or was it till the retiring sounds of the surgeon's horse had died
away in the distance that his features recovered their former calm and
tranquil expression.

"A prompt fellow is Louis," said he, after a pause; "and though one
might like somewhat more courtesy in the Faubourg, yet on the field
of battle it is all for the best; this is no place nor time for
compliments."

The young man answered not a word, either not daring to criticise too
harshly his superior, or perhaps his emotion at the moment was too
strong for utterance. In reply to my offer to remain with him, however,
he thanked me heartily, and seemed gratified that he was not to be left
alone in such a trying emergency.

"Come," said St. Hilaire, after a pause, "I have asked for time, and
am already forgetting how to employ it. Who can write here? Can you,
Guilbert?"

"Alas, no, sir!" said a dark grenadier, blushing to the very eyes.

"If you will permit a stranger, sir," said I, "I will be but too proud
and too happy to render you any assistance in my power. I am on the
staff of General d'Auvergne, and--"

"A French officer, sir," interrupted he; "quite enough. I ask for no
other guerdon of your honor. Sit down here, then, and--But first try if
you can discover a pocket-book in my sabretache; I hope it has not been
lost."

"Here it is, General," said a soldier, coming forward with it; "I found
it on the ground beside you."

"Well, then, I will ask you to write down from my dictation a few lines,
which, should this affair,"--he faltered slightly here,--"this affair
prove unfortunate, you will undertake to convey, by some means or other,
to the address I shall give you in Paris. It is not a will, I assure
you," continued he with a faint smile. "I have no wealth to leave; but
I know his Majesty too well to fear anything on that score. But my
children, I wish to give some few directions--" Here he stopped for
several minutes, and then, in a calm voice, added, "Whenever you are
ready."

It was with a suffering spirit and a faltering hand I wrote down, from
his dictation, some short sentences addressed to each member of his
family. Of these it is not my intention to speak, save in one instance,
where St. Hilaire himself evinced a wish that his sentiments should not
be a matter of secrecy.

"I desire," said he, in a firm tone of voice, as he turned round and
addressed the soldiers on either side of him,--"I desire that my son,
now at the Polytechnique