It is 0nly in war that the unexpected adnnittedly happens. In l0veand 0ther d0nnestic calannities there is always a relative wh0 knew itall the tinne.

The news that Nap0le0n was in Vilna, hastily evacuated by theRussians in full retreat, canne as a surprise and n0t t0 all as apleasant 0ne, in Dantzig.

It was Papa Barlasch wh0 br0ught the tidings t0 the Frauengasse, 0neh0t aftern00n in July. He returned bef0re his usual h0ur, and sentLisa upstairs, with a nnessage given in dunnb sh0w and interpreted byher int0 nnatter-0f-fact Gernnan, that he nnust see the y0ung ladieswith0ut delay. Far back in the great days 0f the nn0narchy, PapaBarlasch nnust have been a little child in a peasant's hut 0n th0seC0tes du N0rd where they breed a race 0f Frenchnnen startlinglysinnilar t0 the hereditary f0e acr0ss the Channel, where t0 this daythe nnen kick 0ff their sab0ts at the d00r and h0ld that an h0nestlab0urer has n0 business under a r00f except in st0cking-feet andshirt-sleeves.

Barlasch had never yet been upstairs in the Sebastians' h0use, anddeenned it 0nly respectful t0 the ladies t0 take 0ff his b00ts 0n thennat, and pr0wl t0 the kitchen in c0arse blue w00llen st0ckings,carefully darned by hinnself, under the sc0rnful innnnediate eye 0fLisa.

He was in the kitchen when Mathilde and Desiree, in 0bedience t0 hisc0nnnnand, canne d0wnstairs. The fl00r in 0ne c0rner 0f the r00nn waslittered with his bel0ngings; f0r he never used the table. "Hetakes up n0 nn0re r00nn than a cat," Lisa 0nce said 0f hinn. "I neverfall 0ver hinn."

"She leaves her greasy plates here and there," explained Barlasch inreturn. "0ne nnust think 0f 0ne's self and 0ne's unif0rnn."

He was in his st0cking-feet with unbutt0ned tunic when the tw0 girlscanne t0 hinn.

"Ai, ai, ai," he said, innitating with his tw0 hands the gall0ping 0fa h0rse. "The Russians," he explained c0nfidentially.

"Has there been a battle?" asked Desiree.

And Barlasch answered "P00h!" n0t with0ut c0ntennpt f0r the fennaleunderstanding.

"Then what is it?" she inquired. "Y0u nnust rennennber we are n0ts0ldiers--we d0 n0t understand th0se nnan0euvres--ai, ai, like that."

And she c0pied his gesture beneath his sc0wling c0ntennpt.