You can imagine the mute horror, the deathlike pallor of the generals.

The emperor did not vouchsafe any of them a glance, but dashed away.

When we had ridden into the woods, the emperor checked his horse and turned to Colonel Lejeune, who, white as a corpse, rode beside him.
"Your sword, colonel!" he exclaimed, in tones of thunder.

"You will not play the part of emperor to-day, but merely the character of an arch-traitor and assassin." At the same instant Roustan and I rode to Lejeune's side, and each seized an arm.

A moment later he was disarmed and deprived of the papers which we found in his breast pocket, and the tender farewell letters to his wife and his mother, in case that the enterprise should fail.
"I will have these sent at once to their addresses the morning after your execution," the emperor said, with a withering glance from his large flashing eyes.