Goguelat made an incredulous gesture, then he whispered to those about him, “The officer is still in the service, and orders have been issued that they are to tell the people that the Emperor is dead.  You must not think any harm of him because, after all, a soldier must obey orders.”

As Genestas went out of the barn, he heard La Fosseuse say, “That officer, you know, is M. Benassis’ friend, and a friend of the Emperor’s.”

Every soul in the barn rushed to the door to see the commandant again; they saw him in the moonlight, as he took the doctor’s arm.

“It was a stupid thing to do,” said Genestas.  “Quick! let us go into the house.  Those Eagles, cannon, and campaigns! . . .  I had quite forgotten where I was.”

“Well, what do you think of our Goguelat?” asked Benassis.

“So long as such stories are told in France, sir, she will always find the fourteen armies of the Republic within her, at need; and her cannon will be perfectly able to keep up a conversation with the rest of Europe.  That is what I think.”

A few moments later they reached Benassis’ dwelling, and soon were sitting on either side of the hearth in the salon; the dying fire in the grate still sent up a few sparks now and then.  Each was absorbed in thought.  Genestas was hesitating to ask one last question.  In spite of the marks of confidence that he had received, he feared lest the doctor should regard his inquiry as indiscreet.  He looked searchingly at Benassis more than once; and an answering smile, full of a kindly cordiality, such as lights up the faces of men of real strength of character, seemed to give him in advance the favorable reply for which he sought.  So he spoke: 

“Your life, sir, is so different from the lives of ordinary men, that you will not be surprised to hear me ask you the reason of your retired existence.  My curiosity may seem to you to be unmannerly, but you will admit that it is very natural.  Listen a moment:  I have had comrades with whom I have never been on intimate terms, even though I have made many campaigns with them; but there have been others to whom I would say, ‘Go to the paymaster and draw our money,’ three days after we had got drunk together, a thing that will happen, for the quietest folk must have a frolic fit at times.  Well, then, you are one of those people whom I take for a friend without waiting to ask leave, nay, without so much as knowing wherefore.”

“Captain Bluteau——­”

Whenever the doctor had called his guest by his assumed name, the latter had been unable for some time past to suppress a slight grimace.  Benassis, happening to look up just then, caught this expression of repugnance; he sought to discover the reason of it, and looked full into the soldier’s face, but the real enigma was well-nigh insoluble for him, so he set down these symptoms to physical suffering and went on: 

“Captain, I am about to speak of myself.  I have had to force myself to do so already several times since yesterday, while telling you about the improvements that I have managed to introduce here; but it was a question of the interests of the people and the commune, with which mine are necessarily bound up.  But, now, if I tell you my story, I should have to speak wholly of myself, and mine has not been a very interesting life.”