hich I occupied was double; one portion was
fenced off from the other with a wattling of branches, which ran up
about seven feet, but not so high as the roof. In one apartment I was
located, the other was occupied by a young officer who paid me
attention, but who was not to my liking. I had been walking out in the
cool of the evening, and had returned, when I heard voices in the other
apartment. I entered softly and they did not perceive my approach; they
were talking about me, and I must say that the expressions were very
complimentary. At last one of the party observed, "Well, she is a
splendid woman, and a good soldier's wife. I hope to be a general
by-and-bye, and she would not disgrace a marshal's baton. I think I
shall propose to her before we leave the camp."

"`Now, sir, I did not recognise the speaker by his voice, and, flattered
by the remark, I was anxious to know who it could be who was thus
prepossessed in my favour. I thought that if I could climb up on the
back of the only chair which was in my apartment, I should be able to
see over the partition and satisfy my curiosity. I did so, and without
noise; and I was just putting my head over to take a survey of the
tenants of the other apartment when the chair tilted, and down I came on
the floor, and on my face. Unfortunately, I hit my nose upon the edge
of the frying-pan, with which my poor Philippe and I used to cook our
meat; and now, sir, you know how it was that I broke my nose.'

"`What a pity!' observed I.

"`Yes; a great pity. I had gone through the whole campaign without any
serious accident, and--But, after all, it was very natural: the two
besetting evils of women are Vanity and Curiosity, and if you were to
ascertain the truth, you would find that it is upon these two
stumbling-blocks that most women are upset and break their noses.'

"`Very true, madam,' replied I. `I thank you for your narrative, and
shall be most happy to be of any use to you. But I will detain you from
your rest no longer, so wish you a very good night.'"

"Well, colonel," said I, as he made a sudden stop, "what occurred after
that?"

"I took great care of her until we arrived in London, saw her safe to
the hotel in Leicester Square, and then took my leave. Whether Liston
replaced her nose, and she is now _flanee_-ing about Paris, as beautiful
as before her accident; or, whether his skill was useless to her, and
she is among the _Soeurs de Charite_, or in a