I have, so tospeak, inherited his identity
About five oclock, he heard the cannonade: it was
the preliminariesof Waterloo. The omen is clear, I shallhave much to suffer from
prisons!
Fabrizio, though barelysixteen, represented the
head of the house admirably. Their long files, which wereregiments or divisions,
appeared no taller than hedges. All right,then, Fabrizio said to himself. Fabrizio
felt a strong desireto gallop after the Emperors escort and embody himself in
it.
She felt that she must offer afew objections. I see
what it is, she exclaimed at length with an air of triumph. The time had flown, it
was alreadyone oclock in the morning when I found myself at Vasis door.
As he rejoined the escort at a gallop
:Ah!
So that was the Emperor who went past then? If that
does not satisfy them, you can add thatyou are going back to your regiment. What can
haveput that idea into your head? Suddenly the serjeant called out to his men: Dont
you see theEmperor, curse you!
Take it, she said to Fabrizio; but, in heavens
name, do not letyourself be killed.
That day the army, which had just won the battle of
Ligny, wasmarching straight on Brussels. Then,raising her eyes to our hero, she
burst out laughing.
Then going up to the mounted soldier: Get off,
quickly, she said tohim, heres your napoleon. You will betray me without knowing it,
he said to his sisters.
What horrified himmore than anything was that open
eye. She will tell my sisters, and those women will betray me withoutknowing it! It
is a bit toomuch of a good thing their daring to send us young mugs like
you!
His servant constructed a shelter for him. You can
see now that youve got to learnthe business before you can become a soldier. But he
felt the impossibility of making any movement; hewould have fallen.
Then going up to the mounted soldier: Get off,
quickly, she said tohim, heres your napoleon.
With my pale cheeks and chestnut hair, Ishall never
look like that, he added despondently. He found him to be veryfair, with a big red
face.
So that was the Emperor who went past then? We dont
have any faces like that inItaly, he said to himself. Fortunately, the Marshal and
his escort broke into a gallop.
A boat appeared, coming from the direction of Como,
andmade strange signals.
The other, not hearing properly in the roar of
theguns, replied: Oh, Captain Teulier?
By thisgentle slope he was easily able to reach the
field on the other sideof the canal.
Hell be killed straight away; sure as God!