le, in astonishment. "Is it not a good
service you render to the whole brigade? Would not the division be all
the happier if such as he, and Pichot, and the rest of them--"

"Pichot,--Amedee Pichot?"

"Yes, Amedee Pichot, to be sure. But what's that knocking outside? Ah,
there 's Pioche at the window!"

Mademoiselle arose and walked towards the door; but before she reached
it, it was opened, and General d'Auvergne entered the room.

"Is he here?" asked he, in a low voice.

"Yes, General," said mademoiselle, with a courtesy, as she placed the
chair for him to sit down. "He is much better. I 'll wait outside till
you want me," added she, as she left the room and closed the door.

"Come, come, my boy," said the kind old man, as he took my hand in his,
"don't give way thus. I have made many inquiries about this affair,
and they all tend to exculpate you. This fellow Francois is the _mauvaise
tete_ of the regiment, and I only wish his chastisement had come from
some other hand than yours."

"Will he live. General?" asked I, with a smothering fulness in my throat
as I uttered the words.

"Not if he be mortal, I believe. The sword pierced his chest from side
to side."

I groaned heavily as I heard these words; and burying my head beneath
the clothes, became absorbed in my grief. What would I not have endured
then of insult and contumely, rather than suffer the terrible load upon
my conscience of a fellow-creature's blood, shed in passion and revenge!
How willingly would I have accepted the most despised position among men
to be void of this crime!

"It matters not," cried I, in my despair--"it matters not how I guide my
path, misfortunes beset me at every turn of the way--"

"Speak not thus," said the general, sternly. "The career you have
embarked in is a stormy and a rough one. Other men have fared worse
than you have in it,--and without repining too. You knew of one such
yourself, who in all the saddest bereavements of his hopes cherished a
soldier's heart and a soldier's courage."

The allusion to my poor friend, Charles de Meudon, brought the tears
to my eyes, and I felt that all my sufferings were little compared with
his.

"Let your first care be to get well as soon as you can: happily your
name may escape the Emperor's notice in this affair by appearing in the
list of wounded; our friend the maitre d'armes is not likely to discover
on you. The campaign is begun, however, and you must try to take your
s