rders--that the matter shall stand by until we come safe to France.
Then, if you please, I will serve you in any capacity.--And for you,
young man, you have shown all the cruelty and carelessness of youth.
This gentleman is your superior; he is no longer young"--at which word
you are to conceive the Major's face. "It is admitted he has broken his
parole. I know not his reason, and no more do you. It might be
patriotism in this hour of our country's adversity, it might be
humanity, necessity; you know not what in the least, and you permit
yourself to reflect on his honour. To break parole may be a subject for
pity and not derision. I have broken mine--I, a colonel of the Empire.
And why? I have been years negotiating my exchange, and it cannot be
managed; those who have influence at the Ministry of War continually
rush in before me, and I have to wait, and my daughter at home is in a
decline. I am going to see my daughter at last, and it is my only
concern lest I should have delayed too long. She is ill, and very
ill,--at death's door. Nothing is left me but my daughter, my Emperor,
and my honour; and I give my honour, blame me for it who dare!"

At this my heart smote me.

"For God's sake," I cried, "think no more of what I have said! A parole?
what is a parole against life and death and love? I ask your pardon;
this gentleman's also. As long as I shall be with you, you shall not
have cause to complain of me again. I pray God you will find your
daughter alive and restored."

"That is past praying for," said the Colonel; and immediately the brief
fire died out of him, and, returning to the hearth, he relapsed into his
former abstraction.

But I was not so easy to compose. The knowledge of the poor gentleman's
trouble, and the sight of his face, had filled me with the bitterness of
remorse; and I insisted upon shaking hands with the Major (which he did
with a very ill grace), and abounded in palinodes and apologies.

"After all," said I, "who am I to talk? I am in the luck to be a private
soldier; I have no parole to give or to keep; once I am over the
rampart, I am as free as air. I beg you to believe that I regret from my
soul the use of these ungenerous expressions. Allow me.... Is there no
way in this damned house to attract attention? Where is this fellow
Fenn?"

I ran to one of the windows and threw it open. Fenn, who was at the
moment passing below in the court, cast up his arms like one in despair,
called t