30 STORIES FROM DAUDET

It is really an exciting scene. The
balls fly along, touch, cross colours.
The cushions are firm, the cloth grows
warm. Suddenly the flash of a cannon-
shot whizzes through the air; all start
and look at one another uneasily.
Only the Marshal has seen nothing,
heard nothing; bending over the
billiard-table he is about to combine
a magnificent recoil—he is very great
in recoil strokes.

But there comes a fresh flash, then
another. The cannon-balls follow one
another in quick and quicker succes-
sion. The aides-de-camp run to the
windows. ‘What is it? Have the
Prussians begun the attack ?’

‘Well, let them attack!’ says the
Marshal, chalking his cue; ‘your turn,
captain.’

The staff captain thrills with ad-
miration. Turenne asleep on a gun-
carriage was nothing to this marshal
so calm over his billiards at the
moment of action. . . . All this time