the seven poor travellers-第4部分

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Major　Taunton；　with　the　dark；　bright　eyes；　and　Ensign　Richard

Doubledick；　who　was　devoted　to　him；　were　seen　to　go；　there　the

boldest　spirits　in　the　English　army　became　wild　to　follow。



One　day；　at　Badajos；not　in　the　great　storming；　but　in　repelling　a

hot　sally　of　the　besieged　upon　our　men　at　work　in　the　trenches；　who

had　given　way；the　two　officers　found　themselves　hurrying　forward；

face　to　face；　against　a　party　of　French　infantry；　who　made　a　stand。

There　was　an　officer　at　their　head；　encouraging　his　men；a

courageous；　handsome；　gallant　officer　of　five…and…thirty；　whom

Doubledick　saw　hurriedly；　almost　momentarily；　but　saw　well。　　He

particularly　noticed　this　officer　waving　his　sword；　and　rallying　his

men　with　an　eager　and　excited　cry；　when　they　fired　in　obedience　to

his　gesture；　and　Major　Taunton　dropped。



It　was　over　in　ten　minutes　more；　and　Doubledick　returned　to　the　spot

where　he　had　laid　the　best　friend　man　ever　had　on　a　coat　spread　upon

the　wet　clay。　　Major　Taunton's　uniform　was　opened　at　the　breast；　and

on　his　shirt　were　three　little　spots　of　blood。



〃Dear　Doubledick；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　dying。〃



〃For　the　love　of　Heaven；　no！〃　exclaimed　the　other；　kneeling　down

beside　him；　and　passing　his　arm　round　his　neck　to　raise　his　head。

〃Taunton！　　My　preserver；　my　guardian　angel；　my　witness！　　Dearest；

truest；　kindest　of　human　beings！　　Taunton！　　For　God's　sake！〃



The　bright；　dark　eyesso　very；　very　dark　now；　in　the　pale　face

smiled　upon　him；　and　the　hand　he　had　kissed　thirteen　years　ago　laid

itself　fondly　on　his　breast。



〃Write　to　my　mother。　　You　will　see　Home　again。　　Tell　her　how　we

became　friends。　　It　will　comfort　her；　as　it　comforts　me。〃



He　spoke　no　more；　but　faintly　signed　for　a　moment　towards　his　hair

as　it　fluttered　in　the　wind。　　The　Ensign　understood　him。　　He　smiled

again　when　he　saw　that；　and；　gently　turning　his　face　over　on　the

supporting　arm　as　if　for　rest；　died；　with　his　hand　upon　the　breast

in　which　he　had　revived　a　soul。



No　dry　eye　looked　on　Ensign　Richard　Doubledick　that　melancholy　day。

He　buried　his　friend　on　the　field；　and　became　a　lone；　bereaved　man。

Beyond　his　duty　he　appeared　to　have　but　two　remaining　cares　in

life；one；　to　preserve　the　little　packet　of　hair　he　was　to　give　to

Taunton's　mother；　the　other；　to　encounter　that　French　officer　who

had　rallied　the　men　under　whose　fire　Taunton　fell。　　A　new　legend　now

began　to　circulate　among　our　troops；　and　it　was；　that　when　he　and

the　French　officer　came　face　to　face　once　more；　there　would　be

weeping　in　France。



The　war　went　onand　through　it　went　the　exact　picture　of　the　French

officer　on　the　one　side；　and　the　bodily　reality　upon　the　other

until　the　Battle　of　Toulouse　was　fought。　　In　the　returns　sent　home

appeared　these　words：　　〃Severely　wounded；　but　not　dangerously；

Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick。〃



At　Midsummer…time；　in　the　year　eighteen　hundred　and　fourteen；

Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick；　now　a　browned　soldier；　seven…and…

thirty　years　of　age；　came　home　to　England　invalided。　　He　brought　the

hair　with　him；　near　his　heart。　　Many　a　French　officer　had　he　seen

since　that　day；　many　a　dreadful　night；　in　searching　with　men　and

lanterns　for　his　wounded；　had　he　relieved　French　officers　lying

disabled；　but　the　mental　picture　and　the　reality　had　never　come

together。



Though　he　was　weak　and　suffered　pain；　he　lost　not　an　hour　in　getting

down　to　Frome　in　Somersetshire；　where　Taunton's　mother　lived。　　In

the　sweet；　compassionate　words　that　naturally　present　themselves　to

the　mind　to…night；　〃he　was　the　only　son　of　his　mother；　and　she　was　a

widow。〃



It　was　a　Sunday　evening；　and　the　lady　sat　at　her　quiet　garden…

window；　reading　the　Bible；　reading　to　herself；　in　a　trembling　voice；

that　very　passage　in　it；　as　I　have　heard　him　tell。　　He　heard　the

words：　　〃Young　man；　I　say　unto　thee；　arise！〃



He　had　to　pass　the　window；　and　the　bright；　dark　eyes　of　his　debased

time　seemed　to　look　at　him。　　Her　heart　told　her　who　he　was；　she　came

to　the　door　quickly；　and　fell　upon　his　neck。



〃He　saved　me　from　ruin；　made　me　a　human　creature；　won　me　from　infamy

and　shame。　　O；　God　for　ever　bless　him！　　As　He　will；　He　Will！〃



〃He　will！〃　the　lady　answered。　　〃I　know　he　is　in　heaven！〃　　Then　she

piteously　cried；　〃But　O；　my　darling　boy；　my　darling　boy！〃



Never　from　the　hour　when　Private　Richard　Doubledick　enlisted　at

Chatham　had　the　Private；　Corporal；　Sergeant；　Sergeant…Major；　Ensign；

or　Lieutenant　breathed　his　right　name；　or　the　name　of　Mary　Marshall；

or　a　word　of　the　story　of　his　life；　into　any　ear　except　his

reclaimer's。　　That　previous　scene　in　his　existence　was　closed。　　He

had　firmly　resolved　that　his　expiation　should　be　to　live　unknown；　to

disturb　no　more　the　peace　that　had　long　grown　over　his　old　offences；

to　let　it　be　revealed；　when　he　was　dead；　that　he　had　striven　and

suffered；　and　had　never　forgotten；　and　then；　if　they　could　forgive

him　and　believe　himwell；　it　would　be　time　enoughtime　enough！



But　that　night；　remembering　the　words　he　had　cherished　for　two

years；　〃Tell　her　how　we　became　friends。　　It　will　comfort　her；　as　it

comforts　me；〃　he　related　everything。　　It　gradually　seemed　to　him　as

if　in　his　maturity　he　had　recovered　a　mother；　it　gradually　seemed　to

her　as　if　in　her　bereavement　she　had　found　a　son。　　During　his　stay

in　England；　the　quiet　garden　into　which　he　had　slowly　and　painfully

crept；　a　stranger；　became　the　boundary　of　his　home；　when　he　was　able

to　rejoin　his　regiment　in　the　spring；　he　left　the　garden；　thinking

was　this　indeed　the　first　time　he　had　ever　turned　his　face　towards

the　old　colours　with　a　woman's　blessing！



He　followed　themso　ragged；　so　scarred　and　pierced　now；　that　they

would　scarcely　hold　togetherto　Quatre　Bras　and　Ligny。　　He　stood

beside　them；　in　an　awful　stillness　of　many　men；　shadowy　through　the

mist　and　drizzle　of　a　wet　June　forenoon；　on　the　field　of　Waterloo。

And　down　to　that　hour　the　picture　in　his　mind　of　the　French　officer

had　never　been　compared　with　the　reality。



The　famous　regiment　was　in　action　early　in　the　battle；　and　received

its　first　check　in　many　an　eventful　year；　when　he　was　seen　to　fall。

But　it　swept　on　to　avenge　him；　and　left　behind　it　no　such　creature

in　the　world　of　consciousness　as　Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick。



Through　pits　of　mire；　and　pools　of　rain；　along　deep　ditches；　once

roads；　that　were　pounded　and　ploughed　to　pieces　by　artillery；　heavy

waggons；　tramp　of　men　and　horses；　and　the　struggle　of　every　wheeled

thing　that　could　carry　wounded　soldiers；　jolted　among　the　dying　and

the　dead；　so　disfigured　by　blood　and　mud　as　to　be　hardly

recognisable　for　humanity；　undisturbed　by　the　moaning　of　men　and　the

shrieking　of　horses；　which；　newly　taken　from　the　peaceful　pursuits

of　life；　could　not　endure　the　sight　of　the　stragglers　lying　by　the

wayside；　never　to　resume　their　toilsome　journey；　dead；　as　to　any

sentient　life　that　was　in　it；　and　yet　alive；the　form　that　had　been

Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick；　with　whose　praises　England　rang；　was

conveyed　to　Brussels。　　There　it　was　tenderly　laid　down　in　hospital；

and　there　it　lay；　week　after　week；　through　the　long　bright　summer

days；　until　the　harvest；　spared　by　war；　had　ripened　and　was　gathered

in。



Over　and　over　again　the　sun　rose　and　set　upon　the　crowded　city；　over

and　over　again　the　moonlight　nights　were　quiet　on　the　plains　of

Waterloo：　　and　all　that　time　was　a　blank　to　what　had　been　Lieutenant

Richard　Doubledick。　　Rejoicing　troops　marched　into　Brussels；　and

marched　out；　brothers　and　fathers；　sisters；　mothers；　and　wives；　came

thronging　thither；　drew　their　lots　of　joy　or　agony；　and　departed；　so

many　times　a　day　the　bells　rang；　so　many　times　the　shadows　of　the

great　buildings　changed；　so　many　lights　sprang　up　at　dusk；　so　many

feet　passed　here　and　there　upon　the　pavements；　so　many　hours　of

sleep　and　cooler　air　of　night　succeeded：　　indifferent　to　all；　a

marble　face　lay　on　a　bed；　like　the　face　of　a　recumbent　statue　on　the

tomb　of　Lieutenant　Richard　Doubledick。



Slowly　labouring；　at　last；　through　a　long　heavy　dream　of　confused

time　and　place；　presenting　faint　glimpses　of　army　surgeons　whom　he

knew；　and　of　faces　that　had　been　familiar　to　his　youth；dearest　and

kindest　among　them；　Mary　Marshall's；　with　a　solicitude　upon　it　more

like　reality　than　anything　he　could　discern；Lieutenant　Richard

Doubledick　came　back　to　life。　　To　the　beautiful　life　of　a　calm

autumn　evening　sunset；　to　the　peaceful　life　of　a　fresh　quiet　room

with　a　large　window　standing　open；　a　balcony　beyond；　in　which　were

moving　leaves　and　sweet…smelling　flowers；　beyond；　again；　the　clear

sky；　with　the　sun　full　in　his　sight；　pouring　its　golden　radiance　on

his　bed。



It　was　so　tranquil　and　so　lovely　that　he　thought　he　had　passed　into

another　world。　　And　he　said　in　a　faint　voice；　〃Taunton；　are　you　near

me？〃



A　face　bent　over　him。　　Not　his；　his　mother's。



〃I　came　to　nurse　you。　　We　have　nursed　you　many　weeks。　　You　were

moved　here　long　ago。　　Do　you　remember　nothing？〃



〃Nothing。〃



The　lady　kissed　his　cheek；　and　held　his　hand；　soothing　him。



〃Where　is　the　regiment？　　What　has　happened？　　Let　me　call　you　mother。

What　has　happened；　mother？〃



〃A　great　victory；　dear。　　The　war　is　over；　and　the　regiment　was　the

bravest　in　the　field。〃



His　eyes　kindled；　his　lips　trembled；　he　sobbed；　and　the　tears　ran

down　his　face。　　He　was　very　weak；　too　weak　to　move　his　hand。



〃Was　it　dark　just　now？〃　he　asked　presently。



〃No。〃



〃It　was　only　dark　to　me？　　Something　passed　away；　like　a　black

shadow。　　But　as　it　went；　and　the　sunO　the　blessed　sun；　how

beautiful　it　is！touched　my　face；　I　thought　I　saw　a　light　white

cloud　pass　out　at　the　door。　　Was　there　nothing　that　went　out？〃



She　shook　her　head；　and　in　a　little　while　he　fell　asleep；　she　still

holding　his　hand；　and　soothing　him。



From　that　time；　he　recovered。　　Slowly；　for　he　had　been　desperately

wounded　in　the　head；