Juana
  by　Honore　de　Balzac
  Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley）
  DEDICATION
  To　Madame　la　Comtesse　Merlin。
  JUANA
  （THE　MARANAS）
  CHAPTER　I
  EXPOSITION
  Notwithstanding　the　discipline　which　Marechal　Suchet　had　introduced
  into　his　army　corps；　he　was　unable　to　prevent　a　short　period　of
  trouble　and　disorder　at　the　taking　of　Tarragona。　According　to　certain
  fair…minded　military　men；　this　intoxication　of　victory　bore　a　striking
  resemblance　to　pillage；　though　the　marechal　promptly　suppressed　it。
  Order　being　re…established；　each　regiment　quartered　in　its　respective
  lines；　and　the　commandant　of　the　city　appointed；　military
  administration　began。　The　place　assumed　a　mongrel　aspect。　Though　all
  things　were　organized　on　a　French　system；　the　Spaniards　were　left　free
  to　follow　〃in　petto〃　their　national　tastes。
  This　period　of　pillage　（it　is　difficult　to　determine　how　long　it
  lasted）　had；　like　all　other　sublunary　effects；　a　cause；　not　so
  difficult　to　discover。　In　the　marechal's　army　was　a　regiment；　composed
  almost　entirely　of　Italians　and　commanded　by　a　certain　Colonel　Eugene；
  a　man　of　remarkable　bravery；　a　second　Murat；　who；　having　entered　the
  military　service　too　late；　obtained　neither　a　Grand　Duchy　of　Berg　nor
  a　Kingdom　of　Naples；　nor　balls　at　the　Pizzo。　But　if　he　won　no　crown　he
  had　ample　opportunity　to　obtain　wounds；　and　it　was　not　surprising　that
  he　met　with　several。　His　regiment　was　composed　of　the　scattered
  fragments　of　the　Italian　legion。　This　legion　was　to　Italy　what　the
  colonial　battalions　are　to　France。　Its　permanent　cantonments；
  established　on　the　island　of　Elba；　served　as　an　honorable　place　of
  exile　for　the　troublesome　sons　of　good　families　and　for　those　great
  men　who　have　just　missed　greatness；　whom　society　brands　with　a　hot
  iron　and　designates　by　the　term　〃mauvais　sujets〃；　men　who　are　for　the
  most　part　misunderstood；　whose　existence　may　become　either　noble
  through　the　smile　of　a　woman　lifting　them　out　of　their　rut；　or
  shocking　at　the　close　of　an　orgy　under　the　influence　of　some　damnable
  reflection　dropped　by　a　drunken　comrade。
  Napoleon　had　incorporated　these　vigorous　beings　in　the　sixth　of　the
  line；　hoping　to　metamorphose　them　finally　into　generals；barring
  those　whom　the　bullets　might　take　off。　But　the　emperor's　calculation
  was　scarcely　fulfilled；　except　in　the　matter　of　the　bullets。　This
  regiment；　often　decimated　but　always　the　same　in　character；　acquired　a
  great　reputation　for　valor　in　the　field　and　for　wickedness　in　private
  life。　At　the　siege　of　Tarragona　it　lost　its　celebrated　hero；　Bianchi；
  the　man　who；　during　the　campaign；　had　wagered　that　he　would　eat　the
  heart　of　a　Spanish　sentinel；　and　did　eat　it。　Though　Bianchi　was　the
  prince　of　the　devils　incarnate　to　whom　the　regiment　owed　its　dual
  reputation；　he　had；　nevertheless；　that　sort　of　chivalrous　honor　which
  excuses；　in　the　army；　the　worst　excesses。　In　a　word；　he　would　have
  been；　at　an　earlier　period；　an　admirable　pirate。　A　few　days　before　his
  death　he　distinguished　himself　by　a　daring　action　which　the　marechal
  wished　to　reward。　Bianchi　refused　rank；　pension；　and　additional
  decoration；　asking；　for　sole　recompense；　the　favor　of　being　the　first
  to　mount　the　breach　at　the　assault　on　Tarragona。　The　marechal　granted
  the　request　and　then　forgot　his　promise；　but　Bianchi　forced　him　to
  remember　Bianchi。　The　enraged　hero　was　the　first　to　plant　our　flag　on
  the　wall；　where　he　was　shot　by　a　monk。
  This　historical　digression　was　necessary；　in　order　to　explain　how　it
  was　that　the　6th　of　the　line　was　the　regiment　to　enter　Tarragona；　and
  why　the　disorder　and　confusion；　natural　enough　in　a　city　taken　by
  storm；　degenerated　for　a　time　into　a　slight　pillage。
  This　regiment　possessed　two　officers；　not　at　all　remarkable　among
  these　men　of　iron；　who　played；　nevertheless；　in　the　history　we　shall
  now　relate；　a　somewhat　important　part。
  The　first；　a　captain　in　the　quartermaster's　department；　an　officer
  half　civil；　half　military；　was　considered；　in　soldier　phrase；　to　be
  fighting　his　own　battle。　He　pretended　bravery；　boasted　loudly　of
  belonging　to　the　6th　of　the　line；　twirled　his　moustache　with　the　air
  of　a　man　who　was　ready　to　demolish　everything；　but　his　brother
  officers　did　not　esteem　him。　The　fortune　he　possessed　made　him
  cautious。　He　was　nicknamed；　for　two　reasons；　〃captain　of　crows。〃　In
  the　first　place；　he　could　smell　powder　a　league　off；　and　took　wing　at
  the　sound　of　a　musket；　secondly；　the　nickname　was　based　on　an　innocent
  military　pun；　which　his　position　in　the　regiment　warranted。　Captain
  Montefiore；　of　the　illustrious　Montefiore　family　of　Milan　（though　the
  laws　of　the　Kingdom　of　Italy　forbade　him　to　bear　his　title　in　the
  French　service）　was　one　of　the　handsomest　men　in　the　army。　This　beauty
  may　have　been　among　the　secret　causes　of　his　prudence　on　fighting
  days。　A　wound　which　might　have　injured　his　nose；　cleft　his　forehead；
  or　scarred　his　cheek；　would　have　destroyed　one　of　the　most　beautiful
  Italian　faces　which　a　woman　ever　dreamed　of　in　all　its　delicate
  proportions。　This　face；　not　unlike　the　type　which　Girodet　has　given　to
  the　dying　young　Turk；　in　the　〃Revolt　at　Cairo；〃　was　instinct　with　that
  melancholy　by　which　all　women　are　more　or　less　duped。
  The　Marquis　de　Montefiore　possessed　an　entailed　property；　but　his
  income　was　mortgaged　for　a　number　of　years　to　pay　off　the　costs　of
  certain　Italian　escapades　which　are　inconceivable　in　Paris。　He　had
  ruined　himself　in　supporting　a　theatre　at　Milan　in　order　to　force　upon
  a　public　a　very　inferior　prima　donna；　whom　he　was　said　to　love　madly。
  A　fine　future　was　therefore　before　him；　and　he　did　not　care　to　risk　it
  for　the　paltry　distinction　of　a　bit　of　red　ribbon。　He　was　not　a　brave
  man；　but　he　was　certainly　a　philosopher；　and　he　had　precedents；　if　we
  may　use　so　parliamentary　an　expression。　Did　not　Philip　the　Second
  register　a　vow　after　the　battle　of　Saint　Quentin　that　never　again
  would　he　put　himself　under　fire？　And　did　not　the　Duke　of　Alba
  encourage　him　in　thinking　that　the　worst　trade　in　the　world　was　the
  involuntary　exchange　of　a　crown　for　a　bullet？　Hence；　Montefiore　was
  Philippiste　in　his　capacity　of　rich　marquis　and　handsome　man；　and　in
  other　respects　also　he　was　quite　as　profound　a　politician　as　Philip
  the　Second　himself。　He　consoled　himself　for　his　nickname；　and　for　the
  disesteem　of　the　regiment　by　thinking　that　his　comrades　were
  blackguards；　whose　opinion　would　never　be　of　any　consequence　to　him　if
  by　chance　they　survived　the　present　war；　which　seemed　to　be　one　of
  extermination。　He　relied　on　his　face　to　win　him　promotion；　he　saw
  himself　made　colonel　by　feminine　influence　and　a　carefully　managed
  transition　from　captain　of　equipment　to　orderly　officer；　and　from
  orderly　officer　to　aide…de…camp　on　the　staff　of　some　easy…going
  marshal。　By　that　time；　he　reflected；　he　should　come　into　his　property
  of　a　hundred　thousand　scudi　a　year；　some　journal　would　speak　of　him　as
  〃the　brave　Montefiore；〃　he　would　marry　a　girl　of　rank；　and　no　one
  would　dare　to　dispute　his　courage　or　verify　his　wounds。
  Captain　Montefiore　had　one　friend　in　the　person　of　the　quartermaster；
  a　Provencal；　born　in　the　neighborhood　of　Nice；　whose　name　was　Diard。
  A　friend；　whether　at　the　galleys　or　in　the　garret　of　an　artist；
  consoles　for　many　troubles。　Now　Montefiore　and　Diard　were　two
  philosophers；　who　consoled　each　other　for　their　present　lives　by　the
  study　of　vice；　as　artists　soothe　the　immediate　disappointment　of　their
  hopes　by　the　expectation　of　future　fame。　Both　regarded　the　war　in　its
  results；　not　its　action；　they　simply　considered　those　who　died　for
  glory　fools。　Chance　had　made　soldiers　of　them；　whereas　their　natural
  proclivities　would　have　seated　them　at　the　green　table　of　a　congress。
  Nature　had　poured　Montefiore　into　the　mould　of　a　Rizzio；　and　Diard
  into　that　of　a　diplomatist。　Both　were　endowed　with　that　nervous；
  feverish；　half…feminine　organization；　which　is　equally　strong　for　good
  or　evil；　and　from　which　may　emanate；　according　to　the　impulse　of　these
  singular　temperaments；　a　crime　or　a　generous　action；　a　noble　deed　or　a
  base　one。　The　fate　of　such　natures　depends　at　any　moment　on　the
  pressure；　more　or　less　powerful；　produced　on　their　nervous　systems　by
  violent　and　transitory　passions。
  Diard　was　considered　a　good　accountant；　but　no　soldier　would　have
  trusted　him　with　his　purse　or　his　will；　possibly　because　of　the
  antipathy　felt　by　all　real　soldiers　against　the　bureaucrats。　The
  quartermaster　was　not　without　courage　and　a　certain　juvenile
  generosity；　sentiments　which　many　men　give　up　as　they　grow　older；　by
  dint　of　reasoning　or　calculating。　Variable　as　the　beauty　of　a　fair
  woman；　Diard　was　a　great　boaster　and　a　great　talker；　talking　of
  everything。　He　said　he　was　artistic；　and　he　made　prizes　（like　two
  celebrated　generals）　of　works　of　art；　solely；　he　declared；　to　preserve
  them　for　posterity。　His　mili