MOBILE DIGITAL LIBRARY - SOCIETY OF YOUNG NIGERIAN ...

country." And then came suggestions without end, charming, moralizing on propertyrights, the courtesy due to women, a veritable code of honor for conquerors. All this wasinterwoven with reflections on politics and discussions of the peace terms. On this lastpoint he was not unduly exacting. "Indemnity, and nothing more—what good would theirprovinces be to us? A France could never be made out of a Germany." He dictated that ina firm voice, and one could not hear him without emotion, there was so much sincerity,so beautiful a patriotism in what he said.Meanwhile, the siege was progressing—not the siege of Berlin, unfortunately! We hadreached the period of severe cold, the bombardment, the epidemics, the famine. Butthanks to our efforts, to the infinite tenderness which enfolded him, the serenity of the oldold man was never troubled. To the end, I was able to get white bread and fresh meat forhim—for him alone, of course. You can't imagine anything more touching than theseluncheons so innocent in their egotism—the old gentleman sitting up in bed, fresh andsmiling, his napkin tucked under his chin, and his pale little granddaughter at hand toguide his hand, make him drink, and help him as he ate all these forbidden good things.Then, animated by his meal, in the comfort of his warm room, while the winter's windwhistled outside and the snow flakes whirled around the windows, the ex-cuirassier toldus for the hundredth time the story of the retreat from Russia when frozen biscuit andhorse flesh was all that there was to eat.