"And is this all true?" asked Bonaparte.
"Oh! as for that," said Faraud, drawing near, and bringing his bandaged hand to the salute, "if the quartermaster needs a witness, I can testify that he has told nothing but the truth, and that he has said too little rather than too much. It is well known in the Army of the Rhine."
"Well," said Bonaparte, looking benevolently at the two men who had just been exchanging blows, and of whom one was now sounding the other's praises, "I am delighted to make your acquaintance, citizen Falou. I trust that you will do as well in the Army of Italy as you have in the Army of the Rhine. But how does it happen that two such fine fellows as you should be enemies?"
"We, citizen-general?" exclaimed Falou. "We are not enemies."
"Why the deuce were you fighting then, if you are not enemies?"
"Oh!" said Faraud, with his customary twist of the neck, "we were just fighting for the sake of fighting."
"But suppose that I tell you I wish to know why you fought?"
Faraud looked at Falou as if to ask his permission.
"Since the citizen-general wants to know, I see no reason why we should conceal it," said the latter.
"Well, we fought—we fought—because he called me monsieur."