Part 28 (2/2)

Catherine and I were seeking Jacob; no doubt Gredel was looking for Jean Baptiste.

We saw our poor Mobiles pa.s.sing by, scarcely recognizable after those five months. All through the fearful cold these unhappy men had had nothing on but their summer blouses and linen trousers. Many of them might have escaped and gained their villages, for the gates had stood open since the evening before; but not a man thought of doing so; it was not supposed that Mobiles would be treated like regular soldiers.

On the _place_, in front of the fallen church filled with its own ruins, we heard, for the first time, that the garrison were prisoners of war.

The cafes Vacheron, Meyer, and Hoffmann, riddled with b.a.l.l.s, were swarming with officers.

We were gazing, not knowing whom to ask after Jacob, when a cry behind us made us turn round; and there was Gredel in the arms of Jean Baptiste Werner! Then I kept silence; my wife also. Since she would have it so, well, so let it be; this matter concerned her much more than it did us.

Jean Baptiste, after the first moment, looked embarra.s.sed at seeing us; he approached us with a pale face, and as we spoke not a word to him, George shook him by the hand, and cried: ”Jean Baptiste, I know that you have behaved well during this siege; we have learned it all with pleasure: didn't we, Christian? didn't we, Catherine?”

What answer could we make? I said ”yes”--and mother, with tears in her eyes, cried: ”Jean Baptiste, is Jacob not wounded?”

”No, Madame Weber; we have always been very comfortable together.

There is nothing the matter. I'll fetch him: only come in somewhere.”

”We are going to the Cafe Hoffmann,” said she. ”Try to find him, Jean Baptiste.” And as he was turning in the direction of the mayoralty-house:

”There,” said he, ”there he is coming round the corner by the chemist Rebe's shop.” And we began, to cry ”Jacob!”

And our lad ran, crossing the _place_.

A minute after, we were in each other's arms.

He had on a coa.r.s.e soldier's cloak, and canvas trousers; his cheeks were hollow; he stared at us, and stammered: ”Oh, is it you? You are not all dead?”

He looked stupefied; and his mother, holding him, murmured: ”It is he!”

She would not relinquish her hold upon him, and wiped her eyes with her ap.r.o.n.

Gredel and Jean Baptiste followed arm-in-arm, with George and Marie Anne. We entered the Cafe Hoffmann together; we sat round a table in the room at the left, and George ordered some coffee, for we all felt the need of a little warmth.

None of us wished to speak; we were downcast, and held each other by the hand, gazing in each other's faces.

The young officers of the Mobiles were talking together in the next room; we could hear them saying that not one would sign the engagement not to serve again during the campaign; that they would all go as prisoners of war, and would accept no other lot than that of their men.

This idea of seeing our Jacob go off as a prisoner of war, almost broke our hearts, and my wife began to sob bitterly, with her head upon the table.

Jacob would have wished to come back to the mill along with us; I could see this by his countenance; but he was not an officer, and his _parole_ was not asked for. And, in spite of all, hearing those spirited young men, who were sacrificing their liberty to discharge a duty, I should myself have said ”No: a man must be a man!”

Werner was talking with my cousin: they spoke in whispers; having, no doubt, secret matters to discuss. I saw George slip something into his hand. What could it be? I cannot say; but all at once Jean Baptiste rising from his seat and kissing Gredel without any ceremony before our faces, said that he was on service; that he would not see us again very soon, as after the muster their march would begin, so that we should have to say good-by at once.

He held out both his hands to my wife and then to Marie Anne, after which he went out with George and Gredel, leaving us much astonished.

Jacob and Marie Anne remained with us; in a couple of minutes Gredel and my cousin returned; Gredel, whose eyes were red, sat by the side of Marie Anne without speaking, and we saw that her basket of provisions was gone.

The stir upon the _place_ became greater and greater. The drums beat the a.s.sembly, the officers of the Mobiles were coming out. I then thought I would ask Jacob what had become of Mathias Heitz; he told us that the wretched coward had been trembling with fright the whole time of the siege, and that at last he had fallen ill of fear. Gredel did not turn her head to listen; she would have nothing to do with him!

And, in truth, on hearing this, I felt I should prefer giving our daughter to our ragman's son than to this fellow Mathias.

<script>