Zibelline | Page 7

the boulevards stood
out sharp and clear in the light of the rising sun. Here and there squads
of street-cleaners appeared, and belated hucksters urged their horses
toward the markets; but except for these, the streets were deserted, and
the little coupe that carried Caesar and his misfortunes rolled rapidly
toward the Barriere du Trone.
With all the coach-windows lowered, in order to admit the fresh
morning air, the energetic nobleman, buffeted by ill-luck, suddenly
raised his head and steadily looked in the face the consequences of his
defeat. He, too, could say that all was lost save honor; and already,
from the depths of his virile soul, sprang the only resolution that
seemed to him worthy of himself.
When he entered his own rooms in order to dress, his mind was made
up; and although, during the military exercises that morning, his
commands were more abrupt than usual, no one would have suspected
that his mind was preoccupied by any unusual trouble.
He decided to call upon his superior officer that afternoon to request
from him authorization to seek an exchange for Africa. Then he went
quietly to breakfast at the pension of the officers of his own rank, who,
observing his calm demeanor, in contrast to their own, knew that he
must be unaware of the important news just published in the morning
journals. General de Lorencez, after an unsuccessful attack upon the
walls of Puebla, had been compelled to retreat toward Orizaba, and to
intrench there while waiting for reenforcements.
This military event awakened the liveliest discussions, and in the midst
of the repast a quartermaster entered to announce the reply to the report,
first presenting his open register to the senior lieutenant.
"Ah! By Jove, fellows! what luck!" cried that officer, joyously.

"What is it?" demanded the others in chorus.
"Listen to this!" And he read aloud: "'General Order: An expedition
corps, composed of two divisions of infantry, under the command of
General Forey, is in process of forming, in order to be sent to Mexico
on urgent business. The brigade of the advance guard will be composed
of the First Regiment of Zouaves and the Eighteenth Battalion of
infantry. As soon as these companies shall be prepared for war, this
battalion will proceed by the shortest route to Toulon; thence they will
embark aboard the Imperial on the twenty-sixth day of June next.'"
Arousing cheer drowned the end of the reading of this bulletin, the
tenor of which gave to Henri's aspiraitions an immediate and more
advantageous prospect immediate, because, as his company was the
first to march, he was assured of not remaining longer at the garrison;
more advantageous, because the dangers of a foreign expedition opened
a much larger field for his chances of promotion.
Consequently, less than a month remained to him in which to settle his
indebtedness. After the reading of the bulletin, he asked one of his
brother officers to take his place until evening, caught the first train to
town, and, alighting at the Bastille, went directly to the Hotel de
Montgeron, where he had temporary quarters whenever he chose to use
them.
"Is the Duke at home?" he inquired of the Swiss.
Receiving an affirmative reply, he crossed the courtyard, and was soon
announced to his brother-in-law, the noble proprietor of La Sarthe,
deputy of the Legitimist opposition to the Corps Legislatif of the
Empire.
The Duc de Montgeron listened in silence to his relative's explanation
of his situation. When the recital was finished, without uttering a
syllable he opened a drawer, drew out a legal paper, and handed it to
Henri, saying:
"This is my marriage contract. Read it, and you will see that I have had,

from the head of my family, three hundred and fifteen thousand livres
income. I do not say this to you in order to contrast my riches with your
ruin, but only to prove to you that I was perfectly well able to marry
your sister even had she possessed no dot. That dot yields seven
hundred and fifteen thousand francs' income, at three per cent. We were
married under the law of community of goods, which greatly simplifies
matters when husband and wife have, as have Jeanne and myself, but
one heart and one way of looking at things. To consult her would be,
perhaps, to injure her. To-morrow I will sell the necessary stock, and
ere the end of the week Monsieur Durand, your notary and ours, shall
hold at your disposal the amount of the sum you lost last night."
The blood rose to the cheeks of the young officer.
"I--I" he stammered, pressing convulsively the hands of his
brother-in-law. "Shall I let you pay the ransom for my madness and
folly? Shall I a second time despoil my sister,