Some low, despairing shouts of "Vive l'Empereur!" but not a single shout of "Vive le Roi!"
For my part, I ran home to tell about it all; I had scarcely gone up, when the sergeant came also, with his musket on his shoulder. We should have liked to congratulate each other on the ending of the blockade, but on seeing the sergeant standing at the door, we were chilled to the bones, and our attention was fixed upon him.
"Ah, well!" said he, placing the butt-end of his musket upon the floor, "it is all ended!"
And for a moment he said no more.
Then he stammered out: "This is the shabbiest piece of business in the world—the recruits are disbanded—they are leaving—France remains, bound hand and foot, in the grip of the kaiserlichs! Ah! the rascals! the rascals!"
"Yes, sergeant," I replied with emotion, seeing that his thoughts must be diverted: "now we are going to have peace, sergeant! You have a sister left in the Jura, you will go to her——"
"Oh!" he exclaimed, lifting his hand, "my poor sister!"
This came like a sob; but he quickly recovered himself, and went and placed his musket in the corner by the door.
He sat down at the table with us for a moment, and took up little Sâfel, drawing him to him and caressing his cheeks. Then he wanted to hold Esdras also. We looked on in silence.
"I am going to leave you, Father Moses," said he, "I am going to pack my bag. Thunder and lightning! I am sorry to leave you!"