proffered hand nor heard the question.

It was a quarter before seven o'clock in the evening. From that time
on France has been at war with Germany.

* * * * *

Mobilization had commenced the previous evening. To be exact, it was
on Sunday, August third, at midnight.

How many times the French people had thought of that mobilization
during the last twenty years, in proportion as Germany grew more
aggressive, more brutal and more insulting! Personally I had often
looked at the little red ticket fastened to my military card, on which
were written these brief words:

In time of mobilization, Lieutenant Lauzanne (Stéphane) will
report on the second day of mobilization to the railroad
station nearest his home and there entrain immediately for
Alençon.

And each time I looked at the little red card, I felt a bit
anxious.... Mobilization! The railroad station! The first train! What
a mob of people, what an overturning of everything, what a lot of
disorder there would be! Well, there had been neither disorder nor
disturbance nor a mob, for everything had taken place in a manner that
was marvelously simple and calm.

Monday, August third, at sunrise I had gone to the Gare des Invalides.
There was no mob, there was no crowd. Some policemen were walking in