'You will accept a nip of brandy, captain, eh? You see I don't stand on ceremony with you. I tell you all I think because I am aware that you have a liberal mind. Well! I assure you that it is very wrong of your prefect to bleed the town of those forty-two thousand francs. Just think of all our sacrifices since the outset! In the first place, on the eve of the battle, the entire French army, exhausted and famished, fell on our hands. Then came your men, and they had long teeth too. Merely the troops that have passed through the place, the requisitions, the damage which had to be repaired, the needful expenses of all kinds, have cost us a million and a half of francs. We may put down as much for the havoc wrought by the battle, the destruction caused by your artillery fire and the conflagrations, and that will bring us to three millions. Then I estimate that the losses sustained by local trade and industry amount to quite two millions. What do you say to that? There we have a total of five millions of francs for a town of thirteen thousand inhabitants! And now under some pretext or other you ask us for a further contribution of forty-two thousand francs. Come, is it reasonable, is it just?'

Herr von Gartlauben nodded his head and contented himself with answering: 'What can you expect? Such is war, such is war!'

The spell of waiting continued, Gilberte did not return, and Henriette's ears were ringing; all kinds of vague, sad thoughts were rendering her drowsy, as she sat there in the embrasure of the window, whilst Delaherche declared upon his word of honour that Sedan could never have weathered the crisis, caused by the absolute dearth of specie, had it not been for the timely creation of a local fiduciary currency—the paper-money issued by the Caisse du Crédit Industriel, which had saved the town from a financial disaster.

'You will take another drop of brandy, captain, eh?' he added: and then passing to another subject: 'Ah! it wasn't France that declared the war, it was the Empire. The Emperor greatly deceived me. He is altogether done for; we would rather let ourselves be dismembered than take him back. There was only one man who saw clearly into things last July, and that was Monsieur Thiers, whose journey just now through the capitals of Europe is another great act of wisdom and patriotism. The hopes of all reasonable people accompany him—may he succeed!'

With a wave of the hand he sought to convey his meaning, for he would have deemed it altogether unseemly to speak of his desire for peace before a Prussian, however friendly the latter might be. Such a desire was, however, strong within him, as it was in all the old conservative and plébiscite-voting bourgeoisie. They would soon be at an end of their blood and treasure; it was necessary to give in; and such being the opinion, there arose from all the occupied provinces a covert rancour against Paris for resisting so stubbornly. And in this wise Delaherche, alluding to Gambetta's fiery proclamations, added in a lower voice: 'No, no; we cannot be on the side of the furious madmen![46] It's becoming a massacre—I for my part side with Monsieur Thiers, who wishes the elections to take place. As for their Republic, well, that doesn't inconvenience me; we'll keep it if necessary, till we get something better.'

With extreme politeness, Herr von Gartlauben continued wagging his head in an approving way, and repeating: 'No doubt, no doubt.'

Henriette, whose discomfort had increased, felt unable to remain there any longer. She experienced a kind of irritation, for which she could assign no definite reason, a pressing desire to find herself elsewhere; and so she at last quietly rose from her seat, and left the room in search of Gilberte, whose return had been so long delayed. And she was stupefied when she found her friend lying on a sofa in tears, a prey to poignant and unaccountable emotion. 'What is the matter? What has happened to you?' asked Henriette.

But the young woman's tears only fell the faster, and she would not speak; such was her confusion, moreover, that it seemed as though all the blood in her heart had rushed to her cheeks. At last, however, throwing herself into Henriette's outstretched arms, hiding her face against her friend's bosom, she stammered: 'Oh! my darling, if you only knew—I shall never dare to tell you—and yet I have no one but you; you alone can perhaps tell me what is best to do.' She shuddered and stammered yet more violently: 'I was here with Edmond. And then, just this minute, the old lady came in and caught me.'

'Caught you? What do you mean?'

'Yes, he had his arm round my waist and was kissing me.' And then, embracing Henriette, clasping her convulsively in her trembling arms, she told her all. 'Oh, my darling! don't judge me too severely, it would be more than I could bear. I know I promised you it should never happen again, but you have seen Edmond—you know how brave he is and how good-looking—as pretty as a girl. Besides, think of it, the poor young fellow; wounded, ill, so far away from his mother, too! And then he has never had any money to spend on enjoyment: as it was, his parents had to stint themselves to give him an education. I assure you, I could not find it in my heart to be harsh with him.'