now　haunted。　　But　the　day　was　beginning　to　break；　and　our　fatigue
  was　too　extreme　for　visionary　terrors。　　The　second　or　third；　we
  alighted　on　a　barren　heath　about　midnight；　built　a　fire　to　warm　us
  under　the　shelter　of　some　thorns；　supped　like　beggars　on　bread　and
  a　piece　of　cold　bacon；　and　slept　like　gipsies　with　our　feet　to　the
  fire。　　In　the　meanwhile；　King　was　gone　with　the　cart；　I　know　not
  where；　to　get　a　change　of　horses；　and　it　was　late　in　the　dark
  morning　when　he　returned　and　we　were　able　to　resume　our　journey。
  In　the　middle　of　another　night；　we　came　to　a　stop　by　an　ancient；
  whitewashed　cottage　of　two　stories；　a　privet　hedge　surrounded　it；
  the　frosty　moon　shone　blankly　on　the　upper　windows；　but　through
  those　of　the　kitchen　the　firelight　was　seen　glinting　on　the　roof
  and　reflected　from　the　dishes　on　the　wall。　　Here；　after　much
  hammering　on　the　door；　King　managed　to　arouse　an　old　crone　from　the
  chimney…corner　chair；　where　she　had　been　dozing　in　the　watch；　and
  we　were　had　in；　and　entertained　with　a　dish　of　hot　tea。　　This　old
  lady　was　an　aunt　of　Burchell　Fenn's　…　and　an　unwilling　partner　in
  his　dangerous　trade。　　Though　the　house　stood　solitary；　and　the　hour
  was　an　unlikely　one　for　any　passenger　upon　the　road；　King　and　she
  conversed　in　whispers　only。　　There　was　something　dismal；　something
  of　the　sick…room；　in　this　perpetual；　guarded　sibilation。　　The
  apprehensions　of　our　hostess　insensibly　communicated　themselves　to
  every　one　present。　　We　ate　like　mice　in　a　cat's　ear；　if　one　of　us
  jingled　a　teaspoon；　all　would　start；　and　when　the　hour　came　to　take
  the　road　again；　we　drew　a　long　breath　of　relief；　and　climbed　to　our
  places　in　the　covered　cart　with　a　positive　sense　of　escape。　　The
  most　of　our　meals；　however；　were　taken　boldly　at　hedgerow
  alehouses；　usually　at　untimely　hours　of　the　day；　when　the　clients
  were　in　the　field　or　the　farmyard　at　labour。　　I　shall　have　to　tell
  presently　of　our　last　experience　of　the　sort；　and　how　unfortunately
  it　miscarried；　but　as　that　was　the　signal　for　my　separation　from　my
  fellow…travellers；　I　must　first　finish　with　them。
  I　had　never　any　occasion　to　waver　in　my　first　judgment　of　the
  Colonel。　　The　old　gentleman　seemed　to　me；　and　still　seems　in　the
  retrospect；　the　salt　of　the　earth。　　I　had　occasion　to　see　him　in
  the　extremes　of　hardship；　hunger　and　cold；　he　was　dying；　and　he
  looked　it；　and　yet　I　cannot　remember　any　hasty；　harsh；　or　impatient
  word　to　have　fallen　from　his　lips。　　On　the　contrary；　he　ever　showed
  himself　careful　to　please；　and　even　if　he　rambled　in　his　talk；
  rambled　always　gently　…　like　a　humane；　half…witted　old　hero；　true
  to　his　colours　to　the　last。　　I　would　not　dare　to　say　how　often　he
  awoke　suddenly　from　a　lethargy；　and　told　us　again；　as　though　we　had
  never　heard　it；　the　story　of　how　he　had　earned　the　cross；　how　it
  had　been　given　him　by　the　hand　of　the　Emperor；　and　of　the　innocent
  …　and；　indeed；　foolish　…　sayings　of　his　daughter　when　he　returned
  with　it　on　his　bosom。　　He　had　another　anecdote　which　he　was　very
  apt　to　give；　by　way　of　a　rebuke；　when　the　Major　wearied　us　beyond
  endurance　with　dispraises　of　the　English。　　This　was　an　account　of
  the　BRAVES　GENS　with　whom　he　had　been　boarding。　　True　enough；　he
  was　a　man　so　simple　and　grateful　by　nature；　that　the　most　common
  civilities　were　able　to　touch　him　to　the　heart；　and　would　remain
  written　in　his　memory；　but　from　a　thousand　inconsiderable　but
  conclusive　indications；　I　gathered　that　this　family　had　really
  loved　him；　and　loaded　him　with　kindness。　　They　made　a　fire　in　his
  bedroom；　which　the　sons　and　daughters　tended　with　their　own　hands；
  letters　from　France　were　looked　for　with　scarce　more　eagerness　by
  himself　than　by　these　alien　sympathisers；　when　they　came；　he　would
  read　them　aloud　in　the　parlour　to　the　assembled　family；　translating
  as　he　went。　　The　Colonel's　English　was　elementary；　his　daughter　not
  in　the　least　likely　to　be　an　amusing　correspondent；　and；　as　I
  conceived　these　scenes　in　the　parlour；　I　felt　sure　the　interest
  centred　in　the　Colonel　himself；　and　I　thought　I　could　feel　in　my
  own　heart　that　mixture　of　the　ridiculous　and　the　pathetic；　the
  contest　of　tears　and　laughter；　which　must　have　shaken　the　bosoms　of
  the　family。　　Their　kindness　had　continued　till　the　end。　　It　appears
  they　were　privy　to　his　flight；　the　camlet　cloak　had　been　lined
  expressly　for　him；　and　he　was　the　bearer　of　a　letter　from　the
  daughter　of　the　house　to　his　own　daughter　in　Paris。　　The　last
  evening；　when　the　time　came　to　say　good…night；　it　was　tacitly　known
  to　all　that　they　were　to　look　upon　his　face　no　more。　　He　rose；
  pleading　fatigue；　and　turned　to　the　daughter；　who　had　been　his
  chief　ally：　'You　will　permit　me；　my　dear　…　to　an　old　and　very
  unhappy　soldier　…　and　may　God　bless　you　for　your　goodness！'　　The
  girl　threw　her　arms　about　his　neck　and　sobbed　upon　his　bosom；　the
  lady　of　the　house　burst　into　tears；　'ET　JE　VOUS　LE　JURE；　LE　PERE　SE
  MOUCHAIT！'　quoth　the　Colonel；　twisting　his　moustaches　with　a
  cavalry　air；　and　at　the　same　time　blinking　the　water　from　his　eyes
  at　the　mere　recollection。
  It　was　a　good　thought　to　me　that　he　had　found　these　friends　in
  captivity；　that　he　had　started　on　this　fatal　journey　from　so
  cordial　a　farewell。　　He　had　broken　his　parole　for　his　daughter：
  that　he　should　ever　live　to　reach　her　sick…bed；　that　he　could
  continue　to　endure　to　an　end　the　hardships；　the　crushing　fatigue；
  the　savage　cold；　of　our　pilgrimage；　I　had　early　ceased　to　hope。　　I
  did　for　him　what　I　was　able；　…　nursed　him；　kept　him　covered；
  watched　over　his　slumbers；　sometimes　held　him　in　my　arms　at　the
  rough　places　of　the　road。　　'Champdivers；'　he　once　said；　'you　are
  like　a　son　to　me　…　like　a　son。'　　It　is　good　to　remember；　though　at
  the　time　it　put　me　on　the　rack。　　All　was　to　no　purpose。　　Fast　as　we
  were　travelling　towards　France；　he　was　travelling　faster　still　to
  another　destination。　　Daily　he　grew　weaker　and　more　indifferent。
  An　old　rustic　accent　of　Lower　Normandy　reappeared　in　his　speech；
  from　which　it　had　long　been　banished；　and　grew　stronger；　old　words
  of　the　PATOIS；　too：　OUISTREHAM；　MATRASSE；　and　others；　the　sense　of
  which　we　were　sometimes　unable　to　guess。　　On　the　very　last　day　he
  began　again　his　eternal　story　of　the　cross　and　the　Emperor。　　The
  Major；　who　was　particularly　ill；　or　at　least　particularly　cross；
  uttered　some　angry　words　of　protest。　　'PARDONNEZ…MOI；　MONSIEUR　LE
  COMMANDANT；　MAIS　C'EST　POUR　MONSIEUR；'　said　the　Colonel：　'Monsieur
  has　not　yet　heard　the　circumstance；　and　is　good　enough　to　feel　an
  interest。'　　Presently　after；　however；　he　began　to　lose　the　thread
  of　his　narrative；　and　at　last：　'QUE　QUE　J'AI？　　JE　M'EMBROUILLE！'
  says　he；　'SUFFIT：　S'M'A　LA　DONNE；　ET　BERTHE　EN　ETAIT　BIEN
  CONTENTE。'　　It　struck　me　as　the　falling　of　the　curtain　or　the
  closing　of　the　sepulchre　doors。
  Sure　enough；　in　but　a　little　while　after；　he　fell　into　a　sleep　as
  gentle　as　an　infant's；　which　insensibly　changed　into　the　sleep　of
  death。　　I　had　my　arm　about　his　body　at　the　time　and　remarked
  nothing；　unless　it　were　that　he　once　stretched　himself　a　little；　so
  kindly　the　end　came　to　that　disastrous　life。　　It　was　only　at　our
  evening　halt　that　the　Major　and　I　discovered　we　were　travelling
  alone　with　the　poor　clay。　　That　night　we　stole　a　spade　from　a　field
  …　I　think　near　Market　Bosworth　…　and　a　little　farther　on；　in　a　wood
  of　young　oak　trees　and　by　the　light　of　King's　lantern；　we　buried
  the　old　soldier　of　the　Empire　with　both　prayers　and　tears。
  We　had　needs　invent　Heaven　if　it　had　not　been　revealed　to　us；　there
  are　some　things　that　fall　so　bitterly　ill　on　this　side　Time！　　As
  for　the　Major；　I　have　long　since　forgiven　him。　　He　broke　the　news
  to　the　poor　Colonel's　daughter；　I　am　told　he　did　it　kindly；　and
  sure；　nobody　could　have　done　it　without　tears！　　His　share　of
  purgatory　will　be　brief；　and　in　this　world；　as　I　could　not　very
  well　praise　him；　I　have　suppressed　his　name。　　The　Colonel's　also；
  for　the　sake　of　his　parole。　　REQUIESCAT。
  CHAPTER　XV　…　THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　ATTORNEY'S　CLERK
  I　HAVE　mentioned　our　usual　course；　which　was　to　eat　in
  inconsiderable　wayside　hostelries；　known　to　King。　　It　was　a
  dangerous　business；　we　went　daily　under　fire　to　satisfy　our
  appetite；　and　put　our　head　in　the　loin's　mouth　for　a　piece　of
  bread。　　Sometimes；　to　minimise　the　risk；　we　would　all　dismount
  before　we　came　in　view　of　the　house；　straggle　in　severally；　and
  give　what　orders　we　pleased；　like　disconnected　strangers。　　In　like
  manner　we　departed；　to　find　the　cart　at　an　appointed　place；　some
  half　a　mile　beyond。　　The　Colonel　and　the　Major　had　each　a　word　or
  two　of　English　…　God　help　their　pronunciation！　　But　they　did　well
  enough　to　order　a　rasher　and　a　pot　or　call　a　reckoning；　and；　to　say
  truth；　these　country　folks　did　not　give　themselves　the　pains；　and
  had　scarce　the　kno