Zunnier showed his cross and replied:
"Pardon, major; but I am more than usually merry." "I can easily believe you," said Monsieur Tardieu; "you want a pass to the city?"
"If you will be so good; for myself and my comrade, Joseph Bertha."
The surgeon had examined my wound the day before. He took out his portfolio and gave us passes. We sallied forth as proud as kings—Zunnier of his cross, I, of my letter.
XVI.
I walked dreamily through the streets, led by Zunnier, who recognized every corner, and kept repeating:
"There—there is the church of Saint Nicholas; that large building is the university; that on yonder is the Hôtel de Ville."
He seemed to remember every stone, having been there in 1807, before the battle of Friedland, and continued:
"We are the same here as if we were in Metz, or Strasbourg, or any other city in France. The people wish us well. After the campaign of 1806, they used to do all they could for us. The citizens would take three or four of us at a time to dinner with them. They even gave us balls, and called us the heroes of Jena. Let us go in somewhere and see how they will treat us. We named their elector King of Saxony, and gave him a good slice of Poland."