At length Henri found leisure to tell them all the sad, but still
pleasing story of Denot's conduct and fate--of the gallantry by which
he had redeemed so many sins, and of the death by which he had set a
seal to the forgiveness of them all. Each of them had already learnt
that Adolphe was the mysterious leader, the Mad Captain of La Petite
Vendee, and they listened with deep attention to the story which they
now heard of the way in which he had been living, and of the manner of
his death.
"Poor fellow," said Henri, "I understand it all, except about the bridge
of Saumur; from the time when I found him in his wretched chamber, to
the moment of his death, he was talking of that, and connecting your
name, Charles, with everything he said; I do not at all know what was
in his thoughts, but something connected with the bridge of Saumur was
either a great trouble to him, or a great triumph."
And then de Lescure told him what had happened; how the poor fellow's
heart had failed him, at the moment when courage was so necessary; how
he had feared to advance at the decisive moment, and had shrunk back,
appalled, conquered, and disgraced.
Pages:
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852