pline."

"You are quite right, Rene, that is when it comes to fighting in the
open; fighting in the streets of a town is a very different thing. Then
I grant individual pluck will do wonders. Look at Saragosa, look at
Lucknow. Civilians in both cases fought as well as the best trained
soldiers could do, but in the field discipline is everything. Putting
aside the great battles where your feudal lords, with their brave but
undisciplined followers, met our disciplined bow and billmen, look at
the Jacquerie, the peasants were brave enough, and were animated by hate
and despair, but they were scattered like chaff by mere handfuls of
knights and men-at-arms. The Swiss have defended their mountains against
the armies of despots, because they had mountains to defend, and were
accustomed to scaling the rocks, and all good shots, just as the people
of a town might hold their streets. I believe that you will hold Paris.
I doubt whether the Germans will ever be able to enter your walls, but
famine will enter, and, defend yourselves as obstinately as you may, the
time must come when food will give out."

"As if we should wait to be starved," another of the students said
scoffingly. "If the time comes when there's nothing to eat, we would set
Paris on fire and hurl ourselves every man upon the Germans, and fight
our way through. Do you think that they could block every road round
Paris?"

"I know nothing about military affairs, Leroux, and therefore don't
suppose anything one way or the other. I believe the Parisians will make
a gallant defence, and they have my heartiest good wishes and sympathy,
and when all you men join the ranks my intention is to go with you. But
as to the end, my belief is that it will be decided not by Paris but by
France."

"Bravo, bravo, Cuthbert," the others exclaimed, "that shows, indeed,
that you love France. Rene said he thought you would shoulder a musket
with us, but we said Englishmen only fought either for duty or interest,
and we did not see why you should mix yourself up in it."

"Then you are altogether wrong. If you said Englishmen don't fight for
what you call glory, you would be right, but you can take my word for it
that in spite of what peace-at-any-price people may say, there are no
people in the world who are more ready to fight when they think they are
right, than Englishmen. We find it hard enough to get recruits in time
of peace, but in time of war we can get any number we want. Th