Something choked me; he saw that, and, looking at me with moistened eyes, he held out his hand to me, saying:
"Come, Father Frederick, take courage. After all, it is pleasant to be able to say, a hand upon the heart, 'I am a brave man!' That is our recompense."
And I said, deeply moved:
"Yes, sir, yes, that is all which remains to us, and that will never be lacking."
He did me the honour to accompany me down the walk to the gate, and again pressing my hand, he cried:
"Courage! courage!"
Then I set off again, descending the great valley. The rain covered the pool of the Fromühle, which was quivering all gray among the willows and the parched herbage.
As to telling you about the ideas which chased each other through my head, and how often I passed my hand over my face to wipe away the tears and the rain which were flowing from it—as to relating to you that, George, it is not in my power; that would take a wiser man than I; I felt myself no longer, I did not know myself, and I repeated to myself in my trouble:
"No orders—it is useless. The general says that it is useless to cut down the trees and to block up the roads. Then he wants the enemy to advance and to come through the passes."
And I marched on.