The war was over. The Germans occupied France. The whole country was pulsating1 like a conquered wrestler2 beneath the knee of his victorious3 opponent.
The first trains from Paris, distracted, starving, despairing Paris, were making their way to the new frontiers, slowly passing through the country districts and the villages. The passengers gazed through the windows at the ravaged4 fields and burned hamlets. Prussian soldiers, in their black helmets with brass5 spikes6, were smoking their pipes astride their chairs in front of the houses which were still left standing7. Others were working or talking just as if they were members of the families. As you passed through the different towns you saw entire regiments9 drilling in the squares, and, in spite of the rumble10 of the carriage-wheels, you could every moment hear the hoarse11 words of command.
M. Dubuis, who during the entire siege had served as one of the National Guard in Paris, was going to join his wife and daughter, whom he had prudently12 sent away to Switzerland before the invasion.
Famine and hardship had not diminished his big paunch so characteristic of the rich, peace-loving merchant. He had gone through the terrible events of the past year with sorrowful resignation and bitter complaints at the savagery15 of men. Now that he was journeying to the frontier at the close of the war, he saw the Prussians for the first time, although he had done his duty on the ramparts and mounted guard on many a cold night.
He stared with mingled16 fear and anger at those bearded armed men, installed all over French soil as if they were at home, and he felt in his soul a kind of fever of impotent patriotism17, at the same time also the great need of that new instinct of prudence18 which since then has, never left us. In the same railway carriage were two Englishmen, who had come to the country as sightseers and were gazing about them with looks of quiet curiosity. They were both also stout19, and kept chatting in their own language, sometimes referring to their guidebook, and reading aloud the names of the places indicated.
Suddenly the train stopped at a little village station, and a Prussian officer jumped up with a great clatter20 of his sabre on the double footboard of the railway carriage. He was tall, wore a tight-fitting uniform, and had whiskers up to his eyes. His red hair seemed to be on fire, and his long mustache, of a paler hue21, stuck out on both sides of his face, which it seemed to cut in two.
The Englishmen at once began staring at him, with smiles of newly awakened22 interest, while M. Dubuis made a show of reading a newspaper. He sat concealed23 in his corner like a thief in presence of a gendarme24.
The train started again. The Englishmen went on chatting and looking out for the exact scene of different battles; and all of a sudden, as one of them stretched out his arm toward the horizon as he pointed25 out a village, the Prussian officer remarked in French, extending his long legs and lolling backward:
“I killed a dozen Frenchmen in that village and took more than a hundred prisoners.”
The Englishmen, quite interested, immediately asked:
“Ha! and what is the name of this village?”
The Prussian replied:
“Pharsbourg.” He added: “We caught those French scoundrels by the ears.”
And he glanced toward M. Dubuis, laughing conceitedly26 into his mustache.
The train rolled on, still passing through hamlets occupied by the victorious army. German soldiers could be seen along the roads, on the edges of fields, standing in front of gates or chatting outside cafes. They covered the soil like African locusts27.
The officer said, with a wave of his hand:
“If I had been in command, I'd have taken Paris, burned everything, killed everybody. No more France!”
The Englishman, through politeness, replied simply:
“Ah! yes.”
He went on:
“In twenty years all Europe, all of it, will belong to us. Prussia is more than a match for all of them.”
The Englishmen, getting uneasy, no longer replied. Their faces, which had become impassive, seemed made of wax behind their long whiskers. Then the Prussian officer began to laugh. And still, lolling back, he began to sneer28. He sneered29 at the downfall of France, insulted the prostrate30 enemy; he sneered at Austria, which had been recently conquered; he sneered at the valiant31 but fruitless defence of the departments; he sneered at the Garde Mobile and at the useless artillery32. He announced that Bismarck was going to build a city of iron with the captured cannon33. And suddenly he placed his boots against the thigh34 of M. Dubuis, who turned away his eyes, reddening to the roots of his hair.
The Englishmen seemed to have become indifferent to all that was going on, as if they were suddenly shut up in their own island, far from the din8 of the world.
“You haven't any tobacco—have you?”
M. Dubuis replied:
“No, monsieur.”
The German resumed:
“You might go and buy some for me when the train stops.”
And he began laughing afresh as he added:
“I'll give you the price of a drink.”
The train whistled, and slackened its pace. They passed a station that had been burned down; and then they stopped altogether.
“Go and do what I told you—quick, quick!”
A Prussian detachment occupied the station. Other soldiers were standing behind wooden gratings, looking on. The engine was getting up steam before starting off again. Then M. Dubuis hurriedly jumped on the platform, and, in spite of the warnings of the station master, dashed into the adjoining compartment37.
He was alone! He tore open his waistcoat, his heart was beating so rapidly, and, gasping38 for breath, he wiped the perspiration39 from his forehead.
The train drew up at another station. And suddenly the officer appeared at the carriage door and jumped in, followed close behind by the two Englishmen, who were impelled40 by curiosity. The German sat facing the Frenchman, and, laughing still, said:
“You did not want to do what I asked you?”
M. Dubuis replied:
“No, monsieur.”
The train had just left the station.
The officer said:
“I'll cut off your mustache to fill my pipe with.”
And he put out his hand toward the Frenchman's face.
The Englishmen stared at them, retaining their previous impassive manner.
The German had already pulled out a few hairs, and was still tugging41 at the mustache, when M. Dubuis, with a back stroke of his hand, flung aside the officer's arm, and, seizing him by the collar, threw him down on the seat. Then, excited to a pitch of fury, his temples swollen42 and his eyes glaring, he kept throttling43 the officer with one hand, while with the other clenched44 he began to strike him violent blows in the face. The Prussian struggled, tried to draw his sword, to clinch45 with his adversary46, who was on top of him. But M. Dubuis crushed him with his enormous weight and kept punching him without taking breath or knowing where his blows fell. Blood flowed down the face of the German, who, choking and with a rattling47 in his throat, spat48 out his broken teeth and vainly strove to shake off this infuriated man who was killing49 him.
The Englishmen had got on their feet and came closer in order to see better. They remained standing, full of mirth and curiosity, ready to bet for, or against, either combatant.
Suddenly M. Dubuis, exhausted50 by his violent efforts, rose and resumed his seat without uttering a word.
The Prussian did not attack him, for the savage14 assault had terrified and astonished the officer as well as causing him suffering. When he was able to breathe freely, he said:
“Unless you give me satisfaction with pistols I will kill you.”
M. Dubuis replied:
“Whenever you like. I'm quite ready.”
The German said:
“Here is the town of Strasbourg. I'll get two officers to be my seconds, and there will be time before the train leaves the station.”
“Will you be my seconds?” They both answered together:
“Oh, yes!”
And the train stopped.
In a minute the Prussian had found two comrades, who brought pistols, and they made their way toward the ramparts.
The Englishmen were continually looking at their watches, shuffling52 their feet and hurrying on with the preparations, uneasy lest they should be too late for the train.
M. Dubuis had never fired a pistol in his life.
They made him stand twenty paces away from his enemy. He was asked:
“Are you ready?”
While he was answering, “Yes, monsieur,” he noticed that one of the Englishmen had opened his umbrella in order to keep off the rays of the sun.
A voice gave the signal:
“Fire!”
M. Dubuis fired at random53 without delay, and he was amazed to see the Prussian opposite him stagger, lift up his arms and fall forward, dead. He had killed the officer.
One of the Englishmen exclaimed: “Ah!” He was quivering with delight, with satisfied curiosity and joyous54 impatience55. The other, who still kept his watch in his hand, seized M. Dubuis' arm and hurried him in double-quick time toward the station, his fellow-countryman marking time as he ran beside them, with closed fists, his elbows at his sides, “One, two; one, two!”
And all three, running abreast56 rapidly, made their way to the station like three grotesque57 figures in a comic newspaper.
The train was on the point of starting. They sprang into their carriage. Then the Englishmen, taking off their travelling caps, waved them three times over their heads, exclaiming:
And gravely, one after the other, they extended their right hands to M. Dubuis and then went back and sat down in their own corner.
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1
pulsating
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| adj.搏动的，脉冲的v.有节奏地舒张及收缩( pulsate的现在分词 )；跳动；脉动；受（激情）震动 | |
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2
wrestler
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| n.摔角选手，扭 | |
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3
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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4
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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5
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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6
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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7
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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8
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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10
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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11
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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12
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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13
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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14
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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15
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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16
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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17
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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18
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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20
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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21
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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22
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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23
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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24
gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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25
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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26
conceitedly
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| 自满地 | |
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27
locusts
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| n.蝗虫( locust的名词复数 )；贪吃的人；破坏者；槐树 | |
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28
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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29
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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31
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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32
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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33
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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34
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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35
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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36
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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37
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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38
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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39
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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40
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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42
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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43
throttling
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| v.扼杀( throttle的现在分词 )；勒死；使窒息；压制 | |
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44
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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46
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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47
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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48
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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49
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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50
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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51
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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52
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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53
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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54
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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55
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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56
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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57
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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58
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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