VIII.
FOUR years ago the first swallow of the Toulon spring—a Frenchman well known as an advocate of war with Germany—came to Russia to pave the way for the Franco-Russian alliance and visited us in the country. He arrived at the time when we were at work in the hayfields. On our return home we made our visitor's acquaintance during lunch, and he immediately told us how he had fought in the Franco-German War, had been taken prisoner, had escaped, and had made a patriotic vow, of which he was obviously proud, never to give up agitating for war with Germany till such time as the unity and glory of France were restored. Our visitor's convictions concerning the necessity of an alliance between Russia and France in order to restore the former frontiers of France, and her power and glory, and to safeguard ourselves from the evil machinations of Germany, had no success in our circle. To his arguments that France could never be at rest till she had regained her lost provinces, we replied that in the same way Prussia could never be at rest till she had avenged Jena, and
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