"Can I accept such a sacrifice?" replied his wife. "If some men have
died to save a mistress' honor, they gave their life but once. But in
this case you would be giving your life every day. No, no. It is
impossible. If it were only your life, it would be nothing; but to
sign a declaration that you are not Colonel Chabert, to acknowledge
yourself an imposter, to sacrifice your honor, and live a lie every
hour of the day! Human devotion cannot go so far. Only think!--No. But
for my poor children I would have fled with you by this time to the
other end of the world."

"But," said Chabert, "cannot I live here in your little lodge as one
of your relations? I am as worn out as a cracked cannon; I want
nothing but a little tobacco and the /Constitutionnel/."

The Countess melted into tears. There was a contest of generosity
between the Comtesse Ferraud and Colonel Chabert, and the soldier came
out victorious. One evening, seeing this mother with her children, the
soldier was bewitched by the touching grace of a family picture in the
country, in the shade and the silence; he made a resolution to remain
dead, and, frightened no longer at the authentication of a deed, he
asked what he could do to secure beyond all risk the happiness of this
family.

"Do exactly as you like," said the Countess. "I declare to you that I
will have nothing to do with this affair. I ought not."

Delbecq had arrived some days before, and in obedience to the
Countess' verbal instructions, the intendant had succeeded in gaining
the old soldier's confidence. So on the following morning Colonel
Chabert went with the erewhile attorney to Saint-Leu-Taverny, where