“‘I trust I deserve your good opinion, madam; and if I can be in any way useful to you—’
“‘You can. I shall be a stranger in England. I know that in London there is a great man, one Monsieur Lis-tong, who is very clever.’
“‘Very true, madam. If your nose instead of having been slightly injured as it is, had been left behind you in Africa, Mr Liston would have found you another.’
“‘If he will only repair the old one, I ask no more. You give me hopes. But the bones are crushed completely, as you must see.’
“‘That is of no consequence. Mr Liston has put a new eye in, to my knowledge. The party was short-sighted, and saw better with the one put in by Mr Liston than with the one which had been left him.’
“‘Est-il possible? Mais, quel homme extraordinaire! Perhaps you will do me the favour to sit with me, monsieur; and, if I mistake not, you have a request to make of me—n’est-ce pas?’
“‘I felt such interest about you, madam, that I acknowledge, if it would not be too painful to you, I should like to ask a question.’
“‘Which is, How did I break my nose? Of course you want to know. And as it is the only return I can make for past or future obligations to you, you shall most certainly be gratified. I will not detain you now. I shall expect you to supper. Adieu, monsieur.’
“I did not, of course, fail in my appointment; and after supper she commenced:—
“‘The question to be answered,’ said she, ‘is, How did you break your nose?—is it not? Well then, at least, I shall answer it after my own fashion. So, to begin at the beginning, I am now exactly twenty-two years old. My father was tambour-majeur in the Garde Impériale. I was born in the camp—brought up in the camp—and, finally, I was married in the camp, to a lieutenant of infantry at the time. So that, you observe, I am altogether militaire. As a child, I was wakened up with the drum and fife, and went to sleep with the bugles; as a girl, I became quite conversant with every military manoeuvre; and now that I am a woman grown, I believe that I am more fit for the bâton than one-half of those marshals who have gained it. I have studied little else but tactics and have as my poor husband said, quite a genius for them; but of that hereafter. I was married at sixteen, and have ever since followed my husband. I followed him at last to his grave. He quitted my bed for the bed of honour, where he sleeps in peace. We’ll drink to his memory.’