JК
Sharpes Escape :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 107 из 283"There is a road around the northof the ridge," an aide reminded Marshal Massena, who said nothing. He just stared at what was left of his attacks on the hill. Beaten, all of them. Beaten to nothing. Defeated. And the enemy, hidden once more behind the ridge's crest, waited for him to try again.
"You remember Miss Savage?" Vicente asked Sharpe. They were sitting at the end of the knoll, staring down at the beaten French.
"Kate? Of course I remember Kate," Sharpe said. "I often wondered what happened to her."
"She married me," Vicente said, and looked absurdly pleased with himself.
"Good God," Sharpe said, then decided that probably sounded like a rude response. "Well done!"
"I shaved off my mustache," Vicente said, "as you suggested. And she said yes."
"Never did understand mustaches," Sharpe said, "must be like kissing a blacking brush."
"And we have a child," Vicente went on, "a girl."
"Quick work, Jorge!"
"We are very happy," Vicente said solemnly.
"Good for you," Sharpe said, and meant it. Kate Savage had run away from her home in Oporto, and Sharpe, with Vicente's help, had rescued her. That had been eighteen months before and Sharpe had often wondered what had happened to the English girl who had inherited her father's vineyards and port lodge.
"Kate is still in Porto, of course," Vicente said.
"With her mother?"
"She went back to England," Vicente said, "just after I joined my new regiment in Coimbra."
"Why there?"
"It is where I grew up," Vicente said, "and my parents still live there. I went to the university of Coimbra, so really it is home. But from now on I shall live in Porto. When the war is over."
"Be a lawyer again?"
"I hope so." Vicente made the sign of the cross. "I know what you think of the law, Richard, but it is the one barrier between man and bestiality."
"Didn't do much to stop the French."
"War is above the law, which is why it is so bad. War lets loose all the things which the law restrains."
"Like me," Sharpe said.
"You are not such a bad man," Vicente said with a smile.
Sharpe looked down into the valley. The French had at last withdrawn to where they had been the previous evening, only now they were throwing up earthworks beyond the stream where infantry dug trenches and used the spoil to make bulwarks. "Those buggers think we're coming down to finish them off," he said.
"Will we?"
"Christ, no! We've got the high ground. No point in giving it up.
"You remember Miss Savage?" Vicente asked Sharpe. They were sitting at the end of the knoll, staring down at the beaten French.
"Kate? Of course I remember Kate," Sharpe said. "I often wondered what happened to her."
"She married me," Vicente said, and looked absurdly pleased with himself.
"Good God," Sharpe said, then decided that probably sounded like a rude response. "Well done!"
"I shaved off my mustache," Vicente said, "as you suggested. And she said yes."
"Never did understand mustaches," Sharpe said, "must be like kissing a blacking brush."
"And we have a child," Vicente went on, "a girl."
"Quick work, Jorge!"
"We are very happy," Vicente said solemnly.
"Good for you," Sharpe said, and meant it. Kate Savage had run away from her home in Oporto, and Sharpe, with Vicente's help, had rescued her. That had been eighteen months before and Sharpe had often wondered what had happened to the English girl who had inherited her father's vineyards and port lodge.
"Kate is still in Porto, of course," Vicente said.
"With her mother?"
"She went back to England," Vicente said, "just after I joined my new regiment in Coimbra."
"Why there?"
"It is where I grew up," Vicente said, "and my parents still live there. I went to the university of Coimbra, so really it is home. But from now on I shall live in Porto. When the war is over."
"Be a lawyer again?"
"I hope so." Vicente made the sign of the cross. "I know what you think of the law, Richard, but it is the one barrier between man and bestiality."
"Didn't do much to stop the French."
"War is above the law, which is why it is so bad. War lets loose all the things which the law restrains."
"Like me," Sharpe said.
"You are not such a bad man," Vicente said with a smile.
Sharpe looked down into the valley. The French had at last withdrawn to where they had been the previous evening, only now they were throwing up earthworks beyond the stream where infantry dug trenches and used the spoil to make bulwarks. "Those buggers think we're coming down to finish them off," he said.
"Will we?"
"Christ, no! We've got the high ground. No point in giving it up.