How Etienne Gerard Said Goodbye to his Master

Name: How Etienne Gerard Said Goodbye to his Master
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Etienne Gerard, an ageing former Hussar, announces that he will tell no further stories: drawn back toward Gascony and conscious that his life is nearing its end, he chooses to reveal a historical secret known only to himself. In 1821, six years after the Emperor’s disappearance from France, Gerard and other Napoleonic officers are poor, unemployed, and bitter under the Bourbons. They gather at the Sign of the Great Man in the Rue Varennes, where they drink, remember their former rank, and wait for the Emperor’s return. Captain Fourneau, a scarred former naval officer devoted to Napoleon, joins their circle. He later privately shows Gerard a letter signed by Marie Louise ordering Napoleon’s supporters to obey Fourneau without question. Fourneau selects Gerard for a secret mission because he speaks some English and is a proven fighting man. He gives him gold, tells him to pose as Mr. Gerard, a Channel Islander, and brings him aboard the Black Swan at Southampton. Fourneau claims they are sailing for the Guinea coast to trade for palm oil, but Gerard suspects a deeper purpose. The ship’s English mates and crew are unaware that Fourneau has placed loyal French sailors aboard. As the brig sails steadily south, Gerard becomes accustomed to life at sea and spends much of his time playing écarté with Fourneau. The first mate, Burns, grows alarmed when the vessel continues due south rather than turning east toward the African coast. Fourneau violently seizes him, has him gagged and imprisoned in the hold, and similarly removes the second mate. The remaining English sailors are made helpless with rum and tied up, leaving Fourneau and his Frenchmen in control of the ship. Soon Fourneau shows Gerard the distant island of St. Helena. He reveals that he has spent years preparing to rescue the Emperor: his service in English merchant ships has allowed him to obtain command of the Black Swan and recruit trustworthy French sailors. Gerard’s presence was meant both to help overcome resistance and to serve as a fitting companion to the Emperor during the journey home. Fourneau’s richly furnished cabin has been prepared for Napoleon. With a storm approaching and English cruisers near the island, Fourneau must remain aboard to manage the ship. He sends Gerard ashore in a boat with one sailor. Gerard is told that a light is shining from Longwood, that those in the house are friendly, and that he need only reach the Emperor, explain the plan, and guide him back to the boat. Gerard lands in a deserted cove and climbs by a goat-track toward the illuminated house. He encounters no sentries. Near the building, he sees a priest enter and then looks through a lighted window. There he discovers the Emperor lying dead upon a bier, surrounded by candles and mourners including Bertrand, Bertrand’s wife, the priest, and Montholon. Overwhelmed, Gerard collapses. When he recovers, he looks once more upon his master, salutes him formally, and withdraws into the darkness. Returning to the shore after hours have passed, Gerard finds that a gale has risen. The boat cannot get through the surf; on the third attempt, a wave fills it and smashes its bottom. At dawn, the Black Swan has vanished from the sea. Gerard never learns whether she sank, was retaken by her English crew, or met some other fate, and he never sees Captain Fourneau again. He and the boatman surrender to the English as survivors of a lost vessel, and Gerard eventually returns to France. Having told how he truly said goodbye to his master, Gerard bids farewell to his listeners. He asks them to preserve the memory of the great age and its dead heroes, believing that remembrance may inspire future generations. He prepares to leave Paris for Gascony, while entrusting his stories to the memories of his friends.

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle · First published 1896 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Napoleonic Fiction · 6,427 words

First lines

I will tell you no more stories, my dear friends. It is said that man is like the hare, which runs in a circle and comes back to die at the point from which it started. Gascony has been calling to me of late. I see the blue Garonne winding among the vineyards and the bluer ocean toward which its waters sweep. I see the old town also, and the bristle of masts from the side of the long stone quay. My heart hungers for the breath of my native air and the warm glow of my native sun. Here in Paris are my friends, my occupations, my pleasures. There all who have known me are in their grave. And yet the southwest wind as it rattles on my windows seems always to be the strong voice of the motherland calling her child back to that bosom into which I am ready to sink. I have played my part in my time. The time has passed. I must pass also. Nay, dear friends, do not look sad, for what can be happier than a life completed in honour and made beautiful with friendship and love? And yet it is solemn also when a man approaches the end of the long road and sees the turning which leads him into the unknown. But the Emperor and all his Marshals have ridden round that dark turning and passed into the beyond. My Hussars, too -- there are not fifty men who are not waiting yonder. I must go. But on this the last night I will tell you that which is more than a tale -- it is a great historical secret. My lips have been sealed, but I see no reason why I should not leave behind me some account of this remarkable adventure, which must otherwise be entirely lost, since I, and only I of all living men, have a knowledge of the facts.

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How Etienne Gerard Said Goodbye to his Master is listed on Textopian as a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, dated 1896 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Date: 1896 CE
Language: English
Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Napoleonic Fiction, Historical Adventure, Sea Adventure
Length: 6,427 words
Structure: 1 section, 73 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Historical Fiction — The story is set in 1821 and centres on Napoleon Bonaparte's captivity and death on St. Helena, combining real historical figures, places, and events with an invented rescue mission.
Adventure Fiction — Its plot follows Gerard's dangerous secret voyage, the seizure of a merchant brig, the approach to St. Helena, and his hazardous attempt to reach Napoleon.
Napoleonic Fiction — The work is deeply concerned with the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, the loyalty of former Imperial officers, and the enduring legend of Napoleon.
Historical Adventure — The narrative fuses period detail and historical circumstances with suspenseful action, conspiracy, maritime travel, and an attempted imperial rescue.