Uncle Bernac

Коллекция текстов · adventure

Chapter I — The Coast of France
I dare say that I had already read my uncle's letter a hundred times, and I am sure that I knew it by heart. None the less I took it out of…
Chapter II — The Salt-Marsh
When a man has reached his mature age he can rest at that point of vantage, and cast his eyes back at the long road along which he has trav…
Chapter III — The Ruined Cottage
It was delightful to see the glow and twinkle of the fire and to escape from the wet wind and the numbing cold, but my curiosity had alread…
Chapter IV — Men of the Night
I had little time given me to realise the extraordinary and humiliating position in which I found myself, for I was lifted up by my ankles,…
Chapter V — The Law
The cupboard—for it was little more—into which I had been hurried was low and narrow, and I felt in the darkness that it was heaped with pe…
Chapter VI — The Secret Passage
The fire had already smouldered down, and my companion blew out the lamp, so that we had not taken ten paces before we had lost sight of th…
Chapter VII — The Owner of Grosbois
My host was as good as his word, for, when a noise in my room awoke me in the morning, it was to find him standing by the side of my bed, s…
Chapter VIII — Cousin Sibylle
I could see in my uncle's grim face as he looked at us the keenest satisfaction contending with surprise at this sign of our sudden reconci…
Chapter IX — The Camp of Boulogne
My uncle was still standing at the castle gateway, the very picture of a usurper, with our own old coat-of-arms of the bend argent and the…
Chapter X — The Ante-Room
The camp of Boulogne contained at that time one hundred and fifty thousand infantry, with fifty thousand cavalry, so that its population wa…
Chapter XI — The Secretary
Emperor, generals, and officials all streamed away to the review, leaving me with a gentle-looking, large-eyed man in a black suit with ver…
Chapter XII — The Man of Action (1)
De Meneval's tent had been pitched in such a way that he could overlook the Royal headquarters, but whether it was that we were too absorbe…
Chapter XII — The Man of Action (2)
'Yes, in London, and not at the Tuileries, where he might have had what he liked for the asking. I wonder if I were to fall whether I shoul…
Chapter XIII — The Man of Dreams
When I had escorted my cousin Sibylle from the presence of the Emperor, I was surprised to find the same young hussar officer waiting outsi…
Chapter XIV — Josephine
At this unexpected announcement Talleyrand and Berthier looked at each other in silence, and for once the trained features of the great dip…
Chapter XV — The Reception of the Empress (1)
Pont de Briques is but a small village, and this sudden arrival of the Court, which was to remain for some weeks, had crammed it with visit…
Chapter XV — The Reception of the Empress (2)
There was no saying how he might behave upon these occasions. Sometimes he was capable of being the merriest and most talkative of the comp…
Chapter XVI — The Library of Grosbois (1)
And now, my friends, I am coming to the end of those singular adventures which I encountered upon my arrival in France, adventures which mi…
Chapter XVI — The Library of Grosbois (2)
My uncle had been seated writing at his desk, with his back to the door, when his murderer had entered. No doubt it was at the first glance…
Chapter XVII — The End
General Savary rode straight to Pont de Briques to report to the Emperor, while Gerard returned with me to my lodgings to share a bottle of…