But they cannot do much unless /he/ leads them? I agree with
Fouche, his presence is the head and front of everything."
"Are we to get his head?--that's the point," said Corentin,
impatiently.
"I don't know," she answered, carelessly.
"English officers!" cried Hulot, angrily, "that's all that was wanting
to make a regular brigand of him. Ha! ha! I'll give him English, I
will!"
"It seems to me, citizen-diplomat," said Hulot to Corentin, after the
two had taken leave and were at some distance from the house, "that
you allow that girl to send you to the right-about when she pleases."
"It is quite natural for you, commandant," replied Corentin, with a
thoughtful air, "to see nothing but fighting in what she said to us.
You soldiers never seem to know there are various ways of making war.
To use the passions of men and women like wires to be pulled for the
benefit of the State; to keep the running-gear of the great machine we
call government in good order, and fasten to it the desires of human
nature, like baited traps which it is fun to watch,--I call /that/
creating a world, like God, and putting ourselves at the centre of
it!"
"You will please allow me to prefer my calling to yours," said the
soldier, curtly. "You can do as you like with your running-gear; I
recognize no authority but that of the minister of war.
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