treets! They've
blown up one of the barracks!"

And Victor at once telephoned to the _Eclaireur des Vosges_, pretending
that he was doing so on behalf of M. Morestal, and came running up to
Philippe's room:

"M. Philippe, Strasburg is in a state of insurrection.... All the
peasants of the country around have taken up arms."

And Philippe reflected that there was no hope, that the governments
would have their hands forced. And he reflected upon it almost calmly.
His part was played. Nothing interested him now but his personal sorrow,
the health of his father, the sufferings of Marthe and Suzanne, those
first victims of the hateful scourge.

At five o'clock, he heard that one of the countries had issued an
ultimatum against the other. Which of the two countries? And what was
the purport of the ultimatum? He was unable to learn.

At nine o'clock, the telegrams announced that the new cabinet, chosen
for the greater part from among the members of the opposition, had moved
the immediate creation of "a Committee of National Safety, charged to
take all the necessary measures for the defence of the country in case
of war." The Chamber had passed the motion through its various stages in
one sitting and had appointed the Governor of Paris head of the
Committee of National Safety, with discretionary powers. This implied an
eventual dictatorship.

All that Tuesday night, the Old Mill, silent and gloomy within doors,
was filled with noise and excitement from without, a prey to the fever
that precedes great catastrophes. Victor, the gardener and the
gardener's son by turns bicycled at full speed to Saint-Elophe, where
other people were bringing news from the sub-prefecture. The women
moaned and wailed. At three o'clock in the morning, Philippe
distinguished the angry voice of Farmer Saboureux.

At daybreak, there was a lull. Philippe, exhausted by so many sleepless
nights, ended by dozing off and, while still asleep, heard the sound of
footsteps coming and going over the pebbles in the garden. Then,
suddenly, pretty late in the morning, he was awakened by a clamour
outside.

He sprang out of bed. In front of the steps, Victor leapt from his
horse, shouting:

"The ultimatum is rejected. It's war. It's war!"

CHAPTER II

THEY WHO GO TO THEIR DEATH

Philippe went downstairs as soon as he was dressed. He found all the
servants gathered in the hall, discussing the news. Victor confirmed it:
he had come straight fro