"Yes, yes, I was unusually gay because I was happy, oh, very happy, for this morning—"
But the commander, checking himself suddenly, gazed at Olivier with a peculiar expression, then added, with a sigh:
"No, no, I must not tell you now. Well, as I said before, I went out—"
"It was a very imprudent thing for you to do, uncle."
"Perhaps it was, but I had my reasons for wanting to go; besides, I thought a walk in the open air might do me good. Still, being a little doubtful of my strength, instead of going out on the plain as usual, I followed the broad grassy terrace that borders the railroad track in this direction. Feeling tired after I had walked a short distance, I sat down to rest and sun myself on the top of a bank on the side of one of those new streets which have been graded and paved, but on which no houses have yet been erected. I sat there a quarter of an hour, perhaps, then, thinking myself sufficiently rested, I decided that I would get up and start for home. But the walk, short as it was, had exhausted my strength completely, for I had scarcely gotten upon my feet before I was seized with vertigo, my knees trembled under me, I lost my balance; the bank was steep—"
"And you fell?" asked Olivier, anxiously.
"I must have slidden rather than fallen to the foot of the bank, I think, and my situation would not have been at all dangerous, I suppose, if a big wagon, loaded with stones and drawn by horses which had been left to guide themselves by the driver who was walking on ahead, had not happened to come along just then."
"Great God!" exclaimed Olivier.
"How terrible!" cried Herminie.
"Ah, yes, especially to that dear young lady you see lying there wounded, yes, wounded by risking her own life to save mine!"