"Youwerealieutenantofhussarssixteenyearsago，\"hemum-
bledinadazedmanner。
\"Why，yes!YoudidnotsupposeIwasmadeageneralinmycradlelikearoyalprince。\"
Inthedeepeningpurpletwilightofthefieldsspreadwithvineleaves，backedbyalowbandofsombrecrim-
soninthewest，thevoiceoftheoldex-officerinthearmyofthePrincessoundedcollected，punctiliouslycivil。
\"DoIdream?Isthisapleasantry?OramItounderstandthatyouhavebeenhatchinganaffairofhonourforsixteenyears?\"
\"Ithasclungtomeforthatlengthoftime。Thatismyprecisemeaning。Thequarrelitselfisnottobeexplainedeasily。Wemetonthegroundseveraltimesduringthattime，ofcourse。\"
\"Whatmanners!Whathorribleperversionofman-
liness!NothingcanaccountforsuchinhumanitybutthesanguinarymadnessoftheRevolutionwhichhastaintedawholegeneration，\"musedthereturnedemigreinalowtone。\"Who\'syouradversary?\"heaskedalittlelouder。
\"Myadversary?HisnameisFeraud。\"
Shadowyinhistricorneandold-fashionedclothes，likeabowed，thinghostoftheancienregime，theCheva-
liervoicedaghostlymemory。\"IcanrememberthefeudaboutlittleSophieDerval，betweenMonsieurdeBrissac，CaptainintheBodyguards，andd\'Anjorrantnotthepock-markedone，theother——theBeaud\'Anjorrant，astheycalledhim。Theymetthreetimesineighteenmonthsinamostgallantmanner。ItwasthefaultofthatlittleSophie，too，whowouldkeeponplaying……\"
\"Thisisnothingofthekind，\"interruptedGeneralD\'Hubert。Helaughedalittlesardonically。\"Notatallsosimple，\"headded。\"Noryethalfsoreasonable，\"
hefinished，inaudibly，betweenhisteeth，andgroundthemwithrage。
Afterthissoundnothingtroubledthesilenceforalongtime，tilltheChevalierasked，withoutanimation:
\"Whatishe——thisFeraud?\"
\"Lieutenantofhussars，too——Imean，he\'sageneral。
AGascon。Sonofablacksmith，Ibelieve。\"
\"There!Ithoughtso。ThatBonapartehadaspecialpredilectionforthecanaille。Idon\'tmeanthisforyou，D\'Hubert。Youareoneofus，thoughyouhaveservedthisusurper，who……\"
\"Let\'sleavehimoutofthis，\"brokeinGeneralD\'Hu-
bert。
TheChevaliershruggedhispeakedshoulders。\"Fe-
raudofsorts。Offspringofablacksmithandsomevillagetroll。Seewhatcomesofmixingyourselfupwiththatsortofpeople。\"
\"Youhavemadeshoesyourself，Chevalier。\"
\"Yes。ButIamnotthesonofashoemaker。Neitherareyou，MonsieurD\'Hubert。YouandIhavesome-
thingthatyourBonaparte\'sprinces，dukes，andmar-
shalshavenot，becausethere\'snopoweronearththatcouldgiveittothem，\"retortedtheemigre，withtherisinganimationofamanwhohasgotholdofahopefulargument。\"Thosepeopledon\'texist——alltheseFe-
rauds。Feraud!WhatisFeraud?Ava-nu-piedsdis-
guisedintoageneralbyaCorsicanadventurermas-
queradingasanemperor。ThereisnoearthlyreasonforaD\'Huberttos\'encanaillerbyaduelwithapersonofthatsort。Youcanmakeyourexcusestohimper-
fectlywell。Andifthemananttakesintohisheadtodeclinethem，youmaysimplyrefusetomeethim。\"
\"YousayImaydothat?\"
\"Ido。Withtheclearestconscience。\"
\"MonsieurleChevalier!Towhatdoyouthinkyouhavereturnedfromyouremigration?\"
Thiswassaidinsuchastartlingtonethattheoldmanraisedsharplyhisbowedhead，glimmeringsilverywhiteunderthepointsofthelittletricorne。Foratimehemadenosound。
\"Godknows!\"hesaidatlast，pointingwithaslowandgravegestureatatallroadsidecrossmountedonablockofstone，andstretchingitsarmsofforgedironallblackagainstthedarkeningredbandinthesky——\"Godknows!Ifitwerenotforthisemblem，whichIremem-
berseeingonthisspotasachild，IwouldwondertowhatwewhoremainedfaithfultoGodandourkinghavereturned。Theveryvoicesofthepeoplehavechanged。\"
\"Yes，itisachangedFrance，\"saidGeneralD\'Hu-
bert。Heseemedtohaveregainedhiscalm。Histonewasslightlyironic。\"ThereforeIcannottakeyouradvice。Besides，howisonetorefusetobebittenbyadogthatmeanstobite?It\'simpracticable。Takemywordforit——Feraudisn\'tamantobestayedbyapolo-
giesorrefusals。Butthereareotherways。Icould，forinstance，sendamessengerwithawordtothebriga-
dierofthegendarmerieinSenlac。Heandhistwofriendsareliabletoarrestonmysimpleorder。Itwouldmakesometalkinthearmy，boththeorganizedandthedisbanded——especiallythedisbanded。Allcanaille!AllonceuponatimethecompanionsinarmsofArmandD\'Hubert。ButwhatneedaD\'Hu-
bertcarewhatpeoplethatdon\'texistmaythink?Or，betterstill，Imightgetmybrother-in-lawtosendforthemayorofthevillageandgivehimahint。Nomorewouldbeneededtogetthethree\'brigands\'setuponwithflailsandpitchforksandhuntedintosomenice，deep，wetditch——andnobodythewiser!IthasbeendoneonlytenmilesfromheretothreepoordevilsofthedisbandedRedLancersoftheGuardgoingtotheirhomes。Whatsaysyourconscience，Chevalier?CanaD\'Hubertdothatthingtothreemenwhodonotexist?\"
Afewstarshadcomeoutontheblueobscurity，clearascrystal，ofthesky。Thedry，thinvoiceoftheChevalierspokeharshly:\"Whyareyoutellingmeallthis?\"
TheGeneralseizedthewitheredoldhandwithastronggrip。\"BecauseIoweyoumyfullestconfidence。
WhocouldtellAdelebutyou?YouunderstandwhyI
darenottrustmybrother-in-lawnoryetmyownsister。
Chevalier!IhavebeensoneardoingthesethingsthatItrembleyet。Youdon\'tknowhowterriblethisduelappearstome。Andthere\'snoescapefromit。\"
Hemurmuredafterapause，\"It\'safatality，\"
droppedtheChevalier\'spassivehand，andsaidinhisordinaryconversationalvoice，\"Ishallhavetogowith-
outseconds。Ifitismylottoremainontheground，youatleastwillknowallthatcanbemadeknownofthisaffair。\"
Theshadowyghostoftheancienregimeseemedtohavebecomemorebowedduringtheconversation。
\"HowamItokeepanindifferentfacethiseveningbeforethesetwowomen?\"hegroaned。\"General!I
finditverydifficulttoforgiveyou。\"
GeneralD\'Hubertmadenoanswer。
\"Isyourcausegood，atleast?\"
\"Iaminnocent。\"
ThistimeheseizedtheChevalier\'sghostlyarmabovetheelbow，andgaveitamightysqueeze。\"I
mustkillhim!\"hehissed，andopeninghishandstrodeawaydowntheroad。
ThedelicateattentionsofhisadoringsisterhadsecuredfortheGeneralperfectlibertyofmovementinthehousewherehewasaguest。Hehadevenhisownentrancethroughasmalldoorinonecorneroftheorangery。Thushewasnotexposedthateveningtothenecessityofdissemblinghisagitationbeforethecalmignoranceoftheotherinmates。Hewasgladofit。Itseemedtohimthatifhehadtoopenhislipshewouldbreakoutintohorribleandaimlessimprecations，startbreakingfurniture，smashingchinaandglass。
Fromthemomentheopenedtheprivatedoorandwhileascendingthetwenty-eightstepsofawindingstaircase，givingaccesstothecorridoronwhichhisroomopened，hewentthroughahorribleandhumiliatingsceneinwhichaninfuriatedmadmanwithblood-shoteyesandafoamingmouthplayedinconceivablehavocwitheverythinginanimatethatmaybefoundinawell-
appointeddining-room。Whenheopenedthedoorofhisapartmentthefitwasover，andhisbodilyfatiguewassogreatthathehadtocatchatthebacksofthechairswhilecrossingtheroomtoreachalowandbroaddivanonwhichhelethimselffallheavily。Hismoralprostrationwasstillgreater。Thatbrutalityoffeelingwhichhehadknownonlywhenchargingtheenemy，sabreinhand，amazedthismanofforty，whodidnotrecognizeinittheinstinctivefuryofhismenacedpassion。Butinhismentalandbodilyexhaustionthispassiongotcleared，distilled，refinedintoasentimentofmelancholydespairathaving，perhaps，todiebeforehehadtaughtthisbeautifulgirltolovehim。
Thatnight，GeneralD\'Hubertstretchedoutonhisbackwithhishandsoverhiseyes，orlyingonhisbreastwithhisfaceburiedinacushion，madethefullpil-
grimageofemotions。Nauseatingdisgustattheabsur-
dityofthesituation，doubtofhisownfitnesstoconducthisexistence，andmistrustofhisbestsentimentsforwhatthedevildidhewanttogotoFouchefor?——heknewthemallinturn。\"Iamanidiot，neithermorenorless，\"hethought——\"Asensitiveidiot。BecauseI
overheardtwomentalkinginacafe……Iamanidiotafraidoflies——whereasinlifeitisonlytruththatmatters。\"
Severaltimeshegotupand，walkinginhissocksinordernottobeheardbyanybodydownstairs，drankallthewaterhecouldfindinthedark。Andhetastedthetormentsofjealousy，too。Shewouldmarrysomebodyelse。Hisverysoulwrithed。ThetenacityofthatFeraud，theawfulpersistenceofthatimbecilebrute，cametohimwiththetremendousforceofarelentlessdestiny。GeneralD\'Huberttrembledasheputdowntheemptywaterewer。\"Hewillhaveme，\"hethought。
GeneralD\'Hubertwastastingeveryemotionthatlifehastogive。Hehadinhisdrymouththefaintsicklyflavouroffear，nottheexcusablefearbeforeayounggirl\'scandidandamusedglance，butthefearofdeathandthehonourableman\'sfearofcowardice。
Butiftruecourageconsistsingoingouttomeetanodiousdangerfromwhichourbody，soul，andheartrecoiltogether，GeneralD\'Huberthadtheopportunitytopractiseitforthefirsttimeinhislife。Hehadchargedexultinglyatbatteriesandatinfantrysquares，andriddenwithmessagesthroughahailofbulletswith-
outthinkinganythingaboutit。Hisbusinessnowwastosneakoutunheard，atbreakofday，toanobscureandrevoltingdeath。GeneralD\'Hubertneverhesi-
tated。Hecarriedtwopistolsinaleatherbagwhichheslungoverhisshoulder。Beforehehadcrossedthegardenhismouthwasdryagain。Hepickedtwooranges。Itwasonlyaftershuttingthegateafterhimthathefeltaslightfaintness。
Hestaggeredon，disregardingit，andaftergoingafewyardsregainedthecommandofhislegs。Inthecolourlessandpelluciddawnthewoodofpinesde-