As soon as the smith found himself completely conquered, he resigned
himself to his fate, and became exceedingly happy and good-humoured. He
shook Chapeau's hand fifty times, till he had nearly squeezed it off.
He sent to the inn for two bottles of the very best wine that was to be
had; he made Annot prepare a second supper, and that not of simple bread
and cheese, but of poached eggs and fried bacon, and then he did all
that he possibly could to make Chapeau tipsy, and in the attempt he got
very drunk himself, and so the day ended happily for them all.
CHAPTER V
THE HOSPITAL OF ST. LAURENT
De Lescure only remained three days at Durbelliere, and then started
again for his own house at Clisson, and Henri accompanied him. They had
both been occupied during these three days in making such accommodation
as was in their power for the sick and wounded, who were brought back
into the Bocage in considerable numbers from Saumur. The safe and sound
and whole of limb travelled faster than those who had lost arms and legs
in the trenches at Varin, or who had received cuts and slashes and
broken ribs at the bridge of Fouchard, and therefore the good news was
first received in the Bocage; but those miserable accompaniments of
victory, low tumbrils, laden with groaning sufferers lying on straw,
slowly moving carts, every motion of which opened anew the wounds of
their wretched occupants, and every species of vehicle as could be
collected through the country, crammed with the wounded and the dying,
and some even with the dead, were not long in following the triumphal
return of the victorious peasants.
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