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 treated me with marked amenity. Two hours afterwards I saw my mother, who told me what I knew not before, that the musician whom I had challenged had denounced me. The denunciation was in the hands of a furious jacobin, the terrorist Chevalier, who, out of friendship to my rival, would certainly have been much against me, if his sister, at the persuasion of my mother, had not prevailed on him to exert himself to procure my discharge. Having left prison, I was conducted with great state to the patriotic society, where they made me take the oath of fidelity to the republic, and hatred to tyrants. I swore all they desired. What sacrifices will not a man make to procure his freedom!

These formalities concluded, I was replaced in the depôt, where my comrades testified much pleasure at seeing me again. After what had passed, I should have been deficient in gratitude had I not looked on Chevalier as my deliverer; I went to thank him, and expressed to his sister how much I was touched at the interest which she had so kindly testified to a poor prisoner. This lady, who was the most amorous of brunettes, but whose large black eyes did not compensate for their ugliness, thought that I was in love because I was polite; she construed literally some compliments which I paid her, and from the first interview, she so greatly misinterpreted my sentiments as to cast her regards upon me. Our union was talked of, and my parents were questioned on the point, who answered that eighteen was too young for marriage, and so the matter went on. Meanwhile battalions were formed at Arras, and being known as an excellent driller, I was summoned with seven other subaltern officers to instruct the 2d battalion of Pas-de-Calais, to which belonged a corporal of grenadiers of the regiment of Languedoc, named Cæsar, now garde champêtre at Colombre or Pateux, near Paris. He was our adjutant major. As for me, I was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant on arriving at St