serene tranquillity of the child, the candid conviction of the
innocent who knows nothing and fears nothing. "_Parbleu_! it is so,
because it is so, and that's all there is about it!"

Weiss, stunned and almost convinced, made haste to declare that he
wished for nothing better. As for Maurice, who had prudently held his
tongue, not venturing to express an opinion in presence of his
superior officer, he concluded by joining in the other's merriment; he
warmed the cockles of his heart, that devil of a man, whom he
nevertheless considered rather stupid. Jean, too, had nodded his
approval at every one of the lieutenant's assertions. He had also been
at Solferino, where it rained so hard. And that showed what it was to
have a tongue in one's head and know how to use it. If all the leaders
had talked like that they would not be in such a mess, and there would
be camp-kettles and flannel belts in abundance.

It was quite dark by this time, and Rochas continued to gesticulate
and brandish his long arms in the obscurity. His historical studies
had been confined to a stray volume of Napoleonic memoirs that had
found its way to his knapsack from a peddler's wagon. His excitement
refused to be pacified and all his book-learning burst from his lips
in a torrent of eloquence:

"We flogged the Austrians at Castiglione, at Marengo, at Austerlitz,
at Wagram; we flogged the Prussians at Eylau, at Jena, at Lutzen; we
flogged the Russians at Friedland, at Smolensk and at the Moskowa; we
flogged Spain and England everywhere; all creation flogged, flogged,
flogged, up and down, far and near, at home and abroad, and now you
tell me that it is we who are to take the flogging! Why, pray tell me?
How? Is the world coming to an end?" He drew his tall form up higher