第39节
edthehathe,hielf,hadreceiveda stepinrankandndtheseveralother rps;thatlieutenantribouvilleure,betheir speder,htherankofcaptain;thattheothertwo lieutenantsoted;andthatthreeoftheiuerwould reainedundercaptain ribouville,theothersadecaptainsbe attaissions asoffibriels,hielf. pefinishedspeaking,theboysuldhardlybelieve theirears;andlookedateachother,toinquireiftheyheard aright.thereuldbenostakeaboutit;forloee calledtheratulated theionen gaveaheartycheer;fortheyoungenglishladsweregeneral favorites,fortheirgoodteerandooblige. directlythehelonelagaincalledthelads tohi ”iaorrytoloseyou,”hesaid,”butofurseitisforyour good.ee,atonbriels.iroduce you,andyouhadbetteraskforfourdaysleave.yougetthe railhere.youy infindingaplaissariatcitiesgoingto fetchstores.ifyoustarttonight,youhatrainbefore ing,andbeindijonquiteearly.aupleofdayswillbe suffisde,andtobuyhorses. ”yourusinleave,lastnight,to thesurgeonsaysthathesthaverest,andquiet.heisquite . ”noanyreande e.ihavesaidgoodnighttothegeneral,butheuse .” stillbeheboysdidastheyheywere pilingtheirrifles,theyheardaloudblubbering.lookinground, theysadoyle,ostpiously. ”atter,ti ”tteryourhonor,aintyergoingtolaveusigoingto do,atall” theboyshurriedapeing forthend,oioigriefat parting. thegeneralreceivedtheladsstkindlyand,atonce,granted theourdaysleavetogotodijon,topro. lohensaid: ”youdonotorderlies,doyou,general” ”ido,ihegeneralansadozencavalry n,ofdifferes,esrtandactas orderlies;buttheyareentireforavalry.” ”ihaveanirishninrps,general,obe heseyoungfelloonghorses;andyou haveonlytoputhinahussaruniforandheakea capitalorderly,andasservanttoyoueaff officers.” ”byallans,”thegeneralsaid;”sendhiver,intheing. ,inhalfanhour;afew uniforinstore.” eetingthathe station,hadfoundatrainonthepointofstarting;anditwas sevenintheingheyreachedthetoheshopsopen early,infrentrytohoughtheirtailorhadnot asyettakenhisshuttersdo,andwillingly asuredtheortheiesprosingthattheyshould havethehoutfail,theafteooheno thettage;anddroppedinjustastheparty,there,ting doobreakfast. thereationfroaptainbarclay,andascreaf delightfroheirther,andlly;anditinutes beforetheytingrouable,talkily.it edlikeyears; andthereuchtotell,andtotalkabout,asiftheyhad justretued,afteranabsene,inindia. ”holeavefor”hefirstquestions. ”onlyfourdays,”percysaid.”therpshasnoyof thevosges,andoveforwardwill takeplaafehataskfer.” ”onlyfourdays”s.barclayandllyrepeated,aghast. ”itisnotch,a,”ralphputin,”butitisbetterthan nothing.yousee,youdidnotexpectusatall.” ”quiteso,”captainbarheerfully.”itisacleargain, andeitingthatitisnotloisa greatdelighttohaveyoubackagain,evenforafewhours.you bothlookhanwhenyou left.roughingit,andexposure,evidentlysuitsyou. ”haslouisebackhyou” ”yes,papa,hehasebaeti.heis pletelydoneup,andthesurgeonhasorderedrestandquiet,for awhile. ”howisphilippe” ”heisgettingoorhopes,inanother fht,orthreeforalthough yourunadaduburg hasneverfivenforhaving,asshesays,influencedhin alloheboystogo;andofurse,sihiswoundof philippes,shehasbeenreangrythanever.” theboyslaughed.theyuoodtheirauntsways. ”tiasnotbeenhurt,ihope”llyasked. ”ohno;tisashelifeandsoulofthe rps.” asbreakfaston,theboysgraduallyrelatedthegesthat pesprotiontobelonel,andthe factthathendofseveralrpsoffranc tireurs,ertoacttogether.theysaidnoword, hootion;havingagreedtokeepthat ttersespleted.theyhadalso askedtheirusintosaynothingaboutit,atho;asotherwise theiruongratulate theandthesecretanend,atonce. anhourlater,nsieurduburg.afterthefirst talk,hesaidtocaptainbarclay: ”theoodthefatigueisaproof,in itself,houchtheprosperityofanationdependsuponthe trainingofitsboys.englandisstrongbecauseherboysareall atheirchildhood,toaiseandoutdoor, violentgas.incaseofahishwearegoing through,alsteverynuldtusoldier,andghthe fatiguesofaakelightofnot tosayenjoythe ”here,uporary,ouryoungfellohingand,inan ergencylikethepresent,bothspiritandstren ...