CHAPTERII

chapterii

thestreetofthethreepebbles—laruedestroiscailloux—whichgoesupfromthestationthroughtheheartofamiens,wasthecrowdedhighway.herewerethebestshops—thehairdresser,attheleft-handside,wherealldaylongofficersdownfromthelinecameintohaveelaborateluxuryinthewayofclosecropswithfrictiond'eaudequinine,shampooing,singeing,oiling,notbecauseofvanity,butbecauseofthejoyoussenseofcleanlinessandperfumeafterthefilthandstenchoflifeinthedesolatefields;thenthebooksellers'(madamecarpentieretfille)ontheright-handside,whichwasnotonlytherendezvousofthemiscellaneouscrowdbuyingstationeryandlavieparisienne,butoftheintellectualswhospokegoodfrenchandboughtgoodbooksandlikedtenminutes'chatwiththemotheranddaughter.(madamewasanalsatianladywithvividmemoriesof1870,when,asachild,shehadfirstlearnedtohategermans.)shehatedthemnowwithafresh,vitalhatred,andwouldhaveseenherownsondeadahundredtimes—hewasasoldierinsaloniki—ratherthanthatfranceshouldmakeacompromisepeacewiththeenemy.shehadbeeninamiens,asiwas,onadreadfulnightofaugustof1914,whenthefrencharmypassedthroughinretreatfrombapaume,andsheandthepeopleofhercityknewforthefirsttimethatthegermanswerecloseuponthem.shestoodinthecrowdasidid—inthedarkness,watchingthatfrenchcolumnpasswiththeirtransport,andtheirwoundedlyingontheagewagons,menofmanyregimentsmixedup,thelightofthestreetlampsshiningonthecasquesofcuirassierswiththeirlonghorsehairtails,leadingtheirstumblinghorses,andfootsoldiers,hunchedundertheirpacks,marchingsilentlywithingsteps.onceinawhileoneofthesoldierslefttheranksandcameontothesidewalk,whisperingtoagroupofdarkshadows.thecrowdswatchedsilently,inacurious,dreadfulsilence,asthoughstunned.awomannearmespokeinalowvoice,andsaid,“noussommesperdus!”thoseweretheonlywordsiheardorremembered.

thatnightinthestationofamienstheboysofanewclasswerebeinghurriedawayintrucktrains,andwhiletheirarmywasinretreatsang“lamarseillaise,”asthoughvictorywereintheirhearts.nextdaythegermanarmyundervonkluckenteredamiens,andtendaysafterwardpassedthroughitonthewaytoparis.madamecarpentiertoldmeofthefirstterrorofthepeoplewhenthefield-graymencamedownthestreetofthethreepebblesandenteredtheirshops.aboysellingorangesfaintedwhenagermanstretchedouthishandtobuysome.womenhidbehindtheircounterswhengermanbootsstampedintotheirshops.butmadamecarpentierwasnotafraid.sheknewthegermansandtheirlanguage.shespokefrankwordstogermanofficers,whosalutedherrespectfullyenough.“youwillnevergettoparis...franceandenglandwillbetoostrongforyou...germanywillbedestroyedbeforethiswarends.”theylaughedatherandsaid:“weshallbeinparisinaweekfromnow.haveyoualittlediary,madame?”madamecarpentierwashaughtywiththem.somewomenofamiens—poordrabs—didnotshowanyhaughtiness,noranypride,withtheenemywhocrowdedintothecityontheirwaytowardparis.agirltoldmethatshewaslookingthroughthewindowofahousethatfacedtheplacedelagare,andsawanumberofgermansoldiersdancingroundapiano-organwhichwasplayingtothem.theyweredancingwithwomenofthetown,whowerelaughingandscreechingintheembraceofbig,blondgermans.thegirlwhowaswatchingwasonlyaschoolgirlthen.sheknewverylittleoftheeviloflife,butenoughtoknowthattherewassomethinginthisscenedegradingtowomanhoodandtofrance.sheturnedfromthewindowandflungherselfonherbedandweptbitterly...

iusedtocallinatthebookshopforachatnowandthenwithmadameandmademoisellecarpentier,whileacrowdofofficerscameinandout.madamewasalwaysmerryandbrightinspiteofherdenunciationsofthe“saleboches—lesbrigands,lesbandits!”andmademoiselleputmyknowledgeoffrenchtoaseverebutpleasanttest.shespokewithalarmingrapidity,herwordstumblingoveroneanotherinacascadeofvolubilitydelightfultohearbutdifficulttofollow.shehadastrongmind—masterlyinhermethodsofbusiness—sothatshecouldservesixcustomersatonceandmakeeachonethinkthatherattentionwasentirelydevotedtohisneeds—andaveryshrewdandcriticalideaofmilitarystrategyandorganization.shehadbutapooropinionofbritishgeneralsandgeneralship,althoughawholeheartedadmirationforthegallantryofbritishofficersandmen;andshehadanintimateknowledgeofourpreparations,plans,failures,andlosses.frenchliaison-officersconfidedtoherthesecretsofthebritisharmy;andenglishofficerstrustedherwithmanyrevelationsofthings“inthewind.”butmademoisellecarpentierhaddiscretionandloyaltyanddidnotrepeatthesethingstopeoplewhohadnorighttoknow.shewouldhavebeenfarmoreefficientasastaffofficerthanmanyoftheyounggentlemenwithredtabsontheirtunicswhocameintotheshop,flippingbeautifultop-bootswithriding-crops,sittingonthecounter,andturningoverthepagesoflavieforthelatestconventioninladies'legs.

mademoisellewasaseriousmusician,sohermothertoldme,buthermusicalstudieswereseriouslyinterruptedbybusinessandairraids,whichonedayceasedinamiensaltogetherafteranightofhorror,whenhundredsofhousesweresmashedtodustandmanypeoplekilled,andthegermansbroughttheirgunsclosetothecity—closeenoughtoscatterhighvelocitiesaboutitsstreets—andthepopulationcameupoutoftheircellars,shakenbytheterrorofthenight,andfled.ipassedthebookshopwheremademoisellewaslockingupthedoorofthishousewhichhadescapedbygreaterluckthanitsneighbors.sheturnedasipassedandraisedherhandwithagravegestureofresignationandcourage.“ilsnepasserontpas!”shesaid.itwasthespiritofthecourageoffrenchwomanhoodwhichspokeinthosewords.