hinking of
nothing but the pain of parting.

"Here is your knapsack," he added; "and I have put in it all that you
require; two linen shirts, two flannel waistcoats, and all the rest.
You will receive at Mayence two soldier's shirts,--all that you will
need; but I have made for you some shoes, for nothing is worse than
those given the soldiers, which are almost always of horse-hide and
chafe the feet fearfully. You are none too strong in your leg, my poor
boy. Well, well, that is all."

He placed the knapsack upon the table and sat down.

Without, we heard the Italians making ready to depart. Above us
Captain Vidal was giving his orders. He had his horse at the barracks
of the gendarmerie, and was telling his orderly to see that he was well
rubbed and had received his hay.

All this bustle and movement produced a strange effect upon me, and I
could not yet realize that I must quit the city. As I was thus in the
greatest distress, the door opened and Catharine entered weeping, while
Mother Gredel cried out:

"I told you you should have fled to Switzerland; that these rogues
would finish by carrying you off. I told you so, and you would not
believe me."

"Mother Gredel," replied Monsieur Goulden, "to go to do his duty is not
so great an evil as to be despised by honest people. Instead of all
these cries and reproaches, which serve no good purpose, you would do
better to comfort and encourage Joseph."

"Ah!" said she; "I do not reproach him, although this is terrible."

Catharine did not leave me; she sat by me and we embraced each other,
and she said, pressing my arm:

"You will return?"

"Yes, yes," said I, in a low voice. "And you--you will always think of
me; you will not love another?"

She answered, sobbing:

"No, no! I will never love any but you."

This lasted a quarter of an hour, when the door opened and Captain
Vidal entered, his cloak rolled like a hunting-horn over his shoulder.

"Well," said he, "well; how goes our young man?"

"Here he is," answered Monsieur Goulden.

"Ah!" remarked the captain; "you are making yourself miserable. It is
natural. I remember when I departed for the army. We have all a home."

Then, raising his voice, he said:

"Come, come, young man, courage! We are no longer children."

He looked at Catharine.

"I see all," said he to Monsieur Goulden. "I can understand why he
does not want to go."

The drums beat in the street and he added:

"We ha