The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon. Alexandre Dumas
I could not bear it if they thought that I wanted to watch for pleasure.”
“‘“Very well. I shall tell him that we are from the same region, and I’ll ask him to let me send something of mine to my brother, my cap, for instance. Such things happen all the time. Besides, you understand, there is nothing suspicious about a garrison cap.”
“‘“No.”
“‘“When I give the order to fire, I shall toss it aside. Don’t act too much in a hurry to pick it up. Wait until I’m dead.”
“‘“Oh!” I gasped, turning pale. My whole body began to tremble.
“‘“Who has a little alcohol for my young fellow countryman?” your brother asked. “He’s cold.”
“‘“Come here, my good boy,” said the captain. He handed me his flask. I drank a swallow, then thanked him.
“‘“At your service.… A swallow, Citizen Sainte-Hermine?” he shouted to the prisoner.
“‘“Thank you very much, Captain,” he answered. “I never drink alcohol.”
“‘I walked back to where he was, and he continued with his instructions to me. “So, when I’m dead, you’ll pick up my cap, but treat it as if it were a thing of no importance. But you realize of course that my last wishes, the last wishes of a dying man, are sacred, and that the letter I’ve hidden in the cap must be delivered to my brother. If the cap is inconvenient, slip out the letter and toss the cap into a ditch somewhere. As for the letter, are you sure you won’t lose it?”
“‘“No,” I said, trying to hold back my tears. “I mean, I’m sure.”
“‘“You won’t misplace it?”
“‘“No, no! You can rest easy.”
“‘“And you will give it to my brother yourself?”
“‘“Yes, I shall do so myself.”
“‘“To my brother Charles, the elder. He has the same name as you, so it will be easy to remember.”
“‘“To him and to no other.”
“‘“Be sure of that! So, and then he’ll ask you how I died, and you’ll tell him. And he’ll say, ‘Good, I had a good brother,’ and when his turn comes, he’ll die like me.”
“‘We came to a fork in the road; one road led to General Pichegru’s headquarters, the other to the fortress. I tried to speak, but no words came to my mouth. I looked at your brother beseechingly. He smiled.
“‘“Captain,” he said. “A favor.”
“‘“What favor? If it’s in my power.…”
“‘“Perhaps it’s a weakness, but you’ll keep it between us, won’t you? At the moment of my death, I would like to embrace a fellow countryman. This young man and I are both from the Juras, both our families live in Besançon and are friends. Someday he will go back home, and he will tell how we happened to meet and how he accompanied me until my final moments. Then he will tell how I died.”
“‘The captain looked at me; I was weeping. “Of course!” he said. “If that is what would please you both.”
“‘“I don’t believe,” your brother said with a laugh, “that it will please the boy very much, but it will indeed please me.”
“‘“Since it’s you who are making the request.”
“‘“So, you agree?” the prisoner asked.
“‘“I agree,” the captain answered.
“‘“You see,” he said as I walked beside him, “so far things are going perfectly well.”
“‘We marched up the hill, were recognized, and walked across the drawbridge. For a moment we waited in the courtyard while the captain went to announce to the colonel that we had arrived and to communicate to him the execution orders.
“‘A few minutes later, he reappeared in the doorway. “Are you ready?” he asked the prisoner.
“‘“Whenever you are, Captain,” the prisoner answered.
“‘“Do you have any comments to make?”
“‘“No, but several favors to request.”
“‘“I shall grant whatever lies within my power.”
“‘“Thank you, Captain.”
“‘The captain walked over to your brother. “We may serve under enemy flags, but we are still both French, and good men can spot each other at first sight. What do you wish?”
“‘“First, that you remove these ropes, which make me look like a thief.”
“‘“That is only just. Untie the prisoner.”
“‘I rushed over and grabbed the count’s hands; I had untied him before anyone else had time to draw near.
“‘“Oh!” said the count, flexing his arms under his coat. “It feels good to be free.”
“‘“And now,” asked the captain, “what else do you wish?”
“‘“I would like to be the one to give the order to fire.”
“‘“You may give the order. Anything else?”
“‘“I would like to send some souvenir to my family.”
“‘“You know it is forbidden for anyone to accept letters from political prisoners before they are shot. Anything else, yes.”
“‘“I don’t want to cause any problems. This is my young countryman, Charles. As you have authorized, he will be accompanying me to the place of execution. He can take responsibility for giving my family, not a letter, but something of mine. This old cap, for example.”
“‘“Is that all?” asked the captain.
“‘“I think so,” the count answered. “It is time. I’m beginning to get cold feet, and cold feet are what I hate most in the world. Let’s go, Captain—I presume you are coming with us.”
“‘“It’s my duty.”
“‘The count bowed, and with a laugh like a man who is pleased at having gotten what he wanted, he shook my hand.
“‘“Which way?” he asked.
“‘“This way,” said the captain, starting out at the head of the column. Following him, we passed through a gate and entered a second courtyard where sentinels were walking back and forth on the ramparts above. The wall at the back of the courtyard was peppered with bullet holes at about a man’s height.
“‘“Ah, here we are!” said the prisoner, and without instruction or command he walked over to the wall.
“‘The clerk read the sentence. Your brother nodded as if he accepted it. Then he said, “Excuse me, Captain. I would like a few words with myself.”
“‘The captain and the soldiers, realizing that he wanted to pray, stepped away. For a moment your brother remained immobile, his arms crossed, his head bowed down against his chest, his lips moving, though no sound came from them. When he raised his head, there was a smile on his face. He embraced me, and as he did, like Charles I of England, he whispered: “Remember.”
“‘Weeping, I bowed my head.
“‘Then with a strong voice: “Attention!” said the condemned man.
“‘The soldiers got ready. The count paused, and as if he did not want to give the order to fire with his head covered, he pulled off his cap, tossed it aside. It fell at my feet.
“‘“Are