Godard I thought perhaps I might spend the week, General, if you should regard favorably the request which I shall venture to make of you. The General Go in and win! I know what request you mean--My wife is on your side. Ah, Godard, you have attacked the fortress at its weak point! Godard General, you are an old soldier, and have no taste for mere phrases. In all your undertakings you go straight ahead, as you did when under fire. The General Straight and facing the whole battery. Godard That suits me well, for I am rather timid. The General You! I owe you, my dear friend, an apology; I took you for a man who was too well aware of his own worth. Godard You took me to be conceited! But General, as a matter of fact, I intend to marry because I don't know how to pay any court to women. The General (aside) What a civilian! (Aloud) How is this? You talk like an old man, and --that is not the way to win my daughter. Godard Do not misunderstand me. I have a warm heart; I wish only to feel sure that I shall be accepted. The General That means that you don't mind attacking unwalled towns. Godard That is not it at all, General. You quite alarm me, with your banter. The General What do you mean then? Godard I understand nothing about the tricks of women. I know no more when their yes means no, than when their no means yes; and when I am in love, I wish to be loved in return. The General (aside) With such ideas as those he has precious little chance. Godard There are plenty of men like me, men who are supremely bored by this little warfare of manners and whims. The General But there is something also delightful in it,--I mean in the feminine show of resistance, which gives one the pleasure of overcoming it. Godard Thank you, nothing of that sort for me! When I am hungry, I do not wish to coquette with my soup. I like to have things decided, and care very little how the decision is arrived at, although I do come from Normandy. In the world, I see coxcombs who creep into the favor of women by saying to them, "Ah! madame, what a pretty frock you have on. Your taste is perfect. You are the only person who could wear that," and starting from such speeches as that they go on and on--and gain their end. They are wonderful fellows, upon my honor! I don't see how they reach success by such idle talk. I should beat about the bush through all eternity before I could tell a pretty woman the effect she had made on me. The General The men of the Empire were not of that sort.