Seeing his son enter, he had turned towards the window overlooking the park; he had crossed his legs, and placed his right elbow on the desk. He examined curiously this tall, thin, handsome man, his son, who sat down facing him, and he smiled. To see him thus, leaning back in his arm-chair, and smiling his own mechanical and irrelevant smile, by only judging from the full face framed by two grey whiskers, and the gesture of his raised right hand, touching his head and playing with the cord of his eyeglass, it would be easy to understand the mistake of those who took M. Oberlé for a magistrate. But the eyes, a little closed on account of the bright light, were too quick and too hard to belong to any but a man of action. They gave the lie to the mechanical smile of his lips. They had no scientific curiosity, worldly or paternal; they sought simply a way, like those of a ship's captain--in order to pass on. Scarcely had M. Oberlé asked, "What have you to tell me?" than he added, "Have you spoken with your mother this morning?" "No!" "With Lucienne?" "Neither; I have just come from my room." "It is better so. It is better for us to make our plans together, we two, without any one interfering. I have allowed you to return and to stay here precisely that we may arrange your future. Firstly, your military service in the month of October, with the fixed determination--am I right?"--and he dwelt on the following words--"to become an officer of the reserve?" Jean, motionless, with head erect and straight look, and with the charming gravity of a young man who speaks of his future and who keeps a sort of quiet hold on himself which is not quite natural to him: "Yes, father, that is my intention." "The first point is then settled--and afterwards? You have seen the world. You know the people among whom you are called to live. You know that with regard to the German magistracy the chances of succeeding increased some time ago, because my own position has been considerably bettered in Alsace?" "I know it." "You know equally well that I have never wavered in my desire to see you follow the career which would have been mine if circumstances had not been stronger than my will." As if this word had suddenly excited in him the strength to will, the eyes of M. Oberlé were fixed, imperious and masterful, on those of his son, like the claws of a bird of prey. He left off playing with his eyeglass, and said quickly: "Your last letters indicated, however, a certain hesitation. Answer me. Will you become a magistrate?" Jean became slightly pale, and answered: "No!" The father bent forward as if he were going to rise, and without taking his eyes off him whose moral energy he was weighing and judging at that moment: "Administrator?" "Neither. Nothing official." "Then your law studies?" "Useless." "Because?" "Because," said the young man, trying to steady his voice, "I have not the German spirit."