as　I　lead　you；　my　children；　that　we　arrived　at　the　poverty…stricken
  village；　where；　three　months　after；　you　poor　little　things　were　born！〃
  〃And　our　father？〃
  〃It　was　impossible　for　him　to　return　to　Russia；　impossible　for　your
  mother　to　think　of　flight；　with　two　children；　impossible　for　the　general
  to　write　to　her；　as　he　knew　not　where　she　was。〃
  〃So；　since　that　time；　you　have　had　no　news　of　him？〃
  〃Yes；　my　childrenonce　we　had　news。〃
  〃And　by　whom？〃
  After　a　moment's　silence；　Dagobert　resumed　with　a　singular　expression　of
  countenance：　〃By　whom？by　one　who　is　not　like　other　men。　　Yesthat　you
  may　understand　me　better；　I　will　relate　to　you　an　extraordinary
  adventure；　which　happened　to　your　father　during　his　last　French　campaign。
  He　had　been　ordered　by　the　Emperor　to　carry　a　battery；　which　was　playing
  heavily　on　our　army；　after　several　unsuccessful　efforts；　the　general　put
  himself　at　the　head　of　a　regiment　of　cuirassiers；　and　charged　the
  battery；　intending；　as　was　his　custom；　to　cut　down　the　men　at　their　guns。
  He　was　on　horseback；　just　before　the　mouth　of　a　cannon；　where　all　the
  artillerymen　had　been　either　killed　or　wounded；　when　one　of　them　still
  found　strength　to　raise　himself　upon　one　knee；　and　to　apply　the　lighted
  match　to　the　touchholeand　that　when　your　father　was　about　ten　paces　in
  front　of　the　loaded　piece。〃
  〃Oh！　what　a　peril　for　our　father！〃
  〃Never；　he　told　me；　had　he　run　such　imminent　danger　for　he　saw　the
  artilleryman　apply　the　match；　and　the　gun　go　offbut；　at　the　very　nick；
  a　man　of　tall　stature；　dressed　as　a　peasant；　and　whom　he　had　not　before
  remarked；　threw　himself　in　front　of　the　cannon。〃
  〃Unfortunate　creature！　what　a　horrible　death！〃
  〃Yes；〃　said　Dagobert；　thoughtfully；　〃it　should　have　been　so。　　He　ought　by
  rights　to　have　been　blown　into　a　thousand　pieces。　　But　nonothing　of　the
  kind！〃
  〃What　do　you　tell　us？〃
  〃What　the　general　told　me。　　'At　the　moment　when　the　gun　went　off；'　as　he
  often　repeated　to　me；　'I　shut　my　eyes　by　an　involuntary　movement；　that　I
  might　not　see　the　mutilated　body　of　the　poor　wretch　who　had　sacrificed
  himself　in　my　place。　　When　I　again　opened　them；　the　first　thing　I　saw　in
  the　midst　of　the　smoke；　was　the　tall　figure　of　this　man；　standing　erect
  and　calm　on　the　same　spot；　and　casting　a　sad　mild　look　on　the
  artilleryman；　who；　with　one　knee　on　the　ground；　and　his　body　thrown
  backward；　gazed　on　him　in　as　much　terror　as　if　he　had　been　the　devil。
  Afterwards；　I　lost　sight　of　this　man　in　the　tumult；'　added　your　father。〃
  〃Bless　me　Dagobert！　how　can　this　be　possible？〃
  〃That　is　just　what　I　said　to　the　general。　　He　answered　me　that　he　had
  never　been　able　to　explain　to　himself　this　event；　which　seemed　as
  incredible　as　it　was　true。　　Moreover；　your　father　must　have　been　greatly
  struck　with　the　countenance　of　this　man；　who　appeared；　he　said；　about
  thirty　years　of　agefor　he　remarked；　that　his　extremely　black　eyebrows
  were　joined　together；　and　formed；　as　it　were；　one　line　from　temple　to
  temple；　so　that　he　seemed　to　have　a　black　streak　across　his　forehead。
  Remember　this；　my　children；　you　will　soon　see　why。〃
  〃Oh；　Dagobert！　we　shall　not　forget　it；〃　said　the　orphans；　growing　more
  and　more　astonished　as　he　proceeded。
  〃Is　it　not　strangethis　man　with　a　black　seam　on　his　forehead？〃
  〃Well；　you　shall　hear。　　The　general　had；　as　I　told　you；　been　left　for
  dead　at　Waterloo。　　During　the　night　which　he　passed　on　the　field　of
  battle；　in　a　sort　of　delirium　brought　on　by　the　fever　of　his　wounds；　he
  saw；　or　fancied　he　saw；　this　same　man　bending　over　him；　with　a　look　of
  great　mildness　and　deep　melancholy；　stanching　his　wounds；　and　using　every
  effort　to　revive　him。　　But　as　your　father；　whose　senses　were　still
  wandering；　repulsed　his　kindness　saying；　that　after　such　a　defeat；　it
  only　remained　to　dieit　appeared　as　if　this　man　replied　to　him；　'You
  must　live　for　Eva！'　meaning　your　mother；　whom　the　general　had　left　at
  Warsaw；　to　join　the　Emperor；　and　make　this　campaign　of　France。〃
  〃How　strange；　Dagobert！And　since　then；　did　our　father　never　see　this
  man？〃
  〃Yes；　he　saw　himfor　it　was　he　who　brought　news　of　the　general　to　your
  poor　mother。〃
  〃When　was　that？　　We　never　heard　of　it。〃
  〃You　remember　that；　on　the　day　your　mother　died；　you　went　to　the　pine…
  forest　with　old　Fedora？〃
  〃Yes；〃　answered　Rose；　mournfully；　〃to　fetch　some　heath；　of　which　our
  mother　was　so　fond。〃
  〃Poor　mother！〃　added　Blanche；　〃she　appeared　so　well　that　morning；　that　we
  could　not　dream　of　the　calamity　which　awaited　us　before　night。〃
  〃True；　my　children；　I　sang　and　worked　that　morning　in　the　garden；
  expecting；　no　more　than　you　did；　what　was　to　happen。　　Well；　as　I　was
  singing　at　my　work；　on　a　sudden　I　heard　a　voice　ask　me　in　French：　'Is
  this　the　village　of　Milosk？'I　turned　round；　and　saw　before　me　a
  stranger；　I　looked　at　him　attentively；　and；　instead　of　replying；　fell
  back　two　steps；　quite　stupefied。〃
  〃Ah；　why？〃
  〃He　was　of　tall　stature；　very　pale；　with　a　high　and　open　forehead；　but
  his　eyebrows　met；　and　seemed　to　form　one　black　streak　across　it。〃
  〃Then　it　was　the　same　man　who　had　twice　been　with　our　father　in　battle？〃
  〃Yesit　was　he。〃
  〃But；　Dagobert；〃　said　Rose；　thoughtfully；　〃is　it　not　a　long　time　since
  these　battles？〃
  〃About　sixteen　years；〃
  〃And　of　what　age　was　this　stranger？〃
  〃Hardly　more　than　thirty。〃
  〃Then　how　can　it　be　the　same　man；　who　sixteen　years　before；　had　been　with
  our　father　in　the　wars？〃
  〃You　are　right；〃　said　Dagobert；　after　a　moment's　silence；　and　shrugging
  his　shoulders：　〃I　may　have　been　deceived　by　a　chance　likenessand　yet〃
  〃Or；　if　it　were　the　same；　he　could　not　have　got　older　all　that　while。〃
  〃But　did　you　ask　him；　if　he　had　not　formerly　relieved　our　father？〃
  〃At　first　I　was　so　surprised　that　I　did　not　think　of　it；　and　afterwards；
  he　remained　so　short　a　time；　that　I　had　no　opportunity。　　Well；　he　asked
  me　for　the　village　of　Milosk。　　'You　are　there；　sir；'　said　I；　‘but　how　do
  you　know　that　I　am　a　Frenchman？'　'I　heard　you　singing　as　I　passed；'
  replied　he；　'could　you　tell　me　the　house　of　Madame　Simon；　the　general's
  wife？'　'She　lives　here；　sir。'　Then　looking　at　me　for　some　seconds　in
  silence；　he　took　me　by　the　hand　and　said：　　　'You　are　the　friend　of
  General　Simonhis　best　friend？'　Judge　of　my　astonishment；　as　I　answered：
  'But；　sir；　how　do　you　know？'　'He　has　often　spoken　of　you　with　gratitude。'
  'You　have　seen　the　general　then？'　'Yes；　some　time　ago；　in　India。　　I　am
  also　his　friend：　I　bring　news　of　him　to　his　wife；　whom　I　knew　to　be
  exiled　in　Siberia。　　At　Tobolsk；　whence　I　come；　I　learned　that　she
  inhabits　this　village。　　Conduct　me　to　her！'〃
  〃The　good　travellerI　love　him　already；〃　said　Rose。
  〃Yes；　being　father's　friend。〃
  〃I　begged　him　to　wait　an　instant；　whilst　I　went　to　inform　your　mother；　so
  that　the　surprise　might　not　do　her　harm；　five　minutes　after；　he　was
  beside　her。〃
  〃And　what　kind　of　man　was　this　traveller；　Dagobert？〃
  〃He　was　very　tall；　he　wore　a　dark　pelisse；　and　a　fur　cap；　and　had　long
  black　hair。〃
  〃Was　he　handsome？〃
  〃Yes；　my　childrenvery　handsome；　but　with　so　mild　and　melancholy　an　air；
  that　it　pained　my　heart　to　see　him。〃
  〃Poor　man！　he　had　doubtless　known　some　great　sorrow。〃
  〃Your　mother　had　been　closeted　with　him　for　some　minutes；　when　she　called
  me　to　her　and　said　that　she　had　just　received　good　news　of　the　general。
  She　was　in　tears；　and　had　before　her　a　large　packet　of　papers；　it　was　a
  kind　of　journal；　which　your　father　had　written　every　evening　to　console
  himself；　not　being　able　to　speak　to　her；　he　told　the　paper　all　that　he
  would　have　told　her。〃
  〃Oh！　where　are　these　papers；　Dagobert？〃
  〃There；　in　the　knapsack；　with　my　cross　and　our　purse。　　One　day　I　will
  give　them　to　you：　but　I　have　picked　out　a　few　leaves　here　and　there　for
  you　to　read　presently。　　You　will　see　why。〃
  〃Had　our　father　been　long　in　India？〃
  〃I　gathered　from　the　few　words　which　your　mother　said；　that　the　general
  had　gone　to　that　country；　after　fighting　for　the　Greeks　against　the
  Turksfor　he　always　liked　to　side　with　the　weak　against　the　strong。　　In
  India　he　made　fierce　war　against　the　English；　they　had　murdered　our
  prisoners　in　pontoons；　and　tortured　the　Emperor　at　St。　Helena；　and　the
  war　was　a　doubly　good　one；　for　in　harming　them　he　served　a　just　cause。〃
  〃What　cause　did　he　serve　then？〃
  〃That　of　one　of　the　poor　native　princes；　whose　territories　the　English；
  lay　waste；　till　the　day　when　they　can　take　possession　of　them　against　law
  and　right。　　You　see；　my　children；　it　was　once　more　the　weak　against　the
  strong；　and　your　father　did　not　miss　this　opportunity。　　In　a　few　months
  he　had　so　well…trained　and　disciplined　the　twelve　or　fifteen　thousand　men
  of　the　prince；　that；　in　two　encounters；　they　cut　to　pieces　the　English
  sent　against　them；　and　who；　no　doubt；　had　in　their　reckoning　left　out
  your　brave　father；　my　children。　　But　come；　you　shall　read　some　pages　of
  his　journal；　which　will　tell　you　more　and　better　than　I　can。　　Moreover；
  you　will　find　in　them　a　name　which　you　ought　always　to　remember；　that's
  why　I　chose　this　passage。〃
  〃Oh；　what　happiness！　　To　read　the　pages　written　by　our　father；　is　almost
  to　hear　him　speak；〃　said　Rose。
  〃It　is　as　if　he　were　close　beside　us；〃　add