He loves it all.
At the very first, it seemed as if he were going to be a little
ridiculous; now it is as if there was but one thing for him--love of
France and loyalty to the cause. Ah, think of the glories of the Empire!
of France as the light of Europe, of Napoleon making her rich and proud
and dominant! And think of her now, sinking into the wallow of bourgeois
vulgarity! If--if, as His Excellency said, the light were to come from
here, even from this far corner of the world, from this old France, to be
the torch of freedom once again--from our little parish here!"
His face was glowing, his thin hands made a quick gesture of charmed
anticipation.
Madame Chalice looked at him in a sort of wonder and delight. Dreamers
all! And this visionary Napoleon had come into the little man's quiet,
cultured, passive life, and had transformed him, filled him with
adventure and patriotism. There must be something behind Valmond, some
real, even some great thing, or this were not possible. It was not
surprising that she, with the spirit of dreams and romance deep in her,
should be sympathetic, even carried away for the moment.
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