“And will she soon be confined?” and shaking his head reproachfully said: “That’s bad! Go on, go on.”

The third interruption came when Prince Andréy was finishing his description. The old man began to sing, in the cracked voice of old age: “ Malbrook s’en va-t-en guerre. Dieu sait quand reviendra. ” 15

His son only smiled.

“I don’t say it’s a plan I approve of,” said the son; “I am only telling you what it is. Napoleon has also formed his plan by now, not worse than this one.”

“Well, you’ve told me nothing new,” and the old man repeated, meditatively and rapidly:

“ Dieu sait quand reviendra. Go to the dining room.”