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good resolution； and in a moment all was light about me like a
theatre； and I saw myself upon the stage of it playing ignoble
parts。 I remembered France and my Emperor； now depending on the
arbitrament of war； bent down； fighting on their knees and with
their teeth against so many and such various assailants。 And I
burned with shame to be here in England； cherishing an English
fortune； pursuing an English mistress； and not there； to handle a
musket in my native fields； and to manure them with my body if I
fell。 I remembered that I belonged to France。 All my fathers had
fought for her； and some had died； the voice in my throat； the
sight of my eyes； the tears that now sprang there； the whole man of
me； was fashioned of French earth and born of a French mother； I
had been tended and caressed by a succession of the daughters of
France； the fairest； the most ill…starred； and I had fought and
conquered shoulder to shoulder with her sons。 A soldier； a noble；
of the proudest and bravest race in Europe； it had been left to the
prattle of a hobbledehoy lackey in an English chaise to recall me
to the consciousness of duty。
When I saw how it was I did not lose time in indecision。 The old
classical conflict of love and honour being once fairly before me；
it did not cost me a thought。 I was a Saint…Yves de Keroual； and I
decided to strike off on the morrow for Wakefield and Burchell
Fenn； and embark； as soon as it should be morally possible； for the
succour of my downtrodden fatherland and my beleaguered Emperor。
Pursuant on this resolve； I leaped from bed； made a light； and as
the watchman was crying half…past two in the dark streets of
Lichfield； sat down to pen a letter of farewell to Flora。 And then
… whether it was the sudden chill of the night； whether it came by
association of ideas from the remembrance of Swanston Cottage I
know not； but there appeared before me … to the barking of sheep…
dogs … a couple of snuffy and shambling figures； each wrapped in a
plaid； each armed with a rude staff； and I was immediately bowed
down to have forgotten them so long； and of late to have thought of
them so cavalierly。
Sure enough there was my errand！ As a private person I was neither
French nor English； I was something else first： a loyal gentleman；
an honest man。 Sim and Candlish must not be left to pay the
penalty of my unfortunate blow。 They held my honour tacitly
pledged to succour them； and it is a sort of stoical refinement
entirely foreign to my nature to set the political obligation above
the personal and private。 If France fell in the interval for the
lack of Anne de St。…Yves； fall she must！ But I was both surprised
and humiliated to have had so plain a duty bound upon me for so
long … and for so long to have neglected and forgotten it。 I think
any brave man will understand me when I say that I went to bed and
to sleep with a conscience very much relieved； and woke again in
the morning with a light heart。 The very danger of the enterprise
reassured me： to save Sim and Candlish （suppose the worst to come
to the worst） it would be necessary for me to declare myself in a
court of justice； with consequences which I did not dare to dwell
upon； it could never be said that I had chosen the cheap and the
easy … only that in a very perplexing competition of duties I had
risked my life for the most immediate。
We resumed the journey with more diligence： thenceforward posted
day and night； did not halt beyond what was necessary for meals；
and the postillions were excited by gratuities； after the habit of
my cousin Alain。 For twopence I could have gone farther and taken
four horses； so extreme was my haste； running as I was before the
terrors of an awakened conscience。 But I feared to be conspicuous。
Even as it was； we attracted only too much attention； with our pair
and that white elephant； the seventy…pounds…worth of claret…
coloured chaise。
Meanwhile I was ashamed to look Rowley in the face。 The young
shaver had contrived to put me wholly in the wrong； he had cost me
a night's rest and a severe and healthful humiliation； and I was
grateful and embarrassed in his society。 This would never do； it
was contrary to all my ideas of discipline； if the officer has to
blush before the private； or the master before the servant； nothing
is left to hope for but discharge or death。 I hit upon the idea of
teaching him French； and accordingly； from Lichfield； I became the
distracted master； and he the scholar … how shall I say？
indefatigable； but uninspired。 His interest never flagged。 He
would hear the same word twenty times with profound refreshment；
mispronounce it in several different ways； and forget it again with
magical celerity。 Say it happened to be STIRRUP。 'No； I don't
seem to remember that word； Mr。 Anne；' he would say： 'it don't seem
to stick to me； that word don't。' And then； when I had told it him
again； 'ETRIER！' he would cry。 'To be sure！ I had it on the tip
of my tongue。 ETERIER！' （going wrong already； as if by a fatal
instinct）。 'What will I remember it by； now？ Why； INTERIOR； to be
sure！ I'll remember it by its being something that ain't in the
interior of a horse。' And when next I had occasion to ask him the
French for stirrup； it was a toss…up whether he had forgotten all
about it； or gave me EXTERIOR for an answer。 He was never a hair
discouraged。 He seemed to consider that he was covering the ground
at a normal rate。 He came up smiling day after day。 'Now； sir；
shall we do our French？' he would say； and I would put questions；
and elicit copious commentary and explanation； but never the shadow
of an answer。 My hands fell to my sides； I could have wept to hear
him。 When I reflected that he had as yet learned nothing； and what
a vast deal more there was for him to learn； the period of these
lessons seemed to unroll before me vast as eternity； and I saw
myself a teacher of a hundred； and Rowley a pupil of ninety； still
hammering on the rudiments！ The wretched boy； I should say； was
quite unspoiled by the inevitable familiarities of the journey。 He
turned out at each stage the pink of serving…lads； deft； civil；
prompt； attentive； touching his hat like an automaton； raising the
status of Mr。 Ramornie in the eyes of all the inn by his smiling
service； and seeming capable of anything in the world but the one
thing I had chosen … learning French！
CHAPTER XXIII … THE ADVENTURE OF THE RUNAWAY COUPLE
THE country had for some time back been changing in character。 By
a thousand indications I could judge that I was again drawing near
to Scotland。 I saw it written in the face of the hills； in the
growth of the trees； and in the glint of the waterbrooks that kept
the high…road company。 It might have occurred to me； also； that I
was； at the same time； approaching a place of some fame in Britain
… Gretna Green。 Over these same leagues of road … which Rowley and
I now traversed in the claret…coloured chaise； to the note of the
flageolet and the French lesson … how many pairs of lovers had gone
bowling northwards to the music of sixteen scampering horseshoes；
and how many irate persons； parents； uncles； guardians； evicted
rivals； had come tearing after； clapping the frequent red face to
the chaise…window； lavishly shedding their gold about the post…
houses； sedulously loading and re…loading； as they went； their
avenging pistols！ But I doubt if I had thought of it at all；
before a wayside hazard swept me into the thick of an adventure of
this nature； and I found myself playing providence with other
people's lives； to my own admiration at the moment … and
subsequently to my own brief but passionate regret。
At rather an ugly corner of an uphill reach I came on the wreck of
a chaise lying on one side in the ditch； a man and a woman in
animated discourse in the middle of the road； and the two
postillions； each with his pair of horses； looking on and laughing
from the saddle。
'Morning breezes！ here's a smash！' cried Rowley； pocketing his
flageolet in the middle of the TIGHT LITTLE ISLAND。
I was perhaps more conscious of the moral smash than the physical …
more alive to broken hearts than to broken chaises； for； as plain
as the sun at morning； there was a screw loose in this runaway
match。 It is always a bad sign when the lower classes laugh： their
taste in humour is both poor and sinister； and for a man； running
the posts with four horses； presumably with open pockets； and in
the company of the most entrancing little creature conceivable； to
have come down so far as to be laughed at by his own postillions；
was only to be explained on the double hypothesis； that he was a
fool and no gentleman。
I have said they were man and woman。 I should have sai