is it not so?  Well, if I were in France, I should have a good soup with a crust in it, an omelette, a fowl in rice, a partridge in cabbages—­things to tempt me, thunder of God!  But here—­day of God!—­what a country!  And cold, too!  They talk about Russia—­this is all the cold I want!  And the people—­look at them!  What a race!  Never any handsome men; never any fine officers!’—­and he looked down complacently for a moment at his waist—­’And the women—­what faggots!  No, that is one point clear, I cannot stomach the English!’

There was something in this man so antipathetic to me, as sent the mustard into my nose.  I can never bear your bucks and dandies, even when they are decent-looking and well dressed; and the Major—­ for that was his rank—­was the image of a flunkey in good luck.  Even to be in agreement with him, or to seem to be so, was more than I could make out to endure.

‘You could scarce be expected to stomach them,’ said I civilly, ‘after having just digested your parole.’

He whipped round on his heel and turned on me a countenance which I dare say he imagined to be awful; but another fit of sneezing cut him off ere he could come the length of speech.

‘I have not tried the dish myself,’ I took the opportunity to add.  ‘It is said to be unpalatable.  Did monsieur find it so?’

With surprising vivacity the Colonel woke from his lethargy.  He was between us ere another word could pass.

‘Shame, gentlemen!’ he said.  ’Is this a time for Frenchmen and fellow-soldiers to fall out?  We are in the midst of our enemies; a quarrel, a loud word, may suffice to plunge us back into irretrievable distress.  Monsieur le Commandant, you have been gravely offended.  I make it my request, I make it my prayer—­if need be, I give you my orders—­that the matter shall stand by until we come safe to France.  Then, if you please, I will serve you in any capacity.  And for you, young man, you have shown all the cruelty and carelessness of youth.  This gentleman is your superior; he is no longer young’—­at which word you are to conceive the Major’s face.  ’It is admitted he has broken his parole.  I know not his reason, and no more do you.  It might be patriotism in this hour of our country’s adversity, it might be humanity, necessity; you know not what in the least, and you permit yourself to reflect on his honour.  To break parole may be a subject for pity and not derision.  I have broken mine—­I, a colonel of the Empire.  And why?  I have been years negotiating my exchange, and it cannot be managed; those who have influence at the Ministry of War continually rush in before me, and I have to wait, and my daughter at home is in a decline.  I am going to see my daughter at last, and it is my only concern lest I should have delayed too long.  She is ill, and very ill,—­at death’s door.  Nothing is left me but my daughter, my Emperor, and my honour; and I give my honour, blame me for it who dare!’