"Who is this man?" he asked.
"His name is Gerard," said the little steward at the door.
"Colonel Gerard," said I. "I will not deceive you. I am Etienne
Gerard, THE Colonel Gerard, five times mentioned in despatches
and recommended for the sword of honour. I am aide-de-camp to
General Suchet, and I demand my instant release, together with
that of my comrade in arms."
The same terrible silence fell upon the assembly, and the same
twelve pairs of merciless eyes were bent upon my face. Again it
was the grey-beard who spoke.
"He is out of his order. There are two names upon our list
before him."
"He escaped from our hands and burst into the room."
"Let him await his turn. Take him down to the wooden cell."
"If he resist us, your Excellency?"
"Bury your knives in his body. The tribunal will uphold you.
Remove him until we have dealt with the others."
They advanced upon me, and for an instant I thought of
resistance. It would have been a heroic death, but who was there
to see it or to chronicle it? I might be only postponing my
fate, and yet I had been in so many bad places and come out
unhurt that I had learned always to hope and to trust my star.
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