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Chapter 16
"Boy,Ithankthee,"exclaimedtheoldman,rousinghimselffromhisstupor;"youhave,foronce,remindedMunroofhisduty.Wewillgoback,anddigourgravesbehindthoseramparts."
"Messieurs,"saidMontcalm,advancingtowardsthemastep,ingenerousinterest,"youlittleknowLouisdeSt.Véran,ifyoubelievehimcapableofprofitingbythislettertohumblebravemen,ortobuildupadishonestreputationforhimself.Listentomytermsbeforeyouleaveme."
"WhatsaystheFrenchman?"demandedtheveteran,sternly;"doeshemakeameritofhavingcapturedascout,withanotefromheadquarters?Sir,hehadbetterraisethissiege,togoandsitdownbeforeEdwardifhewishestofrightenhisenemywithwords."
Duncanexplainedtheother’smeaning.
"MonsieurdeMontcalm,wewillhearyou,"theveteranadded,morecalmly,asDuncanended.
"Toretainthefortisnowimpossible,"saidhisliberalenemy;"itisnecessarytotheinterestsofmymasterthatitshouldbedestroyed;but,asforyourselves,andyourbravecomrades,thereisnoprivilegedeartoasoldierthatshallbedenied."
"Ourcolors?"demandedHeyward.
"CarrythemtoEngland,andshowthemtoyourking."
"Ourarms?"
"Keepthem;nonecanusethembetter."
"Ourmarch;thesurrenderoftheplace?"
"Shallallbedoneinawaymosthonorabletoyourselves."
Duncannowturnedtoexplaintheseproposalstohiscommander,whoheardhimwithamazement,andasensibilitythatwasdeeplytouchedbysuchunusualandunexpectedgenerosity
