The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard

moved into the sunshine. It is more pleasant to sit there, and yet I do not wish to tell my little stories to the whole town. You have heard my doings as a

ent if it were granted to him. But his guardians knew that he was a terrible man, this pale, fat gentleman in the straw hat, and they dared not grant him what he asked. Many have wondered who it was to whom he could have had anything so secret to say. Some have supposed that it was to his wife, and some that it was to his father-in-law; some that it was to the Emperor Alexander, and some to Marshal Soult. Wh

too, was in a deplorable condition, and my own brigade had been destroyed in the charge at Craonne. Then came the news that the enemy had taken Paris, that the citizens had mounted the white cockade; and finally, most terrible of all, that Marmont and his corps had gone over to the Bourbons. We looked at each other and asked h

five thousand in all, with seven thousand of the guard. But we had our prestige, which was worth fifty thousand, and our Emperor, who was worth fifty thousand more. He was always among us, ser

he wished to see me. When I speak of my old comrades-in-arms, I will, with your permission, leave out all the fine foreign titles which they had picked up during the wars. They are excellent for a Court, but you never heard them in the

also both famous in the army for their courage and their skill with weapons. Tremeau had become a little stiff in the wrist, but Despienne was capable at his best of making me exert myself. He was a tiny fellow, about three inches short of the proper height for a man — he was exactly three inches shorter than myself — but both with the

barrack-room fashion. ‘Are we then expe

Certainly in the whole army we were the very

speak with the Brigadier Gerard,’ s

en before him. He was looking weary and slovenly — very different from that Berthier who used to give the fashion to the army, and who had so often set us poorer officers tearing our hair by trimming his pelisse with fur

rigade Gera

e, your Highnes

r honour as a gentleman and a soldier, that what is about to

inning! I had no choice but

at Paris have both mounted the white cockade, and it is rumoured that Talleyrand has talked Ney into doing the same. It is evident that further resistance is useless, and that it can only bring misery

the Emperor, and who had received greater favours from him than any of his followers, I could only stand and stare

?’ he

‘There are some things which I cannot hear. I be

upon my shoulder. ‘You are aware that the Senate has declared against

ow that I do not care the dregs of a wine-glass fo

what do

he service of my glorious ma

. Are we to stand against the will of the nation? Are we to have civil war on the top of all our misfortunes? And, besides, we are thinning away. Ev

on that my sabre clat

imself as to put forward such a proposal. I leave you to your own conscience; but as for me, until I have t

efrain from tears. I should have liked the whole army to have seen me as I stood with my head so proudly erect and my h

ell for the lackey. ‘You will show the

desire was to get away, and I could not understand why they should wish to detain me. When one has

guardsman’s gaiters, his eyes projecting, the veins swollen upon his forehead, and every hair of his moustache bristling like those of an angry cat. He was too angry to speak,

ceived them in the same spirit. His lips were sealed to me, as mine were to him, by the promise which we had taken, b

roar broke out in the room which we had just quitted. There was a snarling, worrying growl, like that of a fierce dog which has

eady his face was lead-coloured, and his eyes were starting from their sockets. As to Tremeau, he was beside himself, with foam upon the corners of his lips, and such a frantic expression

cried, as he staggered to his feet. ‘

utes, putting his hands up to his throat and rolling his head about. Then, with a

en. Napoleon was dressed in his green-coated chasseur uniform, and he held his little, silver-headed switch in his hand. He looked at us each in turn, with a smile upon his face — that frightful smile in which neither e

spoke in that soft, caressing manner which he could assume. There was no one who could make the

lled me,’ cried Berthier, s

But I trust that you are not really hurt!’ He spoke with earnestness, for he was in

though not with

ceive my injuries from

ket of honour at Marengo. I remember you very well, my good friend. So the old fires are not yet extinguished! They still burn up when you think that your Emperor is wronged. And you, Colonel Despienne, you would not

is fashion. Tremeau shook until I thought he would have fallen, and the tears ran down his gigantic moustache. If you ha

plain to you the meaning of this little farce which we have been acting. I beg, Berthi

oor. However, we followed the Emperor as we were ordered, and he led us into the re

waver in your fidelity to me. If I have ventured to put that fidelity to the proof, and to watch you while attempts were at my orders made upon your honour, it was only because, in the days when

ried Tremeau, and we bo

little closer to him, and

ers; only to you. It is all up with us, my friends. We have come to our l

when he, in that quiet, impassive voice of his, said that everything was over, we realized that the clouds had shut for ever, and the last gleam gone. Tremeau snarled and gripped at

t these poor Bourbons would find that my footstool is too large to make a throne for them. Where am I to keep these precious things? My belongings will be searched — so will the houses of my supporte

of Rome. If we cannot prove each of these, the future claim of my family to the throne of France falls to the ground. Then there are securities to the value of forty millions of francs — an immense sum, my friends, but of no more value than this riding-switch when co

l be concealed in the berline, in a hiding-place which none know but herself. She has been warned that her carriage will be stopped outside the town by three mounted officers, and she will hand the packet over to your care. Y

a, whose directions you may take as being mine. There is no roof to the Colombier, and tonight will be a full moon. At the right of the entrance you will find three spades leaning against the wall. With these you will dig a hole three

could put into an order. When he had finished, he made us swear to keep his secret as long as he lived, and as lon

siness, yet we were all flushed and moved by the extraordinary interview which we had had, and by the thought of the great adventure which lay before us. For my own part, it had been my fate three several times to take

peror,’ said Despienne, ‘we sha

o our future cocked

ogether. My little Violette had cast a shoe that morning, and the farrier was at work upon her when I returned, so that my comrades were already there when I arrived at the trysting-place. I had taken with me not only my sabre, but also my new pair of English rifled

ite road in front of us. The country is so thickly wooded, however, that we could not see very far. The great palace clock had a

, until a pair of yellow lanterns swung round the curve, and in their light we saw the two big brown horses tearing along the high, blue carriage at the back of them. The postilion

in a low voice, leaning my face down to the open window. ‘

rly admire, but she grew whiter and whiter as she looked up at me. Harsh lines deepene

’ she said, ‘that you

d she could not have startled me more. It was not her word

el Despienne and Captain Tremeau. For myself, my name is Brigadier Gerard,

k that because I am only a woman I am very eas

ed white with anger, and at Tremeau

ve me this amethyst ring as a token. I had not thought that three honourable gentlemen would have ne

ge lamp, and the most dreadful expression

nd then, ‘Oh, my God, what h

d befallen. ‘Quick, madame, quick

lready gi

them! T

ree of

he

the ha

e are

ine, and I handed them over to them without hesita

ut those are the moments

flying into Fontainebleau as only Violette could have carried me. At the palace I flung myself off, rushed up the stairs, brushed aside the lackeys who would have stopped me, and pushed my way into t

, and then, the instant the door was

s I told him what had happened. His face was ca

e destinies of my dynasty are at stake. Not a

e they,

hom should they carry them but to the villain Talleyrand? Yes, yes, they are on the

out of the town with the bridle of one of the Emperor’s own Arab chargers in either hand. They wished me to take three, but I should have never dared to look my Vi

e has

on

e Paris road. Quick!

e flying hoofs roared and roared along the hard, smooth road. Poplars and moon, black bars and silver streaks, for mile after mile our course lay along the same chequered track, with our shadows in front and our dust behind. We could hear the rasping of bolts and the creaking of shutters from the cottages as we

I gasped. ‘Hav

g their horses,’ said he.

out on the country road again, with a clear twenty miles between ourselves and Paris. How could they escape us, with the finest horses in France behind them? Not one of the three had turned a hair, but Violette w

are!’ crie

hem!’ grow

, on!’ I shou

chestnut horses, whilst the man between them was dressed in a chasseur uniform and mounted upon a grey. They were keeping abreast, but it was easy enough to see from the way in which he gathered his legs for each spring that the centre horse was far the fresher of the three. And the rider appeared to b

uc!’ I shouted. ‘Halt,

there was a score between us, for he had shot my friend, Treville, at Warsaw, pu

man. He fell forward with his hands swinging on each side of his horse’s neck. His comrade spurred on to Tremeau, sabre in hand, and I heard the crash which comes when a strong cut is met by a stronger parry. For

oft road. His hat flew off with his exertions, and his bald head gleamed in the moonshine. But do what he might, he still heard the rattle of the hoofs growing louder and louder behind him. I coul

patient creature, which I had come to love more than anything in the world except my mother and the Emperor, reel and stagger beneath me. I pulled my second pistol from my holster and fired point-blank between the fellow’s broad shoulders. He slashed his horse across the flank with his whip, and for a moment I thought that I had missed him. But then on the green of his chasseur jacket I saw an ever-widening black smud

d, springing from my

y enough that it was all over with him. My bullet had passed through his heart, and it was only his own iron will which ha

earched his holsters and his sabre-tasche. Finally I dragged off his boots, and undid his horse’s girth so as to hun

hink it all out, that I might act in the wisest way. I was aware that the Emperor had no great respect for my wits, and I longed to show him that he had done me an injustice. Montluc had not the papers. And yet Montluc had sacrificed his companions in order to make his escape. I could ma

self did not make a fuss about a scratch or two. The first shot had merely grazed her off-shoulder, leaving a skin-mark, as if she had brushed a wall. The second was more serious. It had passed through the muscle of her neck, but already it had ceas

ff? With its weight, would it not have simply dropped? And here it lay, fifteen paces from the roadway! Of course, he must have thrown it off when he had made sure that I would overtake him. And if he threw it off — I did not stop to reason any more, but sprang from the mare with my heart beating the pas-de-charge. Yes, it was all right

ette, and was pushing forward to see what had become of Tremeau, when I saw a horseman riding across the field in the distance. At the same instant I heard the sound of hoofs approaching

arp, sergeant-major way of

over them. Then, as we sat our horses head to tail, he threw his left arm across me with his han

cried, ‘you a

brought a flush of joy upon my cheeks to

thief, Gerar

d, s

kille

ire, and would have esc

recogni

name, sire — a Co

rand,’ I heard him mutter, ‘if I had been in your place and you in mine, you would have crushed a viper when you held it under your heel. For five years I have known you for what you are, and yet I have let you l

these papers have been carried to the ears of your enemies, I trust you do not thin

answered, ‘seeing that this plot was hatched in Pari

n ho

ly. ‘You take an undue ad

he gulf which lay between you, he would suddenly, with a word or with a look, remind you that it was as impassable as ever. When I have fondled m

and with a heavy heart. But when he spoke again his words

I have paid a price for my papers. There are not so many of my

‘two’ it tu

ne was shot, sir

a few minutes earlier, I might have saved

ut if I had known, and Violette been unwounded, the old soldier would not have gone unavenged. I was thinking sadly of h

re now the only man who will know

t there was a tone in the Emperor’s voice which was not altogether one of sorrow. But the dark thoug

m crackle as he put his hand up to his bosom. ‘No man has ever had

entedly beneath the poplars. Captain Tremeau lay in front of us upon his back, with his arms and legs stretched out, and his sabre broken short off in his hand. His tunic

m his horse and bent d

’ said he, sadly. ‘He was one

twitched his arm, and moved the sword-hilt a few inches. He was trying to raise

said the Emperor, as he rose, a

d astonishment, staring open-eyed at the Emperor. It was to him that we committed the care of the four dead men and of the horses also. For my own part, I thought it best to leave Violette with him and to take De Montlu

one could not expect him to be a merry companion. Nevertheless, when I reflected that he was carrying in his bosom those papers which he valued so highly, and which only a few hours ago appeared to be for ever lost, and when I further thought that it was I, Etienne Gerard, who had

spades to the pigeon-house, but I have told him nothing. Our plans, however, for bringing the packet from Paris have been formed since Monday. There were three in th

ld hear him slapping his riding-whip against his boot, and takin

why these rascals did not stop the carriage at Pa

id not wish to appear to have less wits than he gave me

ort of taking the berline to pieces, they could not have discovered the hiding-place. He planned i

future; of the devotion of Macdonald, of the treason of Marmont, of the little King of Rome, concerning whom he talked with as much tenderness as any bourgeois father of a single child; and, finally, of his father-in-law, the Emperor of Austria, who would, he thought, stand between his enemies and himself. For myself, I dared not say a word, remembering how I had already brought a rebuke upon myself; but I r

orses through the Forest of Fontainebleau, until we came at last to the Colombier. The three spades were propped against the wall upon the right-hand side of th

n will be upon us before w

ved all marks of the ground having been disturbed, and we placed a large stone upon the top. I dare say that since the Emperor was a young gunner, and helped to train hi

unks when we came out together from the old pigeon-house. The Emperor

em there also. Let the recollection of them pass entirely from your mind, to be revived only when you re

it, sire

esired that I should separate from him. I had salute

the forest,’ said he. ‘Would you not say that it w

d what

course,’ he cr

papers

the papers that you

to know what your Maj

for a moment, and then

lieve that you are as good a diplomatist as you

desirous of getting them into the hands of his own supporters, and for that purpose he wrote me, as I afterwards learned, three letters, all of which were intercepted by his guardians. Finally, he offered to support himself and his own establishment — which he might very easily have done out of the gigantic sum which belonged to h

living of all who took part in that strange history — the man who was tempted by Marshal Berthier, who led that wild pursuit upon the Paris road, who was honoured by the embrace of the Emperor, and who rode with him by moonlight in the Forest of Fontainebleau. The buds are bursting and the birds are calling

The End<