turned on victory! That was really too rough! Well, the next thing is
the Beresina. And here and now, my friends, any one can assure you on
his honor, and by all that is sacred, that _never_, no, never since
there have been men on earth, never in this world has there been such
a fricasse of an army, caissons, transports, artillery and all, in
such snow as that and under such a pitiless sky. It was so cold that
you burned your hand on the barrel of your gun if you happened to
touch it. There it was that the pontooners saved the army, for the
pontooners stood firm at their posts; it was there that Gondrin
behaved like a hero, and he is the sole survivor of all the men who
were dogged enough to stand in the river so as to build the bridges on
which the army crossed over, and so escaped the Russians, who still
respected the Grand Army on account of its past victories. And Gondrin
is an accomplished soldier, [pointing at Gondrin, who was gazing at
him with the rapt attention peculiar to deaf people] a distinguished
soldier who deserves to have your very highest esteem.

I saw the Emperor standing by the bridge, and never feeling the cold
at all. Was that, again, a natural thing? He was looking on at the
loss of his treasures, of his friends, and those who had fought with
him in Egypt. Bah! there was an end of everything. Women and wagons
and guns were all engulfed and swallowed up, everything went to wreck
and ruin. A few of the bravest among us saved the Eagles, for the
Eagles, look you, meant France, and all the rest of you; it was the
civil and military honor of France that was in our keeping, there must
be no spot on the honor of France, and the cold could never make her
bow her head. There was no getting warm except in the neighborhood of
the Emperor; for whenever he was in danger we hurried up, all frozen as
we were--we who would not stop to hold out a hand to a fallen friend.