'It must be that they do not realize,5 he would think;
and that thought would persist until, in spite of
himself, the anger had vanished.
In such a mood as this he sought Jan one evening,
knowing that in him he would find what he needed —
the conviction that at times it was right to hate, that
pity could only mean spiritual weakness. Jan wel-
comed him gladly and, as always, he talked of the sins
committed against their country. The Cure, said Jan,
had spoken the truth in proclaiming the advent of
Anti-Christ.
'Have they not destroyed Reims Cathedral?5
he demanded; his voice shaking, his fanatical eyes
ablaze. 'Do they not seek to destroy our Lord Who is
no longer left in peace on His altars? And is this not
the work of God's enemies?5
Christophe nodded: 'Yes, yes, of God5s enemies.
To pity them therefore is surely a sin. . . .*
'Those who pity are either cowards or fools, or
worse! But who pities them? What do you mean?5
And Jan looked at him sharply.
Then Christophe lied: 'Not I!5
'Ah, bon, for a moment I thought. . . .5
'You may keep such thoughts to yourself;9 scowled
Christophe.
* * *
That night as he lay on his bed Christophe wept
very bitterly, not knowing why he was weeping. He
knew only that never before in his life had he felt
such a sense of complete desolation, such a sense of
betrayal, such a sense of grief, such a sense of loneliness
and desertion.
§2
The war passed into its second year, and now there
was no one who dared to predict when the end would
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