girdle　into　a　mortal　part；　and　that　great　bulk　of　a　man；　falling
  from　his　whole　height；　knocked　me　immediately　senseless。
  When　I　came　to　myself　I　was　laid　in　my　own　sleeping…place；　and
  could　make　out　in　the　darkness　the　outline　of　perhaps　a　dozen　heads
  crowded　around　me。　　I　sat　up。　　'What　is　it？'　I　exclaimed。
  'Hush！'　said　the　sergeant…major。　　'Blessed　be　God；　all　is　well。'　　I
  felt　him　clasp　my　hand；　and　there　were　tears　in　his　voice。　　''Tis
  but　a　scratch；　my　child；　here　is　papa；　who　is　taking　good　care　of
  you。　　Your　shoulder　is　bound　up；　we　have　dressed　you　in　your
  clothes　again；　and　it　will　all　be　well。'
  At　this　I　began　to　remember。　　'And　Goguelat？'　I　gasped。
  'He　cannot　bear　to　be　moved；　he　has　his　bellyful；　'tis　a　bad
  business；'　said　the　sergeant…major。
  The　idea　of　having　killed　a　man　with　such　an　instrument　as　half　a
  pair　of　scissors　seemed　to　turn　my　stomach。　　I　am　sure　I　might　have
  killed　a　dozen　with　a　firelock；　a　sabre；　a　bayonet；　or　any　accepted
  weapon；　and　been　visited　by　no　such　sickness　of　remorse。　　And　to
  this　feeling　every　unusual　circumstance　of　our　rencounter；　the
  darkness　in　which　we　had　fought；　our　nakedness；　even　the　resin　on
  the　twine；　appeared　to　contribute。　　I　ran　to　my　fallen　adversary；
  kneeled　by　him；　and　could　only　sob　his　name。
  He　bade　me　compose　myself。　　'You　have　given　me　the　key　of　the
  fields；　comrade；'　said　he。　　'SANS　RANCUNE！'
  At　this　my　horror　redoubled。　　Here　had　we　two　expatriated　Frenchmen
  engaged　in　an　ill…regulated　combat　like　the　battles　of　beasts。
  Here　was　he；　who　had　been　all　his　life　so　great　a　ruffian；　dying　in
  a　foreign　land　of　this　ignoble　injury；　and　meeting　death　with
  something　of　the　spirit　of　a　Bayard。　　I　insisted　that　the　guards
  should　be　summoned　and　a　doctor　brought。　　'It　may　still　be　possible
  to　save　him；'　I　cried。
  The　sergeant…major　reminded　me　of　our　engagement。　　'If　you　had　been
  wounded；'　said　he；　'you　must　have　lain　there　till　the　patrol　came
  by　and　found　you。　　It　happens　to　be　Goguelat　…　and　so　must　he！
  Come；　child；　time　to　go　to　by…by。'　　And　as　I　still　resisted；
  'Champdivers！'　he　said；　'this　is　weakness。　　You　pain　me。'
  'Ay；　off　to　your　beds　with　you！'　said　Goguelat；　and　named　us　in　a
  company　with　one　of　his　jovial　gross　epithets。
  Accordingly　the　squad　lay　down　in　the　dark　and　simulated；　what　they
  certainly　were　far　from　experiencing；　sleep。　　It　was　not　yet　late。
  The　city；　from　far　below；　and　all　around　us；　sent　up　a　sound　of
  wheels　and　feet　and　lively　voices。　　Yet　awhile；　and　the　curtain　of
  the　cloud　was　rent　across；　and　in　the　space　of　sky　between　the
  eaves　of　the　shed　and　the　irregular　outline　of　the　ramparts　a
  multitude　of　stars　appeared。　　Meantime；　in　the　midst　of　us　lay
  Goguelat；　and　could　not　always　withhold　himself　from　groaning。
  We　heard　the　round　far　off；　heard　it　draw　slowly　nearer。　　Last　of
  all；　it　turned　the　corner　and　moved　into　our　field　of　vision：　two
  file　of　men　and　a　corporal　with　a　lantern；　which　he　swung　to　and
  fro；　so　as　to　cast　its　light　in　the　recesses　of　the　yards　and
  sheds。
  'Hullo！'　cried　the　corporal；　pausing　as　he　came　by　Goguelat。
  He　stooped　with　his　lantern。　　All　our　hearts　were　flying。
  'What　devil's　work　is　this？'　he　cried；　and　with　a　startling　voice
  summoned　the　guard。
  We　were　all　afoot　upon　the　instant；　more　lanterns　and　soldiers
  crowded　in　front　of　the　shed；　an　officer　elbowed　his　way　in。　　In
  the　midst　was　the　big　naked　body；　soiled　with　blood。　　Some　one　had
  covered　him　with　his　blanket；　but　as　he　lay　there　in　agony；　he　had
  partly　thrown　it　off。
  'This　is　murder！'　cried　the　officer。　　'You　wild　beasts；　you　will
  hear　of　this　to…morrow。'
  As　Goguelat　was　raised　and　laid　upon　a　stretcher；　he　cried　to　us　a
  cheerful　and　blasphemous　farewell。
  CHAPTER　III　…　MAJOR　CHEVENIX　COMES　INTO　THE　STORY；　AND　GOGUELAT
  GOES　OUT
  THERE　was　never　any　talk　of　a　recovery；　and　no　time　was　lost　in
  getting　the　man's　deposition。　　He　gave　but　the　one　account　of　it：
  that　he　had　committed　suicide　because　he　was　sick　of　seeing　so　many
  Englishmen。　　The　doctor　vowed　it　was　impossible；　the　nature　and
  direction　of　the　wound　forbidding　it。　　Goguelat　replied　that　he　was
  more　ingenious　than　the　other　thought　for；　and　had　propped　up　the
  weapon　in　the　ground　and　fallen　on　the　point　…　'just　like
  Nebuchadnezzar；'　he　added；　winking　to　the　assistants。　　The　doctor；
  who　was　a　little；　spruce；　ruddy　man　of　an　impatient　temper；　pished
  and　pshawed　and　swore　over　his　patient。　　'Nothing　to　be　made　of
  him！'　he　cried。　　'A　perfect　heathen。　　If　we　could　only　find　the
  weapon！'　　But　the　weapon　had　ceased　to　exist。　　A　little　resined
  twine　was　perhaps　blowing　about　in　the　castle　gutters；　some　bits　of
  broken　stick　may　have　trailed　in　corners；　and　behold；　in　the
  pleasant　air　of　the　morning；　a　dandy　prisoner　trimming　his　nails
  with　a　pair　of　scissors！
  Finding　the　wounded　man　so　firm；　you　may　be　sure　the　authorities
  did　not　leave　the　rest　of　us　in　peace。　　No　stone　was　left　unturned。
  We　were　had　in　again　and　again　to　be　examined；　now　singly；　now　in
  twos　and　threes。　　We　were　threatened　with　all　sorts　of　impossible
  severities　and　tempted　with　all　manner　of　improbable　rewards。　　I
  suppose　I　was　five　times　interrogated；　and　came　off　from　each　with
  flying　colours。　　I　am　like　old　Souvaroff；　I　cannot　understand　a
  soldier　being　taken　aback　by　any　question；　he　should　answer；　as　he
  marches　on　the　fire；　with　an　instant　briskness　and　gaiety。　　I　may
  have　been　short　of　bread；　gold　or　grace；　I　was　never　yet　found
  wanting　in　an　answer。　　My　comrades；　if　they　were　not　all　so　ready；
  were　none　of　them　less　staunch；　and　I　may　say　here　at　once　that　the
  inquiry　came　to　nothing　at　the　time；　and　the　death　of　Goguelat
  remained　a　mystery　of　the　prison。　　Such　were　the　veterans　of
  France！　　And　yet　I　should　be　disingenuous　if　I　did　not　own　this　was
  a　case　apart；　in　ordinary　circumstances；　some　one　might　have
  stumbled　or　been　intimidated　into　an　admission；　and　what　bound　us
  together　with　a　closeness　beyond　that　of　mere　comrades　was　a　secret
  to　which　we　were　all　committed　and　a　design　in　which　all　were
  equally　engaged。　　No　need　to　inquire　as　to　its　nature：　there　is
  only　one　desire；　and　only　one　kind　of　design；　that　blooms　in
  prisons。　　And　the　fact　that　our　tunnel　was　near　done　supported　and
  inspired　us。
  I　came　off　in　public；　as　I　have　said；　with　flying　colours；　the
  sittings　of　the　court　of　inquiry　died　away　like　a　tune　that　no　one
  listens　to；　and　yet　I　was　unmasked　…　I；　whom　my　very　adversary
  defended；　as　good　as　confessed；　as　good　as　told　the　nature　of　the
  quarrel；　and　by　so　doing　prepared　for　myself　in　the　future　a　most
  anxious；　disagreeable　adventure。　　It　was　the　third　morning　after
  the　duel；　and　Goguelat　was　still　in　life；　when　the　time　came　round
  for　me　to　give　Major　Chevenix　a　lesson。　　I　was　fond　of　this
  occupation；　not　that　he　paid　me　much　…　no　more；　indeed；　than
  eighteenpence　a　month；　the　customary　figure；　being　a　miser　in　the
  grain；　but　because　I　liked　his　breakfasts　and　（to　some　extent）
  himself。　　At　least；　he　was　a　man　of　education；　and　of　the　others
  with　whom　I　had　any　opportunity　of　speech；　those　that　would　not
  have　held　a　book　upsidedown　would　have　torn　the　pages　out　for　pipe…
  lights。　　For　I　must　repeat　again　that　our　body　of　prisoners　was
  exceptional：　there　was　in　Edinburgh　Castle　none　of　that　educational
  busyness　that　distinguished　some　of　the　other　prisons；　so　that　men
  entered　them　unable　to　read；　and　left　them　fit　for　high
  employments。　　Chevenix　was　handsome；　and　surprisingly　young　to　be　a
  major：　six　feet　in　his　stockings；　well　set　up；　with　regular
  features　and　very　clear　grey　eyes。　　It　was　impossible　to　pick　a
  fault　in　him；　and　yet　the　sum…total　was　displeasing。　　Perhaps　he
  was　too　clean；　he　seemed　to　bear　about　with　him　the　smell　of　soap。
  Cleanliness　is　good；　but　I　cannot　bear　a　man's　nails　to　seem
  japanned。　　And　certainly　he　was　too　self…possessed　and　cold。　　There
  was　none　of　the　fire　of　youth；　none　of　the　swiftness　of　the
  soldier；　in　this　young　officer。　　His　kindness　was　cold；　and　cruel
  cold；　his　deliberation　exasperating。　　And　perhaps　it　was　from　this
  character；　which　is　very　much　the　opposite　of　my　own；　that　even　in
  these　days；　when　he　was　of　service　to　me；　I　approached　him　with
  suspicion　and　reserve。
  I　looked　over　his　exercise　in　the　usual　form；　and　marked　six
  faults。
  'H'm。　　Six；'　says　he；　looking　at　the　paper。　　'Very　annoying！　　I　can
  never　get　it　right。'
  'Oh；　but　you　make　excellent　progress！'　I　said。　　I　would　not
  discourage　him；　you　understand；　but　he　was　congenitally　unable　to
  learn　French。　　Some　fire；　I　think；　is　needful；　and　he　had　quenched
  his　fire　in　soapsuds。
  He　put　the　exercise　down；　leaned　his　chin　upon　his　hand；　and　looked
  at　me　with　clear；　severe　eyes。