The five men stood there together for some minutes, inhaling the
moist air, and at last, Lieutenant Fritz said, with a laugh: "The
ladies will certainly not have fine weather for their drive."
Then they separated, each to his own duties, while the captain
had plenty to do in seeing about the dinner.

When they met again, as it was growing dark, they began to laugh
at seeing each other as dandified and smart as on the day of a
grand review. The commandant's hair did not look as gray as it
did in the morning, and the captain had shaved--had only kept his
mustache on, which made him look as if he had a streak of fire
under his nose.

In spite of the rain, they left the window open, and one of them
went to listen from time to time. At a quarter past six the baron
said he heard a rumbling in the distance. They all rushed down,
and soon the wagon drove up at a gallop with its four horses,
splashed up to their backs, steaming and panting. Five women got
out at the bottom of the steps, five handsome girls whom a
comrade of the captain, to whom Le Dervoir had taken his card,
had selected with care.

They had not required much pressing, as they were sure of being
well treated, for they had got to know the Prussians in the three
months during which they had had to do with them. So they
resigned themselves to the men as they did to the state of
affairs. "It is part of our business, so it must be done," they
said as they drove along; no doubt to allay some slight, secret
scruples of conscience.