the adventures of gerard(吉拉德历险记)-第24章
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their lives。 Yet I dare say if he could have seen into his wife's mindbut
there； I say no more！ A lady's secret is her own； and I fear that she and it
are buried long years ago in some Devonshire churchyard。 Perhaps all
that gay circle are gone and the Lady Jane only lives now in the memory
of an old half…pay French brigadier。 He at least can never forget。
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VI。 How the Brigadier Rode to
Minsk
I would have a stronger wine to…night； my friends； a wine of Burgundy
rather than of Bordeaux。 It is that my heart； my old soldier heart； is
heavy within me。 It is a strange thing； this age which creeps upon one。
One does not know； one does not understand； the spirit is ever the same；
and one does not remember how the poor body crumbles。 But there
comes a moment when it is brought home； when quick as the sparkle of a
whirling sabre it is clear to us； and we see the men we were and the men
we are。 Yes； yes； it was so to…day； and I would have a wine of Burgundy
to…night。 White BurgundyMontrachet Sir； I am your debtor！
It was this morning in the Champ de Mars。 Your pardon； friends；
while an old man tells his trouble。 You saw the review。 Was it not
splendid？ I was in the enclosure for veteran officers who have been
decorated。
This ribbon on my breast was my passport。 The cross itself I keep at
home in a leathern pouch。 They did us honour； for we were placed at the
saluting point； with the Emperor and the carriages of the Court upon our
right。
It is years since I have been to a review； for I cannot approve of many
things which I have seen。 I do not approve of the red breeches of the
infantry。 It was in white breeches that the infantry used to fight。 Red is
for the cavalry。 A little more； and they would ask our busbies and our
spurs！ Had I been seen at a review they might well have said that I；
Etienne Gerard； had condoned it。 So I have stayed at home。 But this
war of the Crimea is different。 The men go to battle。
It is not for me to be absent when brave men gather。
My faith； they march well； those little infantrymen！
They are not large； but they are very solid and they carry themselves
well。 I took off my hat to them as they passed。 Then there came the
guns。 They were good guns； well horsed and well manned。 I took off
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my hat to them。 Then came the Engineers； and to them also I took off
my hat。 There are no braver men than the Engineers。 Then came the
cavalry； Lancers； Cuirassiers； Chasseurs； and Spahis。 To all of them in
turn I was able to take off my hat； save only to the Spahis。
The Emperor had no Spahis。 But when all of the others had passed；
what think you came at the close？ A brigade of Hussars； and at the
charge！
Oh； my friends； the pride and the glory and the beauty； the flash and
the sparkle； the roar of the hoofs and the jingle of chains； the tossing
manes； the noble heads； the rolling cloud； and the dancing waves of steel！
My heart drummed to them as they passed。 And the last of all； was it not
my own old regiment？ My eyes fell upon the grey and silver dolmans；
with the leopard…skin shabraques； and at that instant the years fell away
from me and I saw my own beautiful men and horses； even as they had
swept behind their young colonel； in the pride of our youth and our
strength； just forty years ago。 Up flew my cane。 〃Chargez！ En avant！
Vive l'Empereur！〃
It was the past calling to the present。 But oh； what a thin； piping
voice！ Was this the voice that had once thundered from wing to wing of
a strong brigade？ And the arm that could scarce wave a cane； were these
the muscles of fire and steel which had no match in all Napoleon's mighty
host？ They smiled at me。 They cheered me。 The Emperor laughed
and bowed。 But to me the present was a dim dream； and what was real
were my eight hundred dead Hussars and the Etienne of long ago。
Enougha brave man can face age and fate as he faced Cossacks and
Uhlans。 But there are times when Montrachet is better than the wine of
Bordeaux。
It is to Russia that they go； and so I will tell you a story of Russia。
Ah； what an evil dream of the night it seems！ Blood and ice。 Ice and
blood。 Fierce faces with snow upon the whiskers。 Blue hands held out
for succour。 And across the great white plain the one long black line of
moving figures； trudging； trudging； a hundred miles； another hundred； and
still always the same white plain。 Sometimes there were fir…woods to
limit it； sometimes it stretched away to the cold blue sky； but the black line
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stumbled on and on。 Those weary； ragged； starving men； the spirit frozen
out of them； looked neither to right nor left； but with sunken faces and
rounded backs trailed onward and ever onward； making for France as
wounded beasts make for their lair。 There was no speaking； and you
could scarce hear the shuffle of feet in the snow。 Once only I heard them
laugh。 It was outside Wilna； when an aide…de…camp rode up to the head
of that dreadful column and asked if that were the Grand Army。 All who
were within hearing looked round； and when they saw those broken men；
those ruined regiments； those fur…capped skeletons who were once the
Guard； they laughed； and the laugh crackled down the column like a feu
de joie。 I have heard many a groan and cry and scream in my life； but
nothing so terrible as the laugh of the Grand Army。
But why was it that these helpless men were not destroyed by the
Russians？ Why was it that they were not speared by the Cossacks or
herded into droves； and driven as prisoners into the heart of Russia？ On
every side as you watched the black snake winding over the snow you saw
also dark； moving shadows which came and went like cloud drifts on
either flank and behind。 They were the Cossacks； who hung round us
like wolves round the flock。
But the reason why they did not ride in upon us was that all the ice of
Russia could not cool the hot hearts of some of our soldiers。 To the end
there were always those who were ready to throw themselves between
these savages and their prey。 One man above all rose greater as the
danger thickened； and won a higher name amid disaster than he had done
when he led our van to victory。 To him I drink this glassto Ney； the red…
maned Lion； glaring back over his shoulder at the enemy who feared to
tread too closely on his heels。 I can see him now； his broad white face
convulsed with fury； his light blue eyes sparkling like flints； his great
voice roaring and crashing amid the roll of the musketry。 His glazed and
featherless cocked hat was the ensign upon which France rallied during
those dreadful days。
It is well known that neither I nor the regiment of Hussars of Conflans
were at Moscow。 We were left behind on the lines of communication at
Borodino。 How the Emperor could have advanced without us is
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incomprehensible to me； and； indeed； it was only then that I understood
that his judgment was weakening and that he was no longer the man that
he had been。 However； a soldier has to obey orders； and so I remained at
this village； which was poisoned by the bodies of thirty thousand men who
had lost their lives in the great battle。 I spent the late autumn in getting
my horses into condition and reclothing my men； so that when the army
fell back on Borodino my Hussars were the best of the cavalry； and were
placed under Ney in the rear…guard。
What could he have done without us during those dreadful days？
〃Ah； Gerard；〃 said he one evening but it is not for me to repeat the words。
Suffice it that he spoke what the whole army felt。 The rear…guard
covered the army and the Hussars of Conflans covered the rear…guard。
There was the whole truth in a sentence。
Always the Cossacks were on us。 Always we held them off。 Never
a day passed that we had not to wipe our sabres。 That was soldiering
indeed。
But there came a time between Wilna and Smolensk when the situation
became impossible。 Cossacks and even cold we could fight； but we
could not fight hunger as well。 Food must be got at all costs。 That
night Ney sent for me to the waggon in which he slept。 His great head
was sunk on his hands。 Mind and body he was wearied to death。
〃Colonel Gerard；〃 said he； 〃things are going very badly with us。 The
men are starving。 We must have food at all costs。〃
〃The horses；〃 I suggested。
〃Save your handful of cavalry； there are none left。〃
〃The band；〃 said I。
He laughed； even in his despair。
〃Why the band？〃 he asked。
〃Fighting men are of value。〃
〃Good；〃 said he。 〃You would play the game down to the last card
and so would I。 Good； Gerard； good！〃
He clasped my hand in his。 〃But there is one chance for us yet；
Gerard。〃 He unhooked a lantern from the roof of the waggon and he laid
it on a map which was stret
