第70节
bursthlaughterat ralph**obethhlywelldeserved. theofficertuede;andoutintoaviolent ansto restraiheboyevidentlyantnothing;besides,hewas onlyaboy,andbesidesh,again, oheutin,thoughheard ehelieutenant thananyother. ralphuchyouhanafrench ladofthesaageinpointofsizehewas nsiderablytallerthantheoffiobiles,andhisbroad shouldersgaveproseofunusualstrength.thereoo,alook offearlessnessandde ehaticallyasan”aer.”seeingthis,thelieutenant burstintoanstraioflaughter;andsaidthatitwas ”verygoodreallyverygood,foraboy.” everyoneelseheendeavortostifletheir laughterthatthelieutenantagaintookupthepartofquestioner. ”isuppose,youlen,thatyouefroaintcyrorthe polyteagihatyouhave pletedyourstudies,iherofthe ”ihavenottheadvantageofhavieitherofthelitary acadees,”ralphsaidquietly.”haveyou” againtheree,stofthoseinthe rooadgatheredround. ”yiasktooftheserviceyoubelong”theofficer asked,per. ”youyask,certainly;andihavenoobjetoanswer,”ralph said.”brotherandselfbothbelongtothegeneralstaff.” theofficerlookedsurprised. ”haveyouservedalready,sir,orhasyourserviceyetto nce” ”ihaveseensolittleservicealready,”ralphsaid. ”yiaskgeneralhashadthebeofyourassistance” thelieutenantsaid,haionofpoliteness. atthisntthesousprefectpushedforward. ”silenuchof this.thesegentlenhaveperfreatservicetofrand areguests;andilookuponitasapersonalattackupon self.” ”excuse,sir,”ralphsaid,risingfroisseatforthefirst ti.”iaratefultoyou,foryourinterferenbehalf; buti,uponthepresentoasion,tohave renderedanyservie.ihadnothingtodohthe dispatches,nothingtodoeoutasa passenger,uponprivatedesireandpleasure,attheriskof urseofbeingkilled.undoubtedlyinearlywaskilled;andilook upoertainntthatyouhavegivenusasakind ngratulationuponouothavingbrokenouecks. ”kindly,theoansyself.ithink iyown.” thesousprefectshruggedhisshoulders;tosignifythat,inthat case,hehewholebusiness. ”nohequestion.thegeneral uponybrotherandselfservedwasgeneral cariels.” theofficershruggedhisshoulders. ”siti,”ralphsaid,restelythanhehadyetspoken, ”brotherandselfhavehadtheofferofpostsupoaffs ofgerochu,generalducrot,andgeneralvinoy.” ”oh,enohelieutenantsaid,halaughofderision, ”thatisalittlet.igineascraleupoof trorot,andvinoyfortheservicesoftheseveryyoung officers.” thistithespeakerhadthelaugh,foooneuld believethatralphuldbespeakih.ralphgretle pale. ”ey brotheraothislieutenantofbiles,induefor” thetterhadnoesoseriousthattherewasadeadhushin theroooeclieradvanced.hehadoe alreadydeationofingforotakeralphspart;but ationfrohelatterhadarrestedhihehe furallantandsuessfulexpeditionofthebarclays hadcreated,inparis;andhehadbeelystrudpleased bythealtogether needslowly. ”yiaskyoua,sir,a”hesaidtotheofficer. ”lieutena,ofthebilesofvieheofficersaid, frowning. ”lieutenaofthebilesofvienne,ibegtointroduce youto” ”no,sir,”theoffito ,nottothetheinferiorrankisintroducedtothe superior.” ”iknodoing,sir,andrequirenolesson froou,”ecliersaid,quietly.”irepeat,iintroduce youlieutena,ofthebilesofvienocaptain ralphbaraptainperlay,staffofficers,and ndersofthelegionofhonor.” there. ”isitpossible”thesousprefectsaid,ingfain, ”thatthesegentlehecaptainsbarclay,oftheparis papershreedayssincewerefull,ashaving passedthroughthegernlines,andhavingsthesei night,underfiretheyhadpreviouslybeeedfreat aandersofthe legion. ”isitpossiblethatyouarethoseofficers,gentlen” ”itisso,nsieur,”ralphsaid.”hegoodfortuo distinguishourselvesbut,asakeourselves nspicuousbynes,andneasideour uniforuntilrequiredforservidaskedeclierto besilentuponthesubject.uessthat, uposorudeandunnnerlyapersonas helieutenantofthebilesofvienne.” thelieutenantstaedhisfeetfuriously. ”youshallanse,sir,”hesaid,”forthisinsult.” ”stop,sir,”ralphsaid,inasteadyvoicehose equestions,h rarefreedoihaveans.iaoy opinionofyou,andadvicetoyou,equallyfreely. ”ifyouan,byyouhavesaid,thatyoingto challeoaduel,itellyouatoishallnotaept it.ihave,sir,”andheraisedhisheadproudly,”proved urage;andfrancehasreg,intherankandhonorshe hasgiven.englishdonotfightduels. ”butiakeaioo deratedasiaorhaving,inanysignalrovedyour urageaiontofrance,ieetyou.atpresentisee thatyouanoffic ...