The Point Of Honor: A Military Tale

by Joseph Conrad

something much more binding. Isit not so, general?"

  General Feraud only lowered his head in sign of assent. The two veteranslooked at each other. Later in the day when they found themselves alone,out of their moody friend's earshot, the cuirassier remarked suddenly:

  "Generally speaking, I can see with my one eye as far or even a littlefarther than most people. But this beats me. He won't say anything."

  "In this affair of honour I understand there has been from first to lastalways something that no one in the army could quite make out," declaredthe chasseur with the imperfect nose. "In mystery it began, in mysteryit went on, and in mystery it is to end apparently...."

  General D'Hubert walked home with long, hasty strides, by no meansuplifted by a sense of triumph. He had conquered, but it did not seemto him he had gained very much by his conquest. The night before he hadgrudged the risk of his life which appeared to him magnificent, worthyof preservation as an opportunity to win a girl's love. He had evenmoments when by a marvellous illusion this love seemed to him alreadyhis and his threatened life a still more magnificent opportunity ofdevotion. Now that his life was safe it had suddenly lost it specialmagnificence. It wore instead a specially alarming aspect as a snare forthe exposure of unworthiness. As to the marvellous illusion of conqueredlove that had visited him for a moment in the agitated watches of thenight which might have been his last on earth, he comprehended now itstrue nature. It had been merely a paroxysm of delirious conceit. Thus tothis man sobered by the victorious issue of a duel, life appeared robbedof much of its charm simply because it was no longer menaced.

  Approaching the house from the back through the orchard and the kitchengardens, he could not notice the agitation which reigned in front. Henever met a single soul. Only upstairs, while walking softly along thecorridor, he became aware that the house was awake and much more noisythan usual. Names of servants were being called out down below in aconfused noise of coming and going. He noticed with some concern thatthe door of his own room stood ajar, though the shutters had not beenopened yet. He had hoped that his early excursion would have passedunperceived. He expected to find some servant just gone in; but thesunshine filtering through the usual cracks enabled him to see lyingon the low divan something bulky which had the appearance of two womenclasped in each other's arms. Tearful and consolatory murmurs issuedmysteriously from that appearance. General D'Hubert pulled open thenearest pair of shutters violently. One of the women then jumped up. Itwas his sister. She stood for a moment with her hair hanging down andher arms raised straight up above her head, and then flung herself witha stifled cry into his arms. He returned her embrace, trying at the sametime to disengage himself from it. The other woman had not risen. Sheseemed, on the contrary, to cling closer to the divan, hiding her facein the cushions. Her hair was also loose; it was admirably fair. GeneralD'Hubert recognised it with staggering emotion. Mlle. de Valmassigue!Adele! In distress!

  He became greatly alarmed and got rid of his sister's hug definitely.Madame Leonie then extended her shapely bare arm out of her peignoir,pointing dramatically at the divan:

  "This poor terrified child has rushed here two miles from home onfoot--running all the way."

  "What on earth has happened?" asked General D'Hubert in a low, agitatedvoice. But Madame Leonie was speaking loudly.

  "She rang the great bell at the gate and roused all the household--wewere all asleep yet. You may imagine what a terrible shock.... Adele, mydear child, sit up."

  General D'Hubert's expression was not that of a man who imagineswith facility. He did, however, fish out of chaos the notion that hisprospective mother-in-law had died suddenly, but only to dismiss it atonce. He could not conceive the nature of the event, of the catastrophewhich could induce Mlle, de Valmassigue living in a house full ofservants, to bring the news over the fields herself, two miles, runningall the way.

  "But why are you in this room?" he whispered, full of awe.

  "Of course I ran up to see and this child... I did not notice it--shefollowed me. It's that absurd Chevalier," went on Madame Leonie, lookingtowards the divan.... "Her hair's come down. You may imagine she did notstop to call her maid to dress it before she started.... Adele, mydear, sit up.... He blurted it all out to her at half-past four in themorning. She woke up early, and opened her shutters, to breathe thefresh air, and saw him sitting collapsed on a garden bench at the end ofthe great alley. At that hour--you may imagine! And the evening beforehe had declared himself indisposed. She just hurried on some clothes andflew down to him. One would be anxious for less. He loves her, but notvery intelligently. He had been up all night, fully dressed, the poorold man, perfectly exhausted! He wasn't in a state to invent a plausiblestory.... What a confidant you chose there!... My husband was furious!He said: 'We can't interfere now.' So we sat down to wait. It was awful.And this poor child running over here publicly with her hair loose.She has been seen by people in the fields. She has roused the wholehousehold, too. It's awkward for her. Luckily you are to be married nextweek.... Adele, sit up. He has come home on his own legs, thank God....We expected you to come back on a stretcher perhaps--what do I know? Goand see if the carriage is ready. I must take this child to her motherat once. It isn't proper for her to stay here a minute longer."

  General D'Hubert did not move. It was as though he had heard nothing.Madame Leonie changed her mind.

  "I will go and see to it myself," she said. "I want also to get mycloak... Adele..." she began, but did not say "sit up." She went outsaying in a loud, cheerful tone: "I leave the door open."

  General D'Hubert made a movement towards the divan, but then Adelesat up and that checked him dead. He thought, "I haven't washed thismorning. I must look like an old tramp. There's earth on the back ofmy coat, and pine needles in my hair." It occurred to him that thesituation required a good deal of circumspection on his part.

  "I am greatly concerned, mademoiselle," he began timidly, and abandonedthat line. She was sitting up on the divan with her cheeksunusually pink, and her hair brilliantly fair, falling all over hershoulders--which was a very novel sight to the general. He walked awayup the room and, looking out of the window for safety, said: "I fear youmust think I behaved like a madman," in accents of sincere despair....Then he spun round and noticed that she had followed him with her eyes.They were not cast down on meeting his glance. And the expression of herface was novel to him also. It was, one might have said, reversed. Hereyes looked at him with grave thoughtfulness, while the exquisite linesof her mouth seemed to suggest a restrained smile. This change made hertranscendental beauty much less mysterious, much more accessible to aman's comprehension. An amazing ease of mind came to the general--andeven some ease of manner. He walked down the room with as muchpleasurable excitement as he would have found in walking up to a batteryvomiting death, fire, and smoke, then stood looking down with smilingeyes at the girl whose marriage with him (next week) had been socarefully arranged by the wise, the good, the admirable Leonie.

  "Ah, mademoiselle," he said in a tone of courtly deference. "If I couldbe certain that you did not come here this morning only from a sense ofduty to your mother!"

  He waited for an answer, imperturbable but inwardly elated. It came in ademure murmur, eyelashes lowered with fascinating effect.

  "You mustn't be _mechant_ as well as mad."

  And then General D'Hubert made an aggressive movement towards the divanwhich nothing could check. This piece of furniture was not exactly inthe line of the open door. But Madame Leonie, coming back wrapped up ina light cloak and carrying a lace shawl on her arm for Adele to hideher incriminating hair under, had a vague impression of her brothergetting-up from his knees.

  "Come along, my dear child," she cried from the doorway.

  The general, now himself again in the fullest sense, showed thereadiness of a resourceful cavalry officer and the peremptoriness of aleader of men.

  "You don't expect her to walk to the carriage," he protested. "She isn'tfit. I will carry her downstairs."
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br />   This he did slowly, followed by his awed and respectful sister. But herushed back like a whirlwind to wash away all the signs of the night ofanguish and the morning of war, and to put on the festive garments of aconqueror before hurrying over to the other house. Had it not been forthat, General D'Hubert felt capable of mounting a horse and pursuing hislate adversary in order simply to embrace him from excess of happiness."I owe this piece of luck to that stupid brute," he thought. "This duelhas made plain in one morning what might have taken me years to findout--for I am a timid fool. No self-confidence whatever. Perfect coward.And the Chevalier! Dear old man!" General D'Hubert longed to embracehim, too.

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