The extreme popularity of M. de Lescure through the whole
war, and the love which was felt for him by all the peasants concerned
in it, proved their just appreciation of real merit; for he had not
those qualities which most tend to ingratiate an officer with his men.
He could not unbend among them, and talk to them familiarly of their
prowess, and of the good cause, as Henri did. He had the manners of an
austere, sombre man; and though always most anxious for the security and
good treatment of the prisoners, had more than once severely punished
men among his own followers for some breach of discipline. He had, on
one occasion, threatened to leave the army entirely if he was not obeyed
with the same exactness, as though he actually bore the King's
commission; and the general feeling that he would most certainly keep
his word, and that the army could not succeed without him, had greatly
tended to repress any inclination towards mutiny.
"God bless him, and preserve him, and restore him to us all!" said a
woman who had pushed her way through the crowd, so as to catch a glance
at his pale wasted face, one side of which was swathed in bandages,
which greatly added to the ghastliness of his appearance.
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