I stayed all the while with Sorlé, near the babe's bed, and the noise of the bursting shells did not disturb us.
The unhappy do not cling to life; and then the child was so sick! There were blue spots all over his body.
The end was drawing near.
I walked the room. Without they were crying "Fire! Fire!"
People passed in the street like a torrent. We heard those returning from the fire telling the news, the engines hurrying by, the soldiers ranging the crowd in the line, the shells bursting at the right and left.
Before our windows the long trails of red flame descended upon the roofs in front, and shattered the glass of the windows. Our cannon all around the city replied to the enemy. Now and then we heard the cry: "Room! Room!" as the wounded were carried away.
Twice some pickets came up into my room to put me in the line, but, on seeing me sitting with Sorlé by our child, they went down again.
The first shell burst at our house about eleven o'clock, the second at four in the morning; everything shook, from the garret to the cellar; the floor, the bed, the furniture seemed to be upheaved; but, in our exhaustion and despair, we did not speak a single word.
Zeffen came running to us with Esdras and little Sâfel, at the first explosion. It was evident that little David was dying. Old Lanche and Sorlé were sitting, sobbing. Zeffen began to cry.
I opened the windows wide, to admit the air, and the powder-smoke which covered the city came into the room.