t on capitally together."

The gunner stood at attention.

"Any other orders, sir?" he asked.

"No. Good-night."

"Good-night, sir."

Reimers ate a few mouthfuls as he walked up and down the room; then he
carried the green-shaded lamp to his writing-table, and took down a
volume of the official history of the great Franco-Prussian War.

He spread out the marvellously accurate maps, and began, as he had done
so often before, to follow the various phases of his favourite battle,
the three days' fight on the Lisaine. That was the only great defensive
battle of the campaign, clearer and easier to follow than any other in
its simple tactics, almost suggesting the typical example of a
textbook, and yet what a living reality! Almost at the same moment
when the German Empire was being proclaimed at Versailles, Bavarians
were fighting shoulder to shoulder with East Prussians, regiments
from Schleswig next those from Upper Silesia, soldiers from the
Rhine-provinces side by side with soldiers from Saxony: a glorious
demonstration of the newly achieved unity.

His admiration for the valiant defenders was no greater than his pity
for the tragic fate of the attacking army, which, almost dying of
starvation, had fought with the wild courage of despair, and had
deserved a more honourable reward than to be driven along that terrible
path of suffering to the Swiss frontier. Not less tragic was the fate
of its commander; a fate, indeed, which Bourbaki shared with the other
military leaders of the Republic. All those generals, Aurelle de
Paladines, Chanzy, Faidherbe, Bourbaki, who at the brave but somewhat
futile summons of the Committee of National Defence tried to arrest the
victorious advance of the German army, were inevitably doomed to
defeat; and even the inspiration of a military genius could not have
got over the fundamental mistake that had been made, of considering the
impossible possible.

Reimers looked up from the book with a glowing face. He had followed
the French army as far as Pontarlier. That was the moment in which the
German forces commanded the largest area. In the west the Rhinelanders
were gazing astonished at the winter waves on the canal, while to the
east, Pomeranians greeted the sentinels of the Swiss frontier.

Where in all the world could a nation be found richer in honour and in
victories?

During the next few days Reimers had to make calls on the ladies of the
regiment.

It was wearisome work