"How about the pontoniers?" cried Gondrin.
"My children," said Genastas, becoming suddenly quite ashamed of his sortie when he saw himself in the midst of a silent and bewildered group, "there are no spies here,--see, take this and drink to the Little Corporal."
"LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!" cried all the people present, with one voice.
"Hush, my children!" said the officer, struggling to control his emotion. "Hush! he is dead. He died saying, 'Glory, France, and battle.' My friends, he had to die, he! but his memory--never!"
Goguelat made a gesture of disbelief; then he said in a low voice to those nearest, "The officer is still in the service, and he's told to tell the people the Emperor is dead. We mustn't be angry with him, because, d'ye see, a soldier has to obey orders."
As Genestas left the barn he heard the Fosseuse say, "That officer is a friend of the Emperor and of Monsieur Benassis." On that, all the people rushed to the door to get another sight of him, and by the light of the moon they saw the doctor take his arm.
"I committed a great folly," said Genestas. "Let us get home quickly. Those eagles--the cannon--the campaigns! I no longer knew where I was."
"What do you think of my Goguelat?" asked Benassis.
"Monsieur, so long as such tales are told, France will carry in her entrails the fourteen armies of the Republic, and may at any time renew the conversation of cannon with all Europe. That's my opinion."