! Men have fallen around thee like grain before
the reaper; while thou alone hast shown to the enemy thy front unbending
and superb. Bullets and cannon-shot have torn thee with wounds, but
never upon thee has the audacious stranger placed his hand. May the
future deck thy front with new laurels! Mayst thou conquer new and
far-extending realms, which no fatality shall rob thee of! The day of
great deeds is being born again; believe a warrior, who has risen from
the tomb to tell thee so. 'Forward!' Yes, I swear it by the spirit of
him who led us at Wagram. There shall be great days for France when thou
shalt shelter with thy glorious folds the fortunes of the brave 23d!"

Eloquence so martial and patriotic stirred all hearts. Fougas was
applauded, feted, embraced, and almost carried in triumph into the
banquet hall.

Seated at table opposite M. Rollon, as if he were a second master of the
house, he breakfasted heartily, talked a great deal, and drank more yet.
You may occasionally meet, in the world, people who get drunk without
drinking. Fougas was far from being one of them. He never felt his
equanimity seriously disturbed short of three bottles. Often, in fact,
he went much further without yielding.

The toasts presented at dessert were distinguished for pith and
cordiality. I would like to recount them in order, but am forced to
admit that they would take up too much room, and that the last, which
were the most touching, were not of a lucidity absolutely Voltairian.

They arose from the table at two o'clock, and betook themselves in a
body to the _Cafe Militaire_, where the officers of the 23d placed a
punch before the two colonels. They had invited, with a feeling of
eminent propriety, the superior officers of the regiment of cuirassiers.

Fougas, who was drunker, in his own proper person, than a whole
battalion of _Suisses_, distributed a great many hand-shakings. But
across the storm which disturbed his spirit, he recognized the person
and name of M. du Marnet, and made a grimace. Between officers, and,
above all, between officers of different arms of the service, politeness
is a little excessive, etiquette rather severe, _amour-propre_ somewhat
susceptible. M. du Marnet, who was preeminently a man of the world,
understood at once, from the attitude of M. Fougas, that he was not in
the presence of a friend.

The punch appeared, blazing, went out with its strength unimpaired, and
was dispensed, with a big ladl