The Emperor was coming and he would not be there to extend him a welcome.

He forgot that if Napoleon had been a day later it would have made no difference to Marteau if he never came.

He would have given years of his life, if it had been possible, to have marched with the column.
Orders had been published that morning postponing his execution until the return of the regiment.

Just what was in the Marquis' mind no one could absolutely say, but he was shrewd enough to recognize the possibility of an outbreak or an attempted mutiny among the troops, when the sentence of execution was being carried out.

He did not want any difficulties of that kind then.