y-chastened French nation was effecting a similar
arduous work, the more striking by reason of its long persistence.

France had, besides, this advantage; in actual fact a great number of
the French people, through an artificially nourished feeling of
embitterment, were keen for war with their eastern neighbour. Germans,
on the contrary, thought no more of the "hereditary enemy" of 1870; in
the progress of science and the development of art they felt themselves
closely connected with France. Germany had linked herself to France
that they might march together arm-in-arm in the forefront of
civilisation.

Germany _desired_ peace. It was not exactly that the German had become
unwarlike; but, because of his Teutonic thoroughness and sobriety, he
was deeply impressed with the necessity and utility of peace, as the
most truly rational condition of things. Once the danger of vengeance
from the west had blown over, any and every war would have been
unpopular in Germany, except perhaps one with England, which, as a
naval war, would less immediately affect the masses of the people, and
everybody in Germany held the conviction that warlike developments
would never arise from an irresistible outbreak of popular feeling, but
only from political or dynastic mismanagement.

In this way--that is, as a failing in warlike ardour--did Reimers
account for the want of patriotism which Guentz pointed to as the most
significant inward danger of the present military system.

Reimers had never interested himself particularly in parliamentary or
political controversies,--an officer should hold aloof from such
matters,--he was therefore not inclined to lay so much stress as his
friend did on the influence of revolutionary politicians.

The evil was great enough without that. Was not an army that went into
the field without enthusiasm beaten beforehand? And the thoughts
suggested to him by the reflections of the colonel and of his friend
all pointed to a similar conclusion. They seemed to stand like warning
signposts beside the road on which the German army was marching; and
all, all, bore upon their outstretched pointing arms the ominous
word--Jena.

The sinister idea haunted Reimers like a ghost. If he sat down to his
books it was there; and it fell across his vision like a dark shadow
when the sun shone its bravest on the imposing array of the batteries
at exercise.

His old friends had gone far away; and if Reimers looked into his own