ted a halt, but the only effect of their brief repose was to
increase the stiffness of their benumbed limbs, and when the order was
given to march the state of affairs was worse than it had been before;
the regiments made no progress, men were everywhere falling in the
ranks. Jean, noticing Maurice's pallid face and glassy eyes, infringed
on what was his usual custom and conversed, endeavoring by his
volubility to divert the other's attention and keep him awake as he
moved automatically forward, unconscious of his actions.

"Your sister lives in Sedan, you say; perhaps we shall be there before
long."

"What, at Sedan? Never! You must be crazy; it don't lie in our way."

"Is your sister young?"

"Just my age; you know I told you we are twins."

"Is she like you?"

"Yes, she is fair-haired, too; and oh! such pretty curling hair! She
is a mite of a woman, with a little thin face, not one of your noisy,
flashy hoydens, ah, no!--Dear Henriette!"

"You love her very dearly!"

"Yes, yes--"

There was silence between them after that, and Jean, glancing at
Maurice, saw that his eyes were closing and he was about to fall.

"Hallo there, old fellow! Come, confound it all, brace up! Let me take
your gun a moment; that will give you a chance to rest. They can't have
the cruelty to make us march any further to-day! we shall leave half our
men by the roadside."

At that moment he caught sight of Osches lying straight ahead of them,
its few poor hovels climbing in straggling fashion up the hillside, and
the yellow church, embowered in trees, looking down on them from its
perch upon the summit.

"There's where we shall rest, for certain."

He had guessed aright; General Douay saw the exhausted condition of the
troops, and was convinced that it would be useless to attempt to reach
la Besace that day. What particularly influenced his determination,
however, was the arrival of the train, that ill-starred train that had
been trailing in his rear since they left Rheims, and of which the
nine long miles of vehicles and animals had so terribly impeded his
movements. He had given instructions from Quatre-Champs to direct it
straight on Saint-Pierremont, and it was not until Osches that the teams
came up with the corps, in such a state of exhaustion that the horses
refused to stir. It was now five o'clock; the general, not liking the
prospect of attempting the pass of Stonne at that late hour, determined
to take the responsibili