"You seem to be profoundly disgusted! I suppose you had to do with knaves and low blackguards in Africa!"
"On my honor, that did not disgust me nearly so much. Out there one could always knock them down! Besides, if it's a question of fighting, you need soldiers. I had my sharpshooters out there. Here I am all alone."
"It isn't that there is any lack of good men."
"Where are they?"
"Everywhere. All round us."
"Well: what are they doing?"
"Just what you're doing. Nothing. They say there's nothing to be done."
"Give me an instance."
"Three, if you like, in this very house."
Christophe mentioned M. Weil,—(the Commandant gave an exclamation),—and the Elsbergers,—(he jumped in his seat):