Camile, your words stab her."

"Let none speak but I," said Camille; "none but I have the right to
speak. Poor weak angel that loved yet could not wait: I forgive you. Be
happy, if you can; I bid you be hap-py."

The quiet, despairing tones died away, and with them life seemed to end
to her, and hope to go out. He turned his back quickly on her. He cried
hoarsely, "To the army! Back to the army, and a soldier's grave!"
Then with a prodigious effort he drew himself haughtily up in marching
attitude. He took three strides, erect and fiery and bold.

At the next something seemed to snap asunder in the great heart, and the
worn body that heart had held up so long, rolled like a dead log upon
the ground with a tremendous fall.

CHAPTER XI.

The baroness and Aubertin were just getting out of their carriage, when
suddenly they heard shrieks of terror in the Pleasaunce. They came with
quaking hearts as fast as their old limbs would carry them. They found
Rose and Josephine crouched over the body of a man, an officer.

Rose was just tearing open his collar and jacket. Dard and Jacintha had
run from the kitchen at the screams. Camille lay on his back, white and
motionless.

The doctor was the first to come up. "Who! what is this? I seem to know
his face." Then shaking his head, "Whoever it is, it is a bad case.
Stand away, ladies. Let me feel his pulse."

Whilst the old man was going stiffly down on one knee, Jacintha uttered
a cry of terror. "See, see! his shirt! that red streak! Ah, ah! it is
getting bigger and bigger:" and she turned faint in a moment, and would
have fallen but for Dard.

The doctor looked. "All the better," said he firmly. "I thought he
was dead. His blood flows; then I will save him. Don't clutch me so,
Josephine; don't cling to me like that. Now is the time to show your
breed: not turn sick at the sight of a little blood, like that foolish
creature, but help me save him."

"Take him in-doors," cried the baroness.

"Into our house, mamma?" gasped Rose; "no, no."

"What," said the baroness, "a wounded soldier who has fought for France!
leave him to lie and die outside my door: what would my son say to that?
He is a soldier himself."

Rose cast a hasty look at Josephine. Josephine's eyes were bent on the
ground, and her hands clenched and trembling.

"Now, Jacintha, you be off," said the doctor. "I can't have cowards
about him to make the others as bad. Go and stew down a piece of good