But Edmond, when he turned his thoughts on Roland, could, to his great surprise, understand all clearly and distinctly, so that not one word of the conversation escaped him.
"I thank you sir," said Roland, "these sums come just in right time, and will help to supply the unfortunate soldiers with those necessaries that they have been so long compelled to forego." "And you remain obstinate," demanded the former, "and will not accept anything for yourself and the other leaders?"
"Do not mention that," said Roland, "you ought to know us at last. We have not undertaken this holy war for robbery and gain: we are all willing to remain poor. But the succours, where do they tarry? we do what we can with short means, but a great calamity may annihilate us at once, and then all assistance from without will come too late, even now, a small one would be very acceptable. But already I forbode the future, they will let us languish and perish, and then lament that they did not lend us assistance sooner. It is ever thus, when one trusts to foreign aid."
"Therefore a sum: could--in all cases"--observed the stranger.
"No," cried Roland with great vehemence; "Oh sir, do you think then that I anticipate a happy result? I will live and die in this struggle, end as it may. When I had the courage to take up the sword, I at the same time threw away the scabbard too. I have devoted myself to ruin. My name may be stained, the better part of mankind shall feel that I was not debased, that, notwithstanding all, I was a good subject."
"A good subject?" said the stranger inquiringly, "I understand the strangeness of these words. You think that I, a rebel, an outlaw, who even accepts sums of money from foreign lands, may be purchased at a cheap rate by the enemies of my king, and that I should maliciously rejoice at every calamity that befell my sovereign. But it is not thus, no Frenchman sinks so low. Let the king give us liberty of conscience, and lame, starved, and bleeding at every pore, we will still fight for him against England and Germany. And never would I, and my friends lend our aid to bring our country under a foreign yoke; even should he persist to act thus cruelly towards us: do not calculate upon that. But I will fight for my cause in an honourable manner, as long as breath is in me. Weak as we may be, we occupy a whole army, and with it lend efficient succour to foreign countries. Do you not think, that with these sentiments, I may call myself a good subject, though certain of my ultimate ruin, by acting thus, I spare my king and country? I fall in the fight here, or imprisonment, ignominy and martyrdom await me, no spark of commiseration lights me on. I do not kindle the fiery zeal and wrath of my people, in order, to break blindly into the land, to hazard all on a dangerous game, by which the infuriated often win, I rather restrain them. For myself I do nothing, for my party and my religion everything. Could I but avoid involving these unfortunate men in my ruin! But the king and fate have ordained it so."
"I am further to enquire," said Flotard anew, "whether experienced officers should not be brought into the mountains as leaders?"
"I oppose that," said Roland gravely, "not on my own account. I know not how we carry on the war, but still this little mountain-spot occupies a great number of disciplined troops. We have done more than we ever dared to think of, even in our dreams. And all those poor enthusiastic men, who never enquire how numerous the foe may be, rush with songs of praise upon the bayonet, and into the flames of the stake; they would follow no foreign leader, who did not share with them the same faith, and the same distress, for as I have already said, it is not their wish to be rioters and rebels, and thus follow a foreign standard, though with greater safety. They fight and conquer only under their own known country-people, who pray and sing with them, whose origin they know, and whose prophecies impel them to rush fearlessly into the most palpable danger."
"They laugh at those prophets in foreign countries," said Flotard, "What is your opinion of them?" "I know not what to say to it," answered Roland; I frequently see the miracle before my eyes, that these men know things which no one can learn by natural means; but again it often strikes me, that blind passion alone speaks out of them, and that they voluntarily excite themselves to this state. The prophets sometimes contradict one another. They direct our proceedings, and it occurs occasionally that my regulations deviate from their wishes, but I have sometimes had reason to repent of this.--Come now to the magazines, and we shall consider what may be most necessary to us.
Roland called out, and accompanied by a few followers, they both penetrated into the darkness of the forest.