"We have lost
our husbands, and our sons, and our sweethearts; but what matters, we
do not begrudge them to our King. The life of Monseigneur is more
precious than them all. La Vendee cannot afford to lose her great
General."
De Lescure heard and understood, but could not acknowledge, the sympathy
of the people; but Henri, as he tenderly raised his cousin's head, and
bore him in his arms from the waggon, spoke a word or two to the crowd
which satisfied them; and Arthur Mondyon remained among them a while to
tell them how bravely their countrymen had fought at Cholet, against
numbers more than double their own, before they would consent to own
themselves beaten.
There was an immense deal for Henri Larochejaquelin to do. In the first
place he had to collect together the fragments of the disbanded army;
to separate the men who were armed from those who had lost their arms,
and to divide the comparatively speaking small number of the former,
into such bands or regiments as would make them serviceable in case of
need.
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