The shrinkage of national territory was
going on with such methodical regularity that, with watch in hand, and
allowing an advance of thirty-five miles daily, one might gauge the hour
when the lances of the first Uhlans would salute the Eiffel tower. The
trains were running full, great bunches of people overflowing from their
coaches.
In this time of greatest anxiety, Desnoyers again visited his friend,
Senator Lacour, in order to astound him with the most unheard-of
petitions. He wished to go immediately to his castle. While everybody
else was fleeing toward Paris he earnestly desired to go in the opposite
direction. The senator couldn't believe his ears.
"You are beside yourself!" he exclaimed. "It is necessary to leave
Paris, but toward the South. I will tell you confidentially, and you
must not tell because it is a secret--we are leaving at any minute; we
are all going, the President, the Government, the Chambers. We are
going to establish ourselves at Bordeaux as in 1870. The enemy is surely
approaching; it is only a matter of days . . . of hours. We know little
of just what is happening, but all the news is bad. The army still
holds firm, is yet intact, but retreating . . . retreating, all the time
yielding ground. . . . Believe me, it will be better for you to leave
Paris. Gallieni will defend it, but the defense is going to be hard
and horrible.
Pages:
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307