Another day passed by, like its predecessor. In the morning of the
following day his perceptions, sharpened by apprehension, made him
conjecture that something extraordinary had occurred. The automobiles
were arriving and departing with greater rapidity, and there was greater
disorder and confusion among the executive force. The telephone was
ringing with mad precipitation; and the wounded arrivals seemed more
depressed. The day before they had been singing when taken from the
vehicles, hiding their woe with laughter and bravado, all talking of the
near victory and regretting that they would not be able to witness the
triumphal entry into Paris. Now they were all very silent, with furrowed
brows, thinking no longer about what was going on behind them, wondering
only about their own fate.
Outside the park was the buzz of the approaching throng which was
blackening the roads. The invasion was beginning again, but with a
refluent movement. For hours at a time great strings of gray trucks went
puffing by; then regiments of infantry, squadrons, rolling stock. They
were marching very slowly with a deliberation that puzzled Desnoyers,
who could not make out whether this recessional meant flight or change
of position. The only thing that gave him any satisfaction was the
stupefied and downcast appearance of the soldiers, the gloomy sulks of
the officers.
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