As if a German could say what is French and what is not.
* * * * *
French or not, she filled his thoughts; for he woke in the middle of the night with a pang: he had just remembered the valise on the seat by the girl's side; and suddenly the idea that she had gone forever crossed his mind. The idea must have come to him at the time, but he had not thought of it. It filled him with a strange sadness. He shrugged his shoulders.
"What does it matter to me?" he said. "It is not my affair."
He went to sleep.
But next day the first person he met when he went out was Mannheim, who called him "Blücher," and asked him if he had made up his mind to conquer all France. From the garrulous newsmonger he learned that the story of the box had had a success exceeding all Mannheim's expectations.
"Thanks to you! Thanks to you!" cried Mannheim. "You are a great man. I am nothing compared with you."
"What have I done?" said Christophe.
"You are wonderful!" Mannheim replied. "I am jealous of you. To shut the box in the Grünebaums' faces, and then to ask the French governess instead of them—no, that takes the cake! I should never have thought of that!"
"She was the Grünebaums' governess?" said Christophe in amazement.