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Page 23
The food appeared within the prescribed time, and both ate heartily.
John watched Lannes. He knew that he would suffer agonies of
mortification if he were not able to share in the great movement which
so obviously was about to take place, and, as he looked, he felt a
growing admiration for Philip's immense power of self-control.
Mind had truly taken command of body. Lannes ate slowly and with evident
relish. From without came many noises of a great army, but he refused to
be disturbed or excited by them. He spoke lightly of his life before the
war, and of a little country home that the Lannes family had in
Normandy.
"We own the two places, that and the home in the city," he said. "The
house in Normandy is small, but it's beautiful, hidden by flower gardens
and orchards, with a tiny river just back of the last orchard. Julie has
spent most of her life there. She and my mother would go there now, but
it's safer at Lyons or in the Midi. A wonderful girl, Julie! I hope,
John, that you'll come for a long stay with us after the war, among the
Normandy orchards and roses."
"I hope so," said John. He was dreaming a little then, and he saw young
Julie sitting at the table with them back in Paris. Truly, her golden
hair was the purest gold he had ever seen, and there was no other blue
like the blue of her blue eyes.
"Now, John," said Lannes, "I'll resume my place on the blankets and in
ten minutes I'll be asleep."
He lay down, closed his eyes and three minutes short of the appointed
time slept soundly. John gazed at him for a moment in wonder and
admiration. The triumph of will over body had been complete. He touched
Lannes' head. It was normally cool. Either the surgeon's skill had been
great or the very strength of his resolve had been so immense that he
had kept nerves and blood too quiet for fever to rise.
John left the tent, feeling for the time a personal detachment from
everything. He had no position in this army, and no orders had been
given to him by anybody. But he knew that he was among friends, and
while he stood looking about in uncertainty Captain de Rougemont
appeared.
"How is young Lannes?" he asked.
"Sleeping and free from fever. He will move with the army, or rather he
will be hovering over it in his aeroplane. I never before saw such
extraordinary power of will."
"He's a wonderful fellow. Of course, most of us have heard of him
through his marvelous flying exploits, but it's the first time that I've
ever seen him. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I seem to be left high and dry for the present, at least.
My company is with one of the armies, but where that army is now is more
than I can tell."
"Nor do I know either. We're all in the dark here, but any young strong
man can certainly get a chance to fight in this war. I'm on the staff of
General Vaugirard, a brigade commander, and he needs active young
officers. You speak good French, and the fact that you came with Lannes
will be a great recommendation, I'll provide you with a horse and all
else necessary."
John thanked him with great sincerity. The offer was in truth most
welcome. He knew that Lannes would willingly take him in the _Arrow_,
but he felt that he would be in the way there and, as he had said to his
friend, the rolling earth rather than the air around it was his true
field of action. His first enrollment in the French army had been
hurried and without due forms, but war had made it good.
"I'll not come back for you until afternoon," said de Rougemont,
"because we're already making preparations to advance, and I shall have
much to do meanwhile. You can watch over Lannes and see that he's not
interrupted in his sleep. He'll need it."
"Yes, I have reason to know that he did not sleep at all last night, and
he must be in a state of complete exhaustion. But, just as he predicted,
he'll rise, his old self again."
Captain de Rougemont hurried away, and John was left alone in the midst
of a great army. He stood before Lannes' tent, which was in the midst of
a grassy and rather elevated opening, and he heard once more the
infinite sounds made by two hundred thousand armed men, blending into
one vast, fused note.
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