▁sho ots ▁one ▁Pr uss ian ▁caval ry man ▁while ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁regiment ▁fle e , ▁and ▁is ▁luck y ▁to ▁surv ive ▁with ▁a ▁serious ▁w ound ▁to ▁his ▁leg ▁( inf lic ted ▁by ▁a ▁retre ating ▁French ▁caval ry man ). ▁He ▁eventually ▁returns ▁to ▁his ▁family ' s ▁castle , ▁injured , ▁broke , ▁and ▁still ▁wondering , ▁" was ▁I ▁really ▁in ▁the ▁battle ?" ▁Fab rice ▁is ▁quickly ▁forced ▁to ▁fle e ▁since ▁his ▁older ▁brother ▁- ▁sick ly ▁and ▁d ull ▁- ▁den oun ces ▁him . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁his ▁efforts , ▁such ▁as ▁they ▁are , ▁lead ▁people ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁Napoleon ' s ▁bra vest ▁capt ains ▁or ▁colon els . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁now ▁div ides ▁its ▁attention ▁between ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁a unt ▁G ina ▁( his ▁father ' s ▁sister ). ▁G ina ▁meets ▁and ▁be fri ends ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Par ma , ▁Count ▁Mos ca . ▁Count ▁Mos ca ▁propos es ▁that ▁G ina ▁marry ▁a ▁wealth y ▁old ▁man , ▁the ▁Duke ▁San se ver ina , ▁who ▁will ▁be ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁as ▁an ▁amb assador , ▁so ▁that ▁she ▁and ▁Count ▁Mos ca ▁can ▁be ▁lo vers ▁while ▁living ▁under ▁the ▁social ▁rules ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁G ina ' s ▁respond s , ▁" But ▁you ▁realize ▁that ▁what ▁you ▁are ▁suggesting ▁is ▁utter ly ▁imm oral ?" ▁Nevertheless