Chouans -- Fiction; French fiction -- Translations into English
“Commandant,” said the marquis, collecting all his strength, and still
holding Marie’s hand, “I count on your honor to send the news of my
death to my young brother, who is now in London. Write him that if he
wishes to obey my last injunction he will never bear arms against his
country--neither must he abandon the king’s service.”
“It shall be done,” said Hulot, pressing the hand of the dying man.
“Take them to the nearest hospital,” cried Corentin.
Hulot took the spy by the arm with a grip that left the imprint of his
fingers on the flesh.
“Out of this camp!” he cried; “your business is done here. Look well at
the face of Commander Hulot, and never find yourself again in his way if
you don’t want your belly to be the scabbard of his blade--”
And the older soldier flourished his sabre.
“That’s another of the honest men who will never make their way,” said
Corentin to himself when he was some distance from the guard-room.
The marquis was still able to thank his gallant adversary by a look
marking the respect which all soldiers feel for loyal enemies.
* * * * *
In 1827 an old man accompanied by his wife was buying cattle in the
market-place of Fougeres. Few persons remembered that he had killed
a hundred or more men, and that his former name was Marche-a-Terre. A
person to whom we owe important information about all the personages of
this drama saw him there, leading a cow, and was struck by his simple,
ingenuous air, which led her to remark, “That must be a worthy man.”
As for Cibot, otherwise called Pille-Miche, we already know his end. It
is likely that Marche-a-Terre made some attempt to save his comrade from
the scaffold; possibly he was in the square at Alencon on the occasion
of the frightful tumult which was one of the events of the famous trial
of Rifoel, Briond, and la Chanterie.
ADDENDUM
The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.
Berthier, Alexandre
The Gondreville Mystery
Brigaut, Major
Pierrette
Casteran, De
The Seamy Side of History
Jealousies of a Country Town
Beatrix
The Peasantry
Cibot, Jean (alias Pille-Miche)
The Seamy Side of History
Corentin
The Gondreville Mystery
Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life
The Middle Classes
Esgrignon, Charles-Marie-Victor-Ange-Carol,
Marquis d’ (or Des Grignons)
Jealousies of a Country Town
Falcon, Jean (alias Beaupied or Beau-Pied)
The Muse of the Department
Cousin Betty
Ferdinand
Beatrix
Fontaine, Comte de
Modeste Mignon
The Ball at Sceaux
Cesar Birotteau
The Government Clerks
Fouche, Joseph
The Gondreville Mystery
Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life
Guenic, Gaudebert-Calyste-Charles, Baron du
Beatrix
Hulot (Marshal)
The Muse of the Department
Cousin Betty
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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