Chapter 27

Hulot took the spy by the arm with a grip that left the imprint of his fingers on the flesh.

“Out of this camp!” he cried; “your business is done here. Look well at the face of Commander Hulot, and never find yourself again in his way if you don’t want your belly to be the scabbard of his blade--”

And the older soldier flourished his sabre.

“That’s another of the honest men who will never make their way,” said Corentin to himself when he was some distance from the guard-room.

The marquis was still able to thank his gallant adversary by a look marking the respect which all soldiers feel for loyal enemies.

* * * * *

In 1827 an old man accompanied by his wife was buying cattle in the market-place of Fougeres. Few persons remembered that he had killed a hundred or more men, and that his former name was Marche-a-Terre. A person to whom we owe important information about all the personages of this drama saw him there, leading a cow, and was struck by his simple, ingenuous air, which led her to remark, “That must be a worthy man.”

As for Cibot, otherwise called Pille-Miche, we already know his end. It is likely that Marche-a-Terre made some attempt to save his comrade from the scaffold; possibly he was in the square at Alencon on the occasion of the frightful tumult which was one of the events of the famous trial of Rifoel, Briond, and la Chanterie.

ADDENDUM

The following personages appear in other stories of the Human Comedy.

Berthier, Alexandre The Gondreville Mystery

Brigaut, Major Pierrette

Casteran, De The Seamy Side of History Jealousies of a Country Town Beatrix The Peasantry

Cibot, Jean (alias Pille-Miche) The Seamy Side of History

Corentin The Gondreville Mystery Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life The Middle Classes

Esgrignon, Charles-Marie-Victor-Ange-Carol, Marquis d’ (or Des Grignons) Jealousies of a Country Town

Falcon, Jean (alias Beaupied or Beau-Pied) The Muse of the Department Cousin Betty

Ferdinand Beatrix

Fontaine, Comte de Modeste Mignon The Ball at Sceaux Cesar Birotteau The Government Clerks

Fouche, Joseph The Gondreville Mystery Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life

Guenic, Gaudebert-Calyste-Charles, Baron du Beatrix

Hulot (Marshal) The Muse of the Department Cousin Betty

La Billardiere, Athanase-Jean-Francois-Michel, Baron Flamet de Cesar Birotteau The Government Clerks

Leroi, Pierre The Seamy Side of History Jealousies of a Country Town

Loudon, Prince de Modeste Mignon

Louis XVIII., Louis-Stanislas-Xavier The Seamy Side of History The Gondreville Mystery Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life The Ball at Sceaux The Lily of the Valley Colonel Chabert The Government Clerks

Montauran, Marquis Alphonse de Cesar Birotteau

Montauran, Marquis de (younger brother of Alphonse de) The Seamy Side of History Cousin Betty

Stael-Holstein (Anne-Louise-Germaine Necker) Baronne de Louis Lambert Letters of Two Brides

Talleyrand-Perigord, Charles-Maurice de The Gondreville Mystery The Thirteen Letters of Two Brides Gaudissart II.

Troisville, Guibelin, Vicomte de The Seamy Side of History Jealousies of a Country Town The Peasantry

Valois, Chevalier de Jealousies of a Country Town

Verneuil, Duc de Jealousies of a Country Town

Vissard, Charles-Amedee-Louis-Joseph Rifoel, Chevalier du The Seamy Side of History