d　none；　and　epaulettes　for　the　knowing　fellows　that　knew　how　to　write。　。　。　。　Victory　is　the　cry　all　along　the　line！　And；　upon　my　word；　there　were　twenty…five　thousand　Frenchmen　lying　on　the　field。　No　more；　I　assure　you！　Such　a　thing　was　never　seen　before；　it　was　just　like　a　field　when　the　corn　is　cut；　with　a　man　lying　there　for　every　ear　of　corn。　That　sobered　the　rest　of　us。　The　Man　comes；　and　we　make　a　circle　round　about　him；　and　he　coaxes　us　round　（for　he　could　be　very　nice　when　he　chose）；　and　persuades　us　to　dine　with　Duke　Humphrey；　when　we　were　hungry　as　hunters。　Then　our　consoler　distributes　the　Crosses　of　the　Legion　of　Honor　himself；　salutes　the　dead；　and　says　to　us；　'On　to　Moscow！'
  〃　'To　Moscow；　so　be　it；'　says　the　army。
  〃We　take　Moscow。　What　do　the　Russians　do　but　set　fire　to　their　city！　There　was　a　blaze；　two　leagues　of　bonfire　that　burned　for　two　days！　The　buildings　fell　about　our　ears　like　slates；　and　molten　lead　and　iron　came　down　in　showers；　it　was　really　horrible；　it　was　a　light　to　see　our　sorrows　by；　I　can　tell　you！　The　Emperor　said；　'There；　that　is　enough　of　this　sort　of　thing；　all　my　men　shall　stay　here。'
  〃We　amuse　ourselves　for　a　bit　by　recruiting　and　repairing　our　frames；　for　we　really　were　much　fatigued　by　the　campaign。　We　take　away　with　us　a　gold　cross　from　the　top　of　the　Kremlin；　and　every　soldier　had　a　little　fortune。　But　on　the　way　back　the　winter　came　down　on　us　a　month　earlier　than　usual；　a　matter　which　the　learned　（like　a　set　of　fools）　have　never　sufficiently　explained；　and　we　are　nipped　with　the　cold。　We　were　no　longer　an　army　after　that；　do　you　understand？　There　was　an　end　of　generals　and　even　of　the　sergeants；　hunger　and　misery　took　the　command　instead；　and　all　of　us　were　absolutely　equal　under　their　reign。　All　we　thought　of　was　how　to　get　back　to　France；　no　one　stooped　to　pick　up　his　gun　or　his　money；　every　one　walked　straight　before　him；　and　armed　himself　as　he　thought　fit；　and　no　one　cared　about　glory。
  〃The　Emperor　saw　nothing　of　his　star　all　the　time；　for　the　weather　was　so　bad。　There　was　some　misunderstanding　between　him　and　heaven。　Poor　man；　how　bad　he　felt　when　he　saw　his　Eagles　flying　with　their　backs　turned　on　victory！　That　was　really　too　rough！　Well；　the　next　thing　is　the　Beresina。　And　here　and　now；　my　friends；　any　one　can　assure　you　on　his　honor；　and　by　all　that　is　sacred；　that　NEVER；　no；　never　since　there　have　been　men　on　earth；　never　in　this　world　has　there　been　such　a　fricasse　of　an　army；　caissons；　transports；　artillery　and　all；　in　such　snow　as　that　and　under　such　a　pitiless　sky。　It　was　so　cold　that　you　burned　your　hand　on　the　barrel　of　your　gun　if　you　happened　to　touch　it。　There　it　was　that　the　pontooners　saved　the　army；　for　the　pontooners　stood　firm　at　their　posts；　it　was　there　that　Gondrin　behaved　like　a　hero；　and　he　is　the　sole　survivor　of　all　the　men　who　were　dogged　enough　to　stand　in　the　river　so　as　to　build　the　bridges　on　which　the　army　crossed　over；　and　so　escaped　the　Russians；　who　still　respected　the　Grand　Army　on　account　of　its　past　victories。　And　Gondrin　is　an　accomplished　soldier；〃　he　went　on；　pointing　to　his　friend；　who　was　gazing　at　him　with　the　rapt　attention　peculiar　to　deaf　people；　〃a　distinguished　soldier　who　deserves　to　have　your　very　highest　esteem。
  〃I　saw　the　Emperor　standing　by　the　bridge；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　never　feeling　the　cold　at　all。　Was　that；　again；　a　natural　thing？　He　was　looking　on　at　the　loss　of　his　treasures；　of　his　friends；　and　those　who　had　fought　with　him　in　Egypt。　Bah！　there　was　an　end　of　everything。　Women　and　wagons　and　guns　were　all　engulfed　and　swallowed　up；　everything　went　to　wreck　and　ruin。　A　few　of　the　bravest　among　us　saved　the　Eagles；　for　the　Eagles；　look　you；　meant　France；　and　all　the　rest　of　you；　it　was　the　civil　and　military　honor　of　France　that　was　in　our　keeping；　there　must　be　no　spot　on　the　honor　of　France；　and　the　cold　could　never　make　her　bow　her　head。　There　was　no　getting　warm　except　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Emperor；　for　whenever　he　was　in　danger　we　hurried　up；　all　frozen　as　we　werewe　who　would　not　stop　to　hold　out　a　hand　to　a　fallen　friend。
  〃They　say；　too；　that　he　shed　tears　of　a　night　over　his　poor　family　of　soldiers。　Only　he　and　Frenchmen　could　have　pulled　themselves　out　of　such　a　plight；　but　we　did　pull　ourselves　out；　though；　as　I　am　telling　you；　it　was　with　loss；　ay；　and　heavy　loss。　The　Allies　had　eaten　up　all　our　provisions；　everybody　began　to　betray　him；　just　as　the　Red　Man　had　foretold。　The　rattle…pates　in　Paris；　who　had　kept　quiet　ever　since　the　Imperial　Guard　had　been　established；　think　that　HE　is　dead；　and　hatch　a　conspiracy。　They　set　to　work　in　the　Home　Office　to　overturn　the　Emperor。　These　things　come　to　his　knowledge　and　worry　him；　he　says　to　us　at　parting；　'Good…bye；　children；　keep　to　your　posts；　I　will　come　back　again。'
  〃Bah！　Those　generals　of　his　lose　their　heads　at　once；　for　when　he　was　away；　it　was　not　like　the　same　thing。　The　marshals　fall　out　among　themselves；　and　make　blunders；　as　was　only　natural；　for　Napoleon　in　his　kindness　had　fed　them　on　gold　till　they　had　grown　as　fat　as　butter；　and　they　had　no　mind　to　march。　Troubles　came　of　this；　for　many　of　them　stayed　inactive　in　garrison　towns　in　the　rear；　without　attempting　to　tickle　up　the　backs　of　the　enemy　behind　us；　and　we　were　being　driven　back　on　France。　But　Napoleon　comes　back　among　us　with　fresh　troops；　conscripts　they　were；　and　famous　conscripts　too；　he　had　put　some　thorough　notions　of　discipline　into　themthe　whelps　were　good　to　set　their　teeth　in　anybody。　He　had　a　bourgeois　guard　of　honor　too；　and　fine　troops　they　were！　They　melted　away　like　butter　on　a　gridiron。　We　may　put　a　bold　front　on　it；　but　everything　is　against　us；　although　the　army　still　performs　prodigies　of　valor。　Whole　nations　fought　against　nations　in　tremendous　battles；　at　Dresden；　Lutzen；　and　Bautzen；　and　then　it　was　that　France　showed　extraordinary　heroism；　for　you　must　all　of　you　bear　in　mind　that　in　those　times　a　stout　grenadier　only　lasted　six　months。
  〃We　always　won　the　day；　but　the　English　were　always　on　our　track；　putting　nonsense　into　other　nations'　heads；　and　stirring　them　up　to　revolt。　In　short；　we　cleared　a　way　through　all　these　mobs　of　nations；　for　wherever　the　Emperor　appeared；　we　made　a　passage　for　him；　for　on　the　land　as　on　the　sea；　whenever　he　said；　'I　wish　to　go　forward；'　we　made　the　way。
  〃There　comes　a　final　end　to　it　at　last。　We　are　back　in　France；　and　in　spite　of　the　bitter　weather；　it　did　one's　heart　good　to　breathe　one's　native　air　again；　it　set　up　many　a　poor　fellow；　and　as　for　me；　it　put　new　life　into　me；　I　can　tell　you。　But　it　was　a　question　all　at　once　of　defending　France；　our　fair　land　of　France。　All　Europe　was　up　in　arms　against　us；　they　took　it　in　bad　part　that　we　had　tried　to　keep　the　Russians　in　order　by　driving　them　back　within　their　own　borders；　so　that　they　should　not　gobble　us　up；　for　those　Northern　folk　have　a　strong　liking　for　eating　up　the　men　of　the　South；　it　is　a　habit　they　have；　I　have　heard　the　same　thing　of　them　from　several　generals。
  〃So　the　Emperor　finds　his　own　father…in…law；　his　friends　whom　he　had　made　crowned　kings；　and　the　rabble　of　princes　to　whom　he　had　given　back　their　thrones；　were　all　against　him。　Even　Frenchmen　and　allies　in　our　own　ranks　turned　against　us；　by　orders　from　high　quarters；　as　at　Leipsic。　Common　soldiers　would　hardly　be　capable　of　such　abominations；　yet　these　princes；　as　they　called　themselves；　broke　their　words　three　times　a　day！　The　next　thing　they　do　is　to　invade　France。　Wherever　our　Emperor　shows　his　lion's　face；　the　enemy　beats　a　retreat；　he　worked　more　miracles　for　the　defence　of　France　than　he　had　ever　wrought　in　the　conquest　of　Italy；　the　East；　Spain；　Europe；　and　Russia；　he　has　a　mind　to　bury　every　foreigner　in　French　soil；　to　give　them　a　respect　for　France；　so　he　lets　them　come　close　up　to　Paris；　so　as　to　do　for　them　at　a　single　blow；　and　to　rise　to　the　highest　height　of　genius　in　the　biggest　battle　that　ever　was　fought；　a　mother　of　battles！　But　the　Parisians　wanting　to　save　their　trumpery　skins；　and　afraid　for　their　twopenny　shops；　open　their　gates　and　there　is　a　beginning　of　the　ragusades；　and　an　end　of　all　joy　and　happiness；　they　make　a　fool　of　the　Empress；　and　fly　the　white　flag　out　at　the　windows。　The　Emperor's　closest　friends　among　his　generals　forsake　him　at　last　and　go　over　to　the　Bourbons；　of　whom　no　one　had　ever　heard　tell。　Then　he　bids　us　farewell　at　Fontainbleau：
  〃　'Soldiers！'　。　。　。　（I　can　hear　him　yet；　we　were　all　crying　just　like　children；　the　Eagles　and　the　flags　had　been　lowered　as　if　for　a　funeral。　Ah！　and　it　was　a　funeral；　I　can　tell　you；　it　was　the　funeral　of　the　Empire；　those　smart　armies　of　his　were　nothing　but　skeletons　now。）　So　he　stood　there　on　the　flight　of　steps　before　his　chateau；　and　he　said：
  〃　'Children；　we　have　been　overcome　by　treachery；　but　we　shall　meet　again　up　above　in　the　country　of　the　brave。　Protect　my　child；　I　leave　him　in　your　care。　LONG　LIVE　NAPOLEON　II。！'
  〃He　had　thought　of　killing　himself；　so　that　no　one　should　behold　Napoleon　after　his　defeat；　like　Jesus　Christ　before　the　Crucifixion；　he　thought　himself　forsaken　by　God　and　by　his　talisman；　and　so　he　took　enough　poison　to　kill　a　regiment；　but　it　had　no　effect　whatever　upon　him。　Another　marvel！　h