'You have been over there?' asked the lieutenant presently, jerking his
thumb towards the distant cloud upon the water.
'Yes, I have spent my life there.'
'But why did you stay there when there was such good fighting to be had
in the French service?'
'My father was driven out of the country as an aristocrat. It was only
after his death that I could offer my sword to the Emperor.'
'You have missed a great deal, but I have no doubt that we shall still
have plenty of fine wars. And you think that the English will offer us
battle?'
'I have no doubt of it.'
'We feared that when they understood that it was the Emperor in person
who had come they would throw down their arms. I have heard that
there are some fine women over there.'
'The women are beautiful.'
He said nothing, but for some time he squared his shoulders and puffed
out his chest, curling up the ends of his little yellow moustache.
'But they will escape in boats,' he muttered at last; and I could see
that he had still that picture of a little island in his imagination.
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