That day developed for the first time, his fiery, stubborn character,
irritable before contradiction, even to the point of adopting the most
extreme resolution. "Down with War!" Since it was not possible for him
to protest in any other way, he would leave the country. The Emperor
might arrange his affairs as best he could. The struggle was going to
be long and disastrous, according to the enemies of the Empire. If he
stayed, he would in a few months be drawn for the soldiery. Desnoyers
renounced the honor of serving the Emperor. He hesitated a little when
he thought of his mother. But his country relatives would not turn her
out, and he planned to work very hard and send her money. Who knew what
riches might be waiting for him, on the other side of the sea! . . .
Good-bye, France!
Thanks to his savings, a harbor official found it to his interest to
offer him the choice of three boats. One was sailing to Egypt, another
to Australia, another to Montevideo and Buenos Aires, which made the
strongest appeal to him? . . . Desnoyers, remembering his readings,
wished to consult the wind and follow the course that it indicated, as
he had seen various heroes of novels do. But that day the wind blew from
the sea toward France. He also wished to toss up a coin in order to test
his fate. Finally he decided upon the vessel sailing first.
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