glass every instant and then a soldier brought him immediately a
new one.

A mist of acrid smoke bathed, drowned them, and they seemed to sink
into a somnolent and sad inebriety, in that taciturn and morose
intoxication peculiar to men who have nothing to do.

But suddenly the Baron sat up. A revolt shook him; he swore: "By
heavens! this cannot go on indefinitely; we must in the end invent
something."

Lieutenant Otto and Second-Lieutenant Fritz, two Teutons eminently
endowed with heavy and serious German faces, replied together:
"What shall we invent, Captain?"

He mused for a few seconds and resumed: "What? Well, we must
organize an entertainment, if the Commander will permit."

The Major took his pipe out of his mouth: "What entertainment,
Captain?"--

The Baron came nearer: "Leave it to me, Commander; I shall send
Pflicht[*] to Rouen, and he will bring us some women I know where
to get them. A supper will be prepared here; besides we have
everything, and I may venture to say we shall spend a rather pleasant
evening."

[*]Duty

Graf Farlsberg, shrugged his shoulders and smiled: "You are crazy,