"Why has my uniform been taken off? I see! I am a prisoner!"
"You are free."
"Free! Vive l'Empereur! But then, there's not a moment to lose! How many leagues is it to Dantzic?"
"It's very far."
"What do you call this chicken coop of a town?"
"Fontainebleau."
"Fontainebleau! In France?"
"Prefecture of Seine-et-Marne. We are going to introduce to you the sub-prefect, whom you just pitched into the street."
"What the Devil are your sub-prefects to me? I have a message from the Emperor for General Rapp, and I must start, this very day, for Dantzic. God knows whether I'll be there in time!"
"My poor Colonel, you will arrive too late. Dantzic is given up."