"But it will be to-day."
"One day gained."
"Oh, yes! That's a good joke, that idea about holding out."
"Holding out, exactly. We've got to the thirty-fifth day of war. According to the German plans, we were to be annihilated by that date. Are we? No. There are all kinds of things lacking."
"All kinds?" Fortin said ironically.
"Our line is not broken anywhere; we have only wheeled. You spoke of Nancy just now. They'd better come and take it from Castelnau! Do you really want to know what I think? I think they're the ones that are in the soup."
A buzz of scepticism greeted my declaration. I continued:
"First of all, here they are forced to take how many?—three or four army corps back to the East."
"To the East? Why?"
"Against the Russians."