We have now been
victorious, proudly, grandly victorious; my voice shall be for a march
to Paris. Come, General, give me your hand. Hand in hand, like true
comrades, let us march to Paris, and thunder at the doors of the
Convention."
As he spoke, Auguste Emile Septimus held out his hand to the young
Commander; and Henri could not refuse the proffered grasp. He now
remembered Chapeau's description of the martial baker; and as he
underwent the merciless squeeze which Plume inflicted on him, the young
Marquis meditated, with something like vexation, on the ridiculous
figure and language of him who now claimed his friendship and
confidence. He had before been on terms of perfect equality with men
equally low in station with poor Plume. Cathelineau had been a
postillion; Stofflet, a game-keeper; but he had admired the enthusiastic
genius of Cathelineau, he had respected the practical iron energy of
Stofflet--he could neither admire nor respect Auguste Plume--and yet he
could not reject him.
He endeavoured, in as few words as he could, to make his companion
understand, that highly as he appreciated his disinterested offer, he
could not, at the present moment, accede to it.
Pages:
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846