battalion at Brabant: but instead of following this destination, I went to Arras, determined only to enter the service again at the last extremity.
My first visit was to the patriot Chevalier. His influence with Joseph Lebon made me hope that I should obtain through his interest an extension of leave, which he procured for me, and I was again introduced to the family of my benefactor. His sister, whose kind intentions towards me are already known, redoubled her kindness; and on the other hand, the habit of seeing her daily familiarised me with her ugliness; in short, matters came to such a point that I was not at all surprised to hear her one day declare that she was pregnant. She made no mention of marriage, not even pronouncing the word; but I saw but too clearly that to this complexion it must come at last, lest I should incur the vengeance of her brother, who would not have hesitated to denounce me as an aristocrat, and moreover a deserter. My parents, struck with all these considerations, and conceiving the hope of keeping me near them, gave their consent to the marriage, which the Chevalier family were very anxious about. It was at last settled, and I became a husband at eighteen years of age. I thought myself also almost the father of a family, but scarcely had a few days elapsed, when my wife confessed that her pretended pregnancy was the result of a plan to induce me to marry her. The excessive satisfaction which such an avowal gave me may be conceived; but the same motives which had decided me on contracting the alliance compelled me to be silent; and I determined to keep my own counsel, enraged as I was. A mercer's shop which my wife had opened turned out very badly; I thought that I found the cause of it in the repeated absence of my wife, who was all day at her brother's. I made my observations; and received orders to rejoin my regiment at Tournai. I might have complained of this expeditious mode of getting rid of a troublesome
