He found Colonel Le Noir stretched upon his bed in a state of extreme
exhaustion and attended by the surgeon and chaplain of his regiment.
As Herbert advanced to the side of his bed, Le Noir stretched out his
pale hand and said: "You bear no grudge against a dying man, Greyson?"
"Certainly not," said Herbert, "especially when he proposes doing the
right thing, as I judge you do, from the fact of your sending for me."
"Yes, I do; I do!" replied Le Noir, pressing the hand that Herbert's
kindness of heart could not withhold.
Le Noir then beckoned the minister to hand him two sealed packets,
which he took and laid upon the bed before him.
Then taking up the larger of the two packets, he placed it in the hands
of Herbert Greyson, saying: "There, Greyson, I wish you to hand that to your friend, young Rocke,
who has received his colors, I understand?"
"Yes, he has now the rank of ensign."
"Then give this parcel into the hands of Ensign Rocke, with the
request, that being freely yielded up, they may not be used in any
manner to harass the last hours of a dying man."
"I promise, on the part of my noble young friend, that they shall not
be so used," said Herbert, as he took possession of the parcel.
Le Noir then took up the second packet, which was much smaller, but
much more firmly secured, than the first, being in an envelope of
parchment, sealed with three great seals.
Le Noir held it in his hand for a moment, gazing from the surgeon to
the chaplain, and thence down upon the mysterious packet, while spasms
of pain convulsed his countenance. At length he spoke: "This second packet, Greyson, contains a--well, I may as well call it a
narrative. I confide it to your care upon these conditions--that it
shall not be opened until after my death and funeral, and that, when it
has served its purpose of restitution, it may be, as far as possible,
forgotten. Will you promise me this?"
"On my honor, yes," responded the young man, as he received the second
parcel.
"This is all I have to say, except this--that you seemed to me, upon
every account, the most proper person to whom I could confide this
trust. I thank you for accepting it, and I believe that I may safely
promise that you will find the contents of the smaller packet of great
importance and advantage to yourself and those dear to you."