burlesques-第8节

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finished；　and　each　began　to　look　out　with　some　anxiety　for　the

preconcerted　signal；　the　rocket　from　Sir　Hussey　Vivian's　quarters；

which　was　to　announce　the　recommencement　of　hostilities。　　It　came

just　as　the　moon　rose　in　her　silver　splendor；　and　ere　the　rocket…

stick　fell　quivering　to　the　earth　at　the　feet　of　General　Picton

and　Sir　Lowry　Cole；　who　were　at　their　posts　at　the　head　of　the

storming…parties；　nine　hundred　and　ninety　nine　guns　in　position

opened　their　fire　from　our　batteries；　which　were　answered　by　a

tremendous　canonnade　from　the　fort。



〃Who's　going　to　dance？〃　said　the　Doctor：　〃the　ball's　begun。　　Ha！

there　goes　poor　Jack　Delamere's　head　off！　　The　ball　chose　a　soft

one；　anyhow。　　Come　here；　Tim；　till　I　mend　your　leg。　　Your　wife　has

need　only　knit　half　as　many　stockings　next　year；　Doolan　my　boy。

Faix！　there　goes　a　big　one　had　wellnigh　stopped　my　talking：　bedad！

it　has　snuffed　the　feather　off　my　cocked　hat！〃



In　this　way；　with　eighty…four…pounders　roaring　over　us　like　hail；

the　undaunted　little　Doctor　pursued　his　jokes　and　his　duty。　　That

he　had　a　feeling　heart；　all　who　served　with　him　knew；　and　none　more

so　than　Philip　Fogarty；　the　humble　writer　of　this　tale　of　war。



Our　embrasure　was　luckily　bomb…proof；　and　the　detachment　of　the

Onety…oneth　under　my　orders　suffered　comparatively　little。　　〃Be

cool；　boys；〃　I　said；　〃it　will　be　hot　enough　work　for　you　ere　long。〃

The　honest　fellows　answered　with　an　Irish　cheer。　　I　saw　that　it

affected　our　prisoner。



〃Countryman；〃　said　I；　〃I　know　you；　but　an　Irishman　was　never　a

traitor。〃



〃Taisez…vous！〃　said　he；　putting　his　finger　to　his　lip。　　〃C'est　la

fortune　de　la　guerre：　if　ever　you　come　to　Paris；　ask　for　the

Marquis　d'　O'Mahony；　and　I　may　render　you　the　hospitality　which

your　tyrannous　laws　prevent　me　from　exercising　in　the　ancestral

halls　of　my　own　race。〃



I　shook　him　warmly　by　the　hand　as　a　tear　bedimmed　his　eye。　　It　was；

then；　the　celebrated　colonel　of　the　Irish　Brigade；　created　a

Marquis　by　Napoleon　on　the　field　of　Austerlitz！



〃Marquis；〃　said　I；　〃the　country　which　disowns　you　is　proud　of　you；

butha！　here；　if　I　mistake　not；　comes　our　signal　to　advance。〃　　And

in　fact；　Captain　Vandeleur；　riding　up　through　the　shower　of　shot；

asked　for　the　commander　of　the　detachment；　and　bade　me　hold　myself

in　readiness　to　move　as　soon　as　the　flank　companies　of　the　Ninety…

ninth；　and　Sixty…sixth；　and　the　Grenadier　Brigade　of　the　German

Legion　began　to　advance　up　the　echelon。　　The　devoted　band　soon

arrived；　Jack　Bowser　heading　the　Ninety…ninth　（when　was　he　away　and

a　storming…party　to　the　fore？）；　and　the　gallant　Potztausend；　with

his　Hanoverian　veterans。



The　second　rocket　flew　up。



〃Forward；　Onety…oneth！〃　cried　I；　in　a　voice　of　thunder。　　〃Killaloo

boys；　follow　your　captain！〃　and　with　a　shrill　hurray；　that　sounded

above　the　tremendous　fire　from　the　fort；　we　sprung　upon　the　steep；

Bowser　with　the　brave　Ninety…ninth；　and　the　bold　Potztausend；

keeping　well　up　with　us。　　We　passed　the　demilune；　we　passed　the

culverin；　bayoneting　the　artillerymen　at　their　guns；　we　advanced

across　the　two　tremendous　demilunes　which　flank　the　counterscarp；

and　prepared　for　the　final　spring　upon　the　citadel。　　Soult　I　could

see　quite　pale　on　the　wall；　and　the　scoundrel　Cambaceres；　who　had

been　so　nearly　my　prisoner　that　day；　trembled　as　he　cheered　his

men。　　〃On；　boys；　on！〃　I　hoarsely　exclaimed。　　〃Hurroo！〃　said　the

fighting　Onety…oneth。



But　there　was　a　movement　among　the　enemy。　　An　officer；　glittering

with　orders；　and　another　in　a　gray　coat　and　a　cocked　hat；　came　to

the　wall；　and　I　recognized　the　Emperor　Napoleon　and　the　famous

Joachim　Murat。



〃We　are　hardly　pressed；　methinks；〃　Napoleon　said　sternly。　　〃I　must

exercise　my　old　trade　as　an　artilleryman；〃　and　Murat　loaded；　and

the　Emperor　pointed　the　only　hundred…and…twenty…four…pounder　that

had　not　been　silenced　by　our　fire。



〃Hurray；　Killaloo　boys！〃　shouted　I。　　The　next　moment　a　sensation　of

numbness　and　death　seized　me；　and　I　lay　like　a　corpse　upon　the

rampart。





II。





〃Hush！〃　said　a　voice；　which　I　recognized　to　be　that　of　the　Marquis

d'　O'Mahony。　　〃Heaven　be　praised；　reason　has　returned　to　you。　　For

six　weeks　those　are　the　only　sane　words　I　have　heard　from　you。〃



〃Faix；　and　'tis　thrue　for　you；　Colonel　dear；〃　cried　another　voice；

with　which　I　was　even　more　familiar；　'twas　that　of　my　honest　and

gallant　Lanty　Clancy；　who　was　blubbering　at　my　bedside　overjoyed　at

his　master's　recovery。



〃O　musha；　Masther　Phil　agrah！　but　this　will　be　the　great　day

intirely；　when　I　send　off　the　news；　which　I　would；　barrin'　I　can't

write；　to　the　lady　your　mother　and　your　sisters　at　Castle　Fogarty；

and　'tis　his　Riv'rence　Father　Luke　will　jump　for　joy　thin；　when　he

reads　the　letther！　　Six　weeks　ravin'　and　roarin'　as　bould　as　a

lion；　and　as　mad　as　Mick　Malony's　pig；　that　mistuck　Mick's　wig　for

a　cabbage；　and　died　of　atin'　it！〃



〃And　have　I　then　lost　my　senses？〃　I　exclaimed　feebly。



〃Sure；　didn't　ye　call　me　your　beautiful　Donna　Anna　only　yesterday；

and　catch　hould　of　me　whiskers　as　if　they　were　the　Signora's　jet…

black　ringlets？〃　Lanty　cried。



At　this　moment；　and　blushing　deeply；　the　most　beautiful　young

creature　I　ever　set　my　eyes　upon；　rose　from　a　chair　at　the　foot　of

the　bed；　and　sailed　out　of　the　room。



〃Confusion；　you　blundering　rogue；〃　I　cried；　〃who　is　that　lovely

lady　whom　you　frightened　away　by　your　impertinence？　　Donna　Anna？

Where　am　I？〃



〃You　are　in　good　hands；　Philip；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃you　are　at　my

house　in　the　Place　Vendome；　at　Paris；　of　which　I　am　the　military

Governor。　　You　and　Lanty　were　knocked　down　by　the　wind　of　the

cannon…ball　at　Burgos。　　Do　not　be　ashamed：　'twas　the　Emperor

pointed　the　gun；〃　and　the　Colonel　took　off　his　hat　as　he　mentioned

the　name　darling　to　France。　　〃When　our　troops　returned　from　the

sally　in　which　your　gallant　storming　party　was　driven　back；　you

were　found　on　the　glacis；　and　I　had　you　brought　into　the　City。

Your　reason　had　left　you；　however；　when　you　returned　to　life；　but；

unwilling　to　desert　the　son　of　my　old　friend；　Philip　Fogarty；　who

saved　my　life　in　'98；　I　brought　you　in　my　carriage　to　Paris。〃



〃And　many's　the　time　you　tried　to　jump　out　of　the　windy；　Masther

Phil；〃　said　Clancy。



〃Brought　you　to　Paris；〃　resumed　the　Colonel；　smiling；　〃where；　by

the　soins　of　my　friends　Broussais；　Esquirol；　and　Baron　Larrey；　you

have　been　restored　to　health；　thank　heaven！〃



〃And　that　lovely　angel　who　quitted　the　apartment？〃　I　cried。



〃That　lovely　angel　is　the　Lady　Blanche　Sarsfield；　my　ward；　a

descendant　of　the　gallant　Lucan；　and　who　may　be；　when　she　chooses；

Madame　la　Marechale　de　Cambaceres；　Duchess　of　Illyria。〃



〃Why　did　you　deliver　the　ruffian　when　he　was　in　my　grasp？〃　I　cried。



〃Why　did　Lanty　deliver　you　when　in　mine？〃　the　Colonel　replied。

〃C'est　la　fortune　de　la　guerre；　mon　garcon；　but　calm　yourself；　and

take　this　potion　which　Blanche　has　prepared　for　you。〃



I　drank　the　tisane　eagerly　when　I　heard　whose　fair　hands　had

compounded　it；　and　its　effects　were　speedily　beneficial　to　me；　for

I　sank　into　a　cool　and　refreshing　slumber。



From　that　day　I　began　to　mend　rapidly；　with　all　the　elasticity　of

youth's　happy　time。　　Blanchethe　enchanting　Blancheministered

henceforth　to　me；　for　I　would　take　no　medicine　but　from　her　lily

hand。　　And　what　were　the　effects？　　'Faith；　ere　a　month　was　past；

the　patient　was　over　head　and　ears　in　love　with　the　doctor；　and　as

for　Baron　Larrey；　and　Broussais；　and　Esquirol；　they　were　sent　to

the　right…about。　　In　a　short　time　I　was　in　a　situation　to　do

justice　to　the　gigot　aux　navets；　the　boeuf　aux　cornichons；　and　the

other　delicious　entremets　of　the　Marquis's　board；　with　an　appetite

that　astonished　some　of　the　Frenchmen　who　frequented　it。



〃Wait　till　he's　quite　well；　Miss；〃　said　Lanty；　who　waited　always

behind　me。　　〃'Faith！　when　he's　in　health；　I'd　back　him　to　ate　a

cow；　barrin'　the　horns　and　teel。〃　　I　sent　a　decanter　at　the　rogue's

head；　by　way　of　answer　to　his　impertinence。



Although　the　disgusting　Cambaceres　did　his　best　to　have　my　parole

withdrawn　from　me；　and　to　cause　me　to　be　sent　to　the　English　depot

of　prisoners　at　Verdun；　the　Marquis's　interest　with　the　Emperor

prevailed；　and　I　was　allowed　to　remain　at　Paris；　the　happiest　of

prisoners；　at　the　Colonel's　hotel　at　the　Place　Vendome。　　I　here　had

the　opportunity　（an　opportunity　not　lost；　I　flatter　myself；　on　a

young　fellow　with　the　accomplishments　of　Philip　Fogarty；　Esq。）　of

mixing　with　the　elite　of　French　society；　and　meeting　with　many　of

the　great；　the　beautiful；　and　the　brave。　　Talleyrand　was　a　frequent

guest　of　the　Marquis's。　　His　bon…mots　used　to　keep　the　table　in　a

roar。　　Ney　frequently　took　his　chop　with　us；　Murat；　when　in　town；

constantly　dropt　in　for　a　cup　of　tea　and　friendly　round　game。

Alas！　who　would　have　thought　those　two　gallant　heads　would　be　so

soon　laid　low？　　My　wif