“Please talk of something else,” and added after a pause: 

“Will you do something for me?—­don’t ask me any more questions today.”

They agreed rather surprised, but they supposed that he needed care, being so tired, and they overwhelmed him with attentions.  Clerambault, however, could not refrain from breaking out every minute or two in apostrophes, demanding his son’s approbation.  His speeches resounded with the word “Liberty.”  Maxime smiled faintly and looked at Rosine, for the attitude of the young girl was singular.  When her brother came in she threw her arms round his neck, but since she had kept in the background, one might have said aloof.  She had taken no part in her parents’ questions, and far from inviting confidence from Maxime she seemed to shrink from it.  He felt the same awkwardness, and avoided being alone with her.  But still they had never felt closer to each other in spirit, they could not have borne to say why.

Maxime had to be shown to all the neighbours, and by way of amusement he was taken out for a walk.  In spite of her mourning, Paris again wore a smiling face; poverty and pain were hidden at home, or at the bottom of her proud heart; but the perpetual Fair in the streets and in the press showed its mask of contentment.

The people in the cafes and the tea-rooms were ready to hold out for twenty years, if necessary.  Maxime and his family sat in a tea-shop at a little table, gay chatter and the perfume of women all about him.  Through it he saw the trench where he had been bombarded for twenty-six days on end, unable to stir from the sticky ditch full of corpses which rose around him like a wall....  His mother laid her hand on his, he woke, saw the affectionate questioning glances of his people, and self-reproached for making them uneasy, he smiled and began to look about and talk gaily.  His boyish high spirits came back, and the shadow cleared away from Clerambault’s face; he glanced simply and gratefully at Maxime.

His alarms were not at an end, however.  As they left the tea-shop—­he leaning on the arm of his son—­they met a military funeral.  There were wreaths and uniforms, a member of the Institute with his sword between his legs, and brass instruments braying out an heroic lamentation.

The crowd drew respectfully to either side, Clerambault stopped and pointedly took off his hat, while with his left hand he pressed Maxime’s arm yet closer to his side.  Feeling him tremble, he turned towards his son, and thought he had a strange look.  Supposing that he was overcome he tried to draw him away, but Maxime did not stir, he was so much taken aback.

“A dead man,” he thought.  “All that for one dead man!... and out there we walk over them.  Five hundred a day on the roll, that’s the normal ration.”

Hearing a sneering little laugh, Clerambault was frightened and pulled him by the arm.

“Come away!” he said, and they moved on.