Mademoiselle Fifi | Page 5

firmness, the heroism of Father
Chantavoine, who dared to affirm the public mourning and proclaim it
by the obstinate mutism of his Church.
The entire village, enthusiastic about this resistance, was ready to
support and back up its pastor to the bitter end, to risk anything,
considering this tacit protest as a safeguard of the national honor. It
seemed to the peasants that in this way they deserved better of their
country than Belfort or Strasbourg, that they had given just as good an
example, that the name of their hamlet would remain immortal for it;
and with that single exception, they refused nothing to the victorious
Prussians.
The Commander and his officers laughed in private at this
manifestation of inoffensive courage, and as the entire neighborhood
showed themselves obliging to them and docile to their orders, they
willingly tolerated the priest's silent patriotism.
Little Markgraf Wilhelm was the only one who would have liked to

compel the bell to ring; he was very indignant at the political
condescendence of his superior officer towards the priest; and every
day he was beseeching the Commander to let him do once, just once,
"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!" merely for the sake of having a little fun.
And he begged for it with feline gracefulness, the cajolery of a woman,
the tenderness of voice of a beloved mistress craving for something, but
the Commander did not yield, and to console himself, Mademoiselle
Fifi exploded mines in the chateau d'Uville.
The five men remained there, in a group, for a few minutes, inhaling
the damp air. Finally Lieutenant Fritz spoke with a thick laugh:
"Decidedly, the ladies will not have fine weather for their trip."
Thereupon they separated, each going to his work, the Captain having a
great deal to do to make arrangements for the dinner party.
When they met again at nightfall, they began to laugh at seeing each
other dolled up coquettishly and smart like on grand review days,
perfumed, pomaded and hale. The Commander's hair seemed less gray
than in the morning, and the Captain had shaved, keeping only his
mustache, which looked like a flame under his nose.
Notwithstanding the rain, the window was kept open and from time to
time one of them went over to listen. At ten minutes past six o'clock,
the Baron reported a distant rolling. They all hurried downstairs, and
soon the large carriage came up with the four horses still galloping,
covered with mud up to their backs, steaming and blowing.
And five women got off the carriage and stepped on the perron, five
graceful girls carefully selected by a chum of the Captain, to whom
Pflicht had taken a card from his officer.
They had not been reluctant to come, knowing that they would be well
paid; besides, they were quite well acquainted and familiar with the
Prussians, having been in intercourse with them for the past three
months and making the best of men as of things. "Our business requires
it," they told each other on their way, no doubt in order to ease off
some secret pricking of a remnant of conscience.

And, presently, they were ushered into the dining-room. Lighted up, the
dining-room looked still more lugubrious in its pitiful dilapidation, and
the table covered with viands, rich china and silver plate, which had
been discovered in the wall where the owner had hidden them, gave to
the premises the appearance of a low tavern, where bandits are having
supper after a successful raffle. The Captain, radiant, took hold of the
women as of a familiar thing, appreciating them, embracing them,
scenting them, estimating them at their value as instruments of pleasure;
and as the three younger men wanted to take one each, he objected to it
with authority, reserving to himself the privilege of making the
assignments, in perfect fairness, according to rank, so as not to injure in
any way the hierarchy.
Then, in order to preclude any discussion, any contest and any
suspicion of partiality, he lined them up according to height, and
addressing the tallest, in a tone of command: "Your name?"
She replied, raising her voice: "Pamela."
Then he announced: "Number one, by the name of Pamela, is adjudged
to the Commander."
Having then kissed Blondine, the second as a mark of his claim to
ownership, he offered the fat Amanda to Lieutenant Otto; Eva la
Tomate to Second-Lieutenant Fritz, and the smallest of all, Rachel, a
very young brunette, with black eyes like ink spots, a Jewess whose
pug nose confirmed the rule that ascribes hooked noses to all her race,
to the youngest officer, the frail Markgraf Wilhelm von Eyrik.
As a matter of fact they were all pretty and plump, without any
distinctive character on their faces, shaped almost alike in appearance
and style and