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a respect for France； they thought they beheld twenty victories entering the field of battle； with wings outspread； and those who were the conquerors； believing themselves to be vanquished； retreated； but Wellington shouted； 〃Up； Guards； and aim straight！〃 The red regiment of English guards； lying flat behind the hedges； sprang up； a cloud of grape…shot riddled the tricolored flag and whistled round our eagles； all hurled themselves forwards； and the final carnage began。
In the darkness； the Imperial Guard felt the army losing ground around it； and in the vast shock of the rout it heard the desperate flight which had taken the place of the 〃Vive l'Empereur！〃 and； with flight behind it； it continued to advance； more crushed； losing more men at every step that it took。 There were none who hesitated； no timid men in its ranks。 The soldier in that troop was as much of a hero as the general。 Not a man was missing in that suicide。
Ney； bewildered； great with all the grandeur of accepted death； offered himself to all blows in that tempest。
He had his fifth horse killed under him there。
Perspiring； his eyes aflame； foaming at the mouth； with uniform unbuttoned； one of his epaulets half cut off by a sword…stroke from a horseguard； his plaque with the great eagle dented by a bullet； bleeding； bemired； magnificent； a broken sword in his hand； he said； 〃e and see how a Marshal of France dies on the field of battle！〃
But in vain； he did not die。 He was haggard and angry。
At Drouet d'Erlon he hurled this question； 〃Are you not going to get yourself killed？〃
In the midst of all that artillery engaged in crushing a handful of men； he shouted： 〃So there is nothing for me！
Oh！
I should like to have all these English bullets enter my bowels！〃
Unhappy man； thou wert reserved for French bullets！
BOOK FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER XIII
THE CATASTROPHE
The rout behind the Guard was melancholy。
The army yielded suddenly on all sides at once；Hougomont； La Haie…Sainte； Papelotte； Plancenoit。
The cry 〃Treachery！〃 was followed by a cry of 〃Save yourselves who can！〃
An army which is disbanding is like a thaw。
All yields； splits； cracks； floats； rolls； falls； jostles； hastens； is precipitated。
The disintegration is unprecedented。
Ney borrows a horse； leaps upon it； and without hat； cravat； or sword； places himself across the Brussels road； stopping both English and French。
He strives to detain the army； he recalls it to its duty； he insults it； he clings to the rout。 He is overwhelmed。
The soldiers fly from him； shouting； 〃Long live Marshal Ney！〃
Two of Durutte's regiments go and e in affright as though tossed back and forth between the swords of the Uhlans and the fusillade of the brigades of Kempt； Best； Pack； and Rylandt； the worst of hand…to…hand conflicts is the defeat； friends kill each other in order to escape； squadrons and battalions break and disperse against each other； like the tremendous foam of battle。
Lobau at one extremity； and Reille at the other； are drawn into the tide。 In vain does Napoleon erect walls from what is left to him of his Guard； in vain does he expend in a last effort his last serviceable squadrons。 Quiot retreats before Vivian； Kellermann before Vandeleur； Lobau before Bulow； Morand before Pirch； Domon and Subervic before Prince William of Prussia； Guyot； who led the Emperor's squadrons to the charge； falls beneath the feet of the English dragoons。 Napoleon gallops past the line of fugitives； harangues； urges； threatens； entreats them。
All the mouths which in the morning had shouted； 〃Long live the Emperor！〃 remain gaping； they hardly recognize him。 The Prussian cavalry； newly arrived； dashes forwards； flies； hews； slashes； kills； exterminates。
Horses lash out； the cannons flee； the soldiers of the artillery…train unharness the caissons and use the horses to make their escape； transports overturned； with all four wheels in the air； clog the road and occasion massacres。 Men are crushed； trampled down； others walk over the dead and the living。
Arms are lost。
A dizzy multitude fills the roads； the paths； the bridges； the plains； the hills； the valleys； the woods； encumbered by this invasion of forty thousand men。 Shouts despair； knapsacks and guns flung among the rye； passages forced at the point of the sword； no more rades； no more officers； no more generals； an inexpressible terror。
Zieten putting France to the sword at its leisure。
Lions converted into goats。
Such was the flight。
At Genappe； an effort was made to wheel about； to present a battle front； to draw up in line。
Lobau rallied three hundred men。 The entrance to the village was barricaded； but at the first volley of Prussian canister； all took to flight again； and Lobau was taken。 That volley of grape…shot can be seen to…day imprinted on the ancient gable of a brick building on the right of the road at a few minutes' distance before you enter Genappe。
The Prussians threw themselves into Genappe； furious； no doubt； that they were not more entirely the conquerors。
The pursuit was stupendous。 Blucher ordered extermination。
Roguet had set the lugubrious example of threatening with death any French grenadier who should bring him a Prussian prisoner。
Blucher outdid Roguet。
Duhesme； the general of the Young Guard； hemmed in at the doorway of an inn at Genappe； surrendered his sword to a huzzar of death； who took the sword and slew the prisoner。
The victory was pleted by the assassination of the vanquished。
Let us inflict punishment； since we are history： old Blucher disgraced himself。
This ferocity put the finishing touch to the disaster。
The desperate route traversed Genappe； traversed Quatre…Bras； traversed Gosselies； traversed Frasnes； traversed Charleroi； traversed Thuin； and only halted at the frontier。 Alas！ and who； then； was fleeing in that manner？
The Grand Army。
This vertigo； this terror； this downfall into ruin of the loftiest bravery which ever astounded history；is that causeless？ No。 The shadow of an enormous right is projected athwart Waterloo。 It is the day of destiny。
The force which is mightier than man produced that day。
Hence the terrified wrinkle of those brows； hence all those great souls surrendering their swords。
Those who had conquered Europe have fallen prone on the earth； with nothing left to say nor to do； feeling the present shadow of a terrible presence。 Hoc erat in fatis。
That day the perspective of the human race underwent a change。
Waterloo is the hinge of the nineteenth century。 The disappearance of the great man was necessary to the advent of the great century。
Some one； a person to whom one replies not； took the responsibility on himself。
The panic of heroes can be explained。 In the battle of Waterloo there is something more than a cloud； there is something of the meteor。
God has passed by。
At nightfall； in a meadow near Genappe； Bernard and Bertrand seized by the skirt of his coat and detained a man； haggard； pensive； sinister； gloomy； who； dragged to that point by the current of the rout； had just dismounted； had passed the bridle of his horse over his arm； and with wild eye was returning alone to Waterloo。
It was Napoleon； the immense somnambulist of this dream which had crumbled； essaying once more to advance。
BOOK FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER XIV
THE LAST SQUARE
Several squares of the Guard； motionless amid this stream of the defeat； as rocks in running water； held their own until night。 Night came； death also； they awaited that double shadow； and； invincible； allowed themselves to be enveloped therein。 Each regiment； isolated from the rest； and having no bond with the army； now shattered in every part； died alone。
They had taken up position for this final action； some on the heights of Rossomme； others on the plain of Mont…Saint…Jean。 There； abandoned； vanquished； terrible； those gloomy squares endured their death…throes in formidable fashion。
Ulm； Wagram； Jena； Friedland； died with them。
At twilight； towards nine o'clock in the evening； one of them was lef