miraculous good fortune; the carriage was overturned, and all further
progress was stopped at once.

"I expected as much!" exclaimed the imperturbable grenadier. "Oho! he
is dead!" he added, looking at his comrade.

"Poor Laurent!" said the major.

"Laurent! Wasn't he in the Fifth Chasseurs?"

"Yes."

"My own cousin.--Pshaw! this beastly life is not so pleasant that one
need be sorry for him as things go."

But all this time the carriage lay overturned, and the horses were
only released after great and irreparable loss of time. The shock had
been so violent that the Countess had been awakened by it, and the
subsequent commotion aroused her from her stupor. She shook off the
rugs and rose.

"Where are we, Philip?" she asked in musical tones, as she looked
about her.

"About five hundred paces from the bridge. We are just about to cross
the Beresina. When we are on the other side, Stephanie, I will not
tease you any more; I will let you go to sleep; we shall be in safety,
we can go on to Wilna in peace. God grant that you may never know what
your life has cost!"