Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III PAUL DESCHAMPS The previous career of Honorine's brother may be stated in a few words. His father perished in Bonaparte's Italian campaign of 1796, trusting his infant son and daughter to their mother's care. General Pierre Deschamps left nothing behind him save a name glorious in war; but his wife enjoyed possession of a small English estate, and, when he fell, she returned with her two children to her native land. Four Oaks was a modest matter of a dwelling-house and three farms, each of a hundred acres; and on these revenues the lady brought up her boy and girl to the best of her power. She hoped very fervently that her son would see fit to stay at home and follow the paths of peace; but this ambition was doomed to disappointment. A long line of ancestors handed down the fighting blood of France to Paul. It ran by divers channels through his veins; he hated the Bourbons, who had been his father's enemies, and, when he came of age, in the first month of the year 1814, he left his home, hastened to France and joined Soult, who was a kinsman of his house. He came well versed in politics and war, and first saw active service at the bloody battle of Toulouse. He took his place in the night march of three leagues that followed; and, almost immediately after it, was stunnedbefore the crushing news that Napoleon had abdicated at Fontainebleau six days previous to the battle. For a time Soult refused to acknowledge the provisional government immediately established in the name of Louis XVIII; but further intelligence convinced him of the truth of the catastrophe, and he subscribed to the convention. To his grief, the military career of young Deschamps was thus nipped in the bud. He learned full particulars of his master's ill fortune, and how a man, elevated in t... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.