noon
To detail all that passed during the next five days would be tedious and in indifferent taste , seeing that I am writing this memoir for the perusal of men of honour ; for though I consider the offices which the whole can perform for the sick to be worthy of the attention of every man , however well born , who proposes to see service , they seem to be more honourable in the doing than the telling . One episode , however , which marked those days filled me then , as it does now , with the most lively pleasure ; and that was the unexpected devotion displayed by Simon Fleix , who , coming to me , refused to leave , and showed himself at this pinch to be possessed of such sterling qualities that I freely forgave him the deceit he had formerly practised on me . The fits of moody silence into which he still fell at times and an occasional irascibility seemed to show that he had not altogether conquered his insane fancy ; but the mere fact that ; he had come to me in a situation of hazard , and voluntarily removed himself from mademoiselle 's neighbourhood , gave me good hope for the future . M. de Bruhl died early on the morning of the second day , and Simon and I buried him at noon . He was a man of courage and address , lacking only principles . In spite of madame 's grief and prostration , which were as great as though she had lost the best husband in the world , we removed before night to a separate camp in the woods ; and left with the utmost relief the grey ruin on the hill , in which , it seemed to me , we had lived an age . In our new bivouac , where , game being abundant , and the weather warm , we lacked no comfort , except the society of our friends , we remained four days longer .