The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard

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Excerpt: ...be free-handed. At the same time, when it came to work they had a very high respect for him, and they would rather fight under him than under anyone except the Emperor himself, and Lannes, when he was alive. After all, if he had a tight grasp upon his money-bags, there was a day also, you must remember, when that same grip was upon Zurich and Genoa. He clutched on to his positions as he did to his strong box, and it took a very clever man to loosen him from either. When I received his summons I went gladly to his headquarters, for I was always a great favourite of his, and there was no officer of whom he thought more highly. That was the best of serving with those good old generals, that they knew enough to be able to pick out a fine soldier when they saw one. He was seated alone in his tent, with his chin upon his hand, and his brow as wrinkled as if he had been asked for a subscription. He smiled, however, when he saw me before him. 'Good day, Colonel Gerard.' 'Good day, Marshal.' 'How is the Third of Hussars?' 'Seven hundred incomparable men upon seven hundred excellent horses.' 'And your wounds-are they healed?' 'My wounds never heal, Marshal, ' I answered. 'And why?' 'Because I have always new ones.' 'General Rapp must look to his laurels, ' said he, his face all breaking into wrinkles as he laughed. 'He has had twenty-one from the enemy's bullets, and as many from Larrey's knives and probes. Knowing that you were hurt, Colonel, I have spared you of late.' 'Which hurt me most of all.' 'Tut, tut! Since the English got behind these accursed lines of Torres Vedras, there has been little for us to do. You did not miss much during your imprisonment at Dartmoor. But now we are on the eve of action.' 'We advance?' 'No, retire.' My face must have shown my dismay. What, retire before this sacred dog of a Wellington-he who had listened unmoved to my words, and had sent me to his land of fogs? I could have sobbed as I thought of it. 'What would...