第 42 节
作者:插翅难飞      更新:2021-04-30 17:18      字数:9322
  line of the bearskins。       All round them raged the English cavalry and the
  black   Lancers   of   Brunswick;   wave   after   wave   thundering   up;   breaking
  with a crash; and   recoiling in ruin。         When last I  saw them; the  English
  guns; six at a time; were smashing grape…shot through their ranks and the
  English infantry were closing in upon three sides and pouring volleys into
  them; but still; like a noble lion with fierce hounds clinging to its flanks;
  the glorious remnant of the Guard; marching slowly; halting; closing up;
  dressing;     moved    majestically   from   their    last  battle。  Behind      them   the
  Guard's battery of twelve… pounders was drawn up upon the ridge。                    Every
  gunner   was   in   his   place;   but   no   gun   fired。 〃Why   do   you   not   fire?〃   I
  asked the colonel as I passed。         〃Our powder is finished。〃         〃Then why not
  retire?〃    〃Our appearance may hold them back for a little。              We must give
  the Emperor time to escape。〃          Such were the soldiers of France。
  Behind this screen of brave men the others took their breath; and then
  went on in less desperate fashion。          They had broken away from the road;
  and all over the countryside in the twilight I could see the timid; scattered;
  141
  … Page 142…
  THE ADVENTURES OF GERARD
  frightened   crowd   who   ten   hours   before   had   formed   the   finest   army   that
  ever went down to battle。           I with my splendid mare was soon able to get
  clear of the throng; and just after I passed Genappe I overtook the Emperor
  with   the   remains   of   his   Staff。   Soult   was   with   him   still;   and   so   were
  Drouot;   Lobau;   and   Bertrand;   with   five   Chasseurs   of   the   Guard;   their
  horses hardly able to move。
  The night was falling; and the Emperor's haggard face gleamed white
  through the gloom as he turned it toward me。
  〃Who is that?〃 he asked。
  〃It is Colonel Gerard;〃 said Soult。
  〃Have you seen Marshal Grouchy?〃
  〃No; Sire。      The Prussians were between。〃
  〃It does not matter。       Nothing matters now。          Soult; I will go back。〃
  He tried to turn his horse; but Bertrand seized his bridle。                〃Ah; Sire;〃
  said    Soult;   〃the  enemy   has   had     good   fortune   enough      already。〃     They
  forced him  on   among   them。          He   rode   in   silence   with   his   chin   upon   his
  breast;   the   greatest   and   the   saddest   of   men。  Far   away   behind   us   those
  remorseless       guns   were    still  roaring。    Sometimes       out   of  the   darkness
  would come shrieks and screams and the low thunder of galloping hoofs。
  At   the   sound   we   would   spur   our   horses   and   hasten   onward   through   the
  scattered troops。       At last; after riding all night in the clear moonlight; we
  found that we had left both pursued and pursuers behind。                   By the time we
  passed   over   the   bridge   at   Charleroi   the   dawn   was   breaking。        What   a
  company   of   spectres   we   looked   in   that   cold;   clear;   searching   light;   the
  Emperor with his face of wax; Soult blotched with powder; Lobau dabbled
  with blood!       But we rode more easily now; and had ceased to glance over
  our shoulders; for Waterloo was more than thirty miles behind us。                    One of
  the   Emperor's   carriages   had   been   picked   up   at   Charleroi;   and   we   halted
  now on the other side of the Sambre; and dismounted from our horses。
  You will ask me why it was that during all this time I had said nothing
  of   that   which   was   nearest   my  heart;  the   need   for guarding the   Emperor。
  As a fact; I had tried to speak of it both to Soult and to Lobau; but their
  minds   were   so   overwhelmed   with   the   disaster   and   so   distracted   by   the
  pressing     needs    of  the   moment      that  it  was    impossible     to  make     them
  142
  … Page 143…
  THE ADVENTURES OF GERARD
  understand how urgent was my message。                 Besides; during this long flight
  we had always had numbers of French fugitives beside us on the road; and;
  however   demoralised   they   might   be;   we   had   nothing   to   fear   from   the
  attack of nine men。         But now; as we stood round the Emperor's carriage
  in   the   early   morning;   I   observed   with   anxiety   that   not   a   single   French
  soldier   was   to   be   seen   upon   the   long;   white   road   behind   us。  We   had
  outstripped the army。         I looked round to see what means of defence were
  left to us。     The horses of the Chasseurs of the Guard had broken down;
  and only one of them; a grey…whiskered sergeant; remained。
  There were Soult; Lobau; and Bertrand; but; for all their talents; I had
  rather; when it came to hard knocks; have a single quartermaster…sergeant
  of   Hussars     at  my    side   than   the  three   of   them    put   together。    There
  remained the Emperor himself; the coachman; and a valet of the household
  who had joined us at Charleroieight all told; but of the eight only two;
  the Chasseur and I; were fighting soldiers who could be depended upon at
  a pinch。     A chill came over me as I reflected how utterly helpless we were。
  At    that  moment      I  raised   my   eyes;   and   there   were    the   nine   Prussian
  horsemen coming over the hill。
  On   either   side   of   the   road   at   this   point   are   long   stretches   of   rolling
  plain; part of it yellow with corn and part of it rich grass land watered by
  the Sambre。       To the south of us was a low ridge; over which was the road
  to   France。    Along   this   road   the   little   group   of   cavalry   was   riding。 So
  well had Count Stein obeyed his instructions that he had struck far to the
  south of   us   in   his   determination   to   get   ahead   of   the   Emperor。  Now   he
  was riding from the direction in which we were going the last in which
  we could expect an enemy。            When I caught that first glimpse of them they
  were still half a mile away。
  〃Sire!〃 I cried; 〃the Prussians!〃
  They     all  started   and   stared。   It   was    the  Emperor      who    broke   the
  silence。
  〃Who says they are Prussians?〃
  〃I do; SireI; Etienne Gerard!〃
  Unpleasant   news   always   made   the   Emperor   furious   against   the   man
  who   broke   it。    He   railed   at   me   now   in   the   rasping;   croaking;   Corsican
  143
  … Page 144…
  THE ADVENTURES OF GERARD
  voice which only made itself heard when he had lost his self…control。
  〃You   were   always   a   buffoon;〃   he   cried。     〃What   do   you   mean;   you
  numskull; by saying that they are Prussians?
  How could Prussians be coming from the direction of France?                        You
  have lost any wits that you ever possessed。〃
  His words cut me like a whip; and yet we all felt toward the Emperor
  as an old dog does to its master。
  His kick is soon forgotten and forgiven。             I would not argue or justify
  myself。      At   the   first   glance   I   had   seen   the   two   white   stockings   on   the
  forelegs of the leading horse; and I knew well that Count Stein was on its
  back。
  For an instant the nine horsemen had halted and surveyed us。                      Now
  they  put   spurs   to   their   horses;   and   with   a   yell   of   triumph   they   galloped
  down the road。        They had recognised that their prey was in their power。
  At that swift advance all doubt had vanished。              〃By heavens; Sire; it is
  indeed the Prussians!〃 cried Soult。
  Lobau and Bertrand ran about the road like two frightened hens。                    The
  sergeant     of  Chasseurs      drew    his  sabre   with   a  volley    of  curses。    The
  coachman   and   the   valet   cried   and   wrung   their   hands。      Napoleon   stood
  with a frozen face; one foot on the step of the carriage。                  And Iah; my
  friends;   I   was   magnificent!     What   words   can   I   use   to   do   justice   to   my
  own     bearing    at  that  supreme     instant   of  my   life?   So    coldly   alert;  so
  deadly   cool;   so   clear   in   brain   and   ready   in   hand。 He   had   called   me   a
  numskull   and   a   buffoon。      How   quick   and   how   noble   was   my   revenge!
  When   his   own   wits   failed   him;   it   was   Etienne   Gerard   who   supplied   the
  want。
  To fight was absurd; to fly was ridiculous。              The Emperor wa