Page:Crainquebille, Putois, Riquet and other profitable tales, 1915.djvu/141

Rh peace; baking, farriery, the maintenance of order, chemistry, etc."

"Why did you say such things, Lucien?" asked Mademoiselle Bergeret.

"Because I was convinced of their truth," replied her brother. "What is called strategy is really the art practised by Cook's agency. It consists in crossing rivers by way of bridges and getting the other side of mountains through passes. As for military tactics, the rules are childish. Great Captains pay no attention to them. Although they would never admit it, they leave much to chance. Their art is to create prejudices in their favour. Conquest becomes easy to them when they are believed to be unconquerable. It is only on a plan that a battle assumes that aspect of order and regularity which reveals a dominant will."

"Poor Émile Vincent!" sighed Mademoiselle Bergeret. "He was indeed passionately fond of the army. And I agree with you that he must have suffered cruelly when he found military society treating him as an enemy. General Cartier de Chalmot's wife was very hard on him. She knew better than anyone that he subscribed largely to military charities. And yet she would have nothing to do with him when she heard that he had called