ired and travel-stained. His face was covered with sweat and his horse with lather, th

cross country. Surgeon-Captain Emery was a man well over forty, but to-day his eyes glowed with that concentrated fire which burns in t

esponse to a quick look of suspicious enquiry which flashed out from under Emery's bu

hours, his throat was parched, and through it his voice came up hoarse an

I parted from him on Friday . . . at

g early-we c

st night-I had to sleep at Corps . . . so I sent to you. . .

ich Clyffurde had served out to him, he still scrutinised the

quered his mistrust, for presently, after he had put hi

n apology for his former suspicions, "we, his friends,

is habitual good-humoured smile as he gras

a friend I am grasp

" replied Clyffurde. "Politically, I hardly cou

ir bushy brows shot a rapid glance at the

hting man?" he que

furde drily. "I am

rmont, who during the brief colloquy between his two frie

fine, noble-looking fellow-who proclaimed himself a tradesman while that splendid physiq

mont was to hear it, so now without wasting any further words on less important matt

ouacked in an olive grove on the way to Cannes. That was a sight good for sore eyes, my friends, to see him sitting there by the camp fire, his feet firmly planted upon the soil of France. What a man, Sir, what a man!" he continued, turning direct

ulging pocket of his coat and extracted therefrom a roll o

ried to undo the knot in the tape, "you shall read it. And then mayhap you'll tell

with steady hand and firm fingers he undid the refra

ad given a cry of lo

of infinite satisfaction born of enthusiasm a

rm, at sound of which Europe had trembled and crowns had felt insecure, the name which men had

er-confident in the power of his diction-meant to reconquer the he

itz and Jena, of Wagram and of Eckmühl, at mention of those imperial eagles which had led the armies of France conquering and glorious throughout the length and breadth of Eur

hrough to the end he raised the paper to his lips and fer

ned both elbows on the table and fastened his glowing ey

orders are to you, that you do not fire a single unnecessary shot. Remember that I mean to reconquer my imperial crown without shedding one drop of French blood.' Oh! he is in excellent health and in excellent spirits! Such a man! such fire in his eyes! such determination in his actions! Younger, bolder than ever! I tell you, friends," continued the worthy surgeon-captain as he brought the palm of his hand

the garrisons of Antibes and Cannes and Grasse? di

o spread the news that a band of Corsican pirates had landed on the littoral and were marching inland-devastating villages as they marched. The peasants from the mountains were the first to believe that the Emperor had really come, and they wandered down in their hundreds to see him first and to spread the news of his

sed for breath de Mar

here has been n

addles and bridles on those slippery paths. But he was walking too, stick in hand, losing his footing now and then, just as they did, and once he nearly rolled down one of those cursed precipices: but always smiling, always cheerful, always full of hope. At Antibes young Casabianca got himself arrested with twenty grenadiers-they had gone into the town to requisition a few provisions. When the news reached us some of the younger men tried to persuade the

your Wellington and your armies now! the Emperor has come back! the wh

me about Greno

t of the line and to Vienne for the 4th Hussars. Inside Grenoble he has the 5th infantry regiment, the 4th of artillery and 3rd of engineers, with a train squadron. This morning he is holding a council of war, and I know that he has b

excitement he gathered the precious papers once more together and slipped them back into his coat pocket. Then he made a visible effort to speak more quietly: "And now

t?" queried de

d though his excitement had not abated one jot, though his eyes still glowed and his

we believe in God, we are absolutely convinced that the army will rally round him to a man. The army loves him and has never ceased to love him, the army will follow him to victory and to death. But the most loyal army in the world cannot subsist without money, and the Emperor has little or none. The news of his triumphant march across France will reach Paris long

ont with characteristic insouciance, "but one which need no

ll have all the resources of France at his command, but before that happy time arrives there will be much fighting, and many days-weeks perhaps-of anxiety to go through. During those weeks the army must be paid and fed; and your private fortune, my dear de Ma

ing to say. He was staring mo

, during which he had once more thrown a quick, half-suspicious glance on the impassive, though

onour to tell you: a spectator at this game of political conflicts. M. de Marmont knows this well, else he had not asked me to accompany him to-day

the table only that Emery

" said the surgeo

éjeuner in the meanwhile. I feel sure that the fricandeau is done to a turn by now. I'll have it dished up in ten minutes. I pray you take no heed of me," he adde

of him: wrapped up in the all engrossing subject-matter they remained seated at the table, leaning across it, their faces close to one another, th

ual, pleasant, gently-ironical smile still hovered round his lips. But anon a quickly-suppressed sigh cha

d his hand slowly across his forehead, as if to wipe awa

w rafters of the little inn, loudly calling for Annette