I accepted the part he thus erringly assigned me, and let him run on about all the fortunes and chances of a soldier's life.
If his conversation did not divert my thoughts, it at least suffered me to pursue them unmolested; and so I travelled along through the whole of that night and the following day, seldom speaking, or only in half mechanical assent to some remark of my companion.
“They 'll want to see your passport here, citizen,” said he, as we approached the gate of a fortified town; “so get it ready, and don't delay the authorities.”
A few minutes more brought us to the outworks of a fortification, passing through which, we crossed a drawbridge, over a deep moat, and entered a long, dark archway. Here the diligence drew up, and the passengers were ordered to descend. I overheard the conducteur say the word “conscript,” and began to fear that he used it in relation to me, when suddenly the official, opening my passport, called out:
“Which of you is the citizen Bernard?”
I at once remembered that it was the name I had recruited under, and answered, “It is I.”
“Step inside here,” said he, civilly; “I have some directions with respect to you.”
I walked into a small chamber off the public room, when, having carefully closed the door, he said,—
“So you are going over to England, monsieur?”
The last word was accented deeply, and with an emphasis meant to show that he who used it proclaimed himself no partisan of republican principles, but one who held to the ancient habits of the monarchy.