Jean Gilson
I beg your pardon, Mr. Burgomaster, there has been no exaggeration at all; on the contrary, we haven’t heard everything yet. What they did at Andenne, at Dinant, at Louvain, at Aerschot and at every town they came to is simply appalling. As for the massacres at Dinant and Louvain, I’ve got that at first hand: two of my men saw it with their own eyes. At Louvain, they executed two hundred and ten innocent people, including twenty-four women and fourteen children; at Dinant, six hundred and six, including thirty-nine children and seventy-one women; at Aerschot, they shot the burgomaster and his son of fifteen, with many other entirely harmless and defenceless citizens.
The Burgomaster
Then it’s true that there have been military executions? I didn’t believe it.... And what excuse did they make?
Jean Gilson
Their colonel had been killed by a stray bullet, fired by one of their own men.
The Burgomaster
The devil! They’re dangerous then! But we must have none of that here. (Enter the Footman.) Here’s Firmin with the tray: sandwiches and the two bottles. (Filling the glasses.) This is my ’95 Rudesheimer. Tell me what you think of it.
Jean Gilson
(Tasting the wine.) It’s remarkably good.