Accordingly he had entered the town with his six waggons, whilst in his cellar were carefully stored quantities of brandy, coffee, sugar, ham, and a dozen barrels of salt. He had spent a portion of the ready money he possessed in procuring these stores, and had awaited results. Meanwhile, all the Lorraine youth left. The male population which had not become enrolled in the army, as being under age, undertook to resist the invaders. The old martial blood boiled in French hearts, and the young Graff, returned from the town hall, a cockade in his hat, when he met on the square Elias Lichtenbach, walking about smoking a pipe. Scores of times, extending over long years, whilst old Moses was stationed at Graff’s door loading old iron, or buying the skins of goats or hares killed by the brewer the previous Sunday, had the two boys played together. Antoine carried off young Elias into the garden, and, between them, to the great wrath of Madame Graff, they would climb the wall and steal the fruit, still unripe. They often played at marbles, but in spite of Elias’s utmost efforts, he could never succeed in transferring his glass ones for Antoine’s agate ones. He was the only boy in the town he had not succeeded in exploiting. One day even Antoine proved himself the more cunning, and succeeded in getting Elias to take an old broken sword in exchange for six enormous marbles quite new. Moses was obliged to confess, with a feeling of humiliation, that the young Graff had proved himself more shrewd than the young Lichtenbach. It must be stated that, on that occasion, Catherine Graff was present, and, with the object of dazzling his friend’s sister, Elias had shown unwonted generosity. This young girl had even then the power of troubling the young boy. As he saw his former companion pass by, proud of his patriotic determination, Elias had taken the pipe from his mouth, and said— “Where are you going, Antoine?” “To join the 27th line regiment at Chalons.” “What! Have you enlisted?” “Yes, like every one else of my age. Are not you going to do the same?” “I don’t know; my father has said nothing to me about it.” “Are you to wait for your father’s orders before doing your duty?” Elias scratched his head, whilst his whole face expressed uncertainty and embarrassment. “But he needs me for the business.” “France also needs you, and more urgently than your father.” “I am only nineteen years old.” “And I, not yet twenty.” “Yes, you are right, I will go and speak to my father about it.” “If I do not see you again, good-bye.” “Good-bye, and good luck.” Elias, in greater trouble than he had ever been before, made his way to his father’s shop, and found old Moses in the cellar in the act of bottling brandy. The son was warmly received by his father, and Lichtenbach, filling a goblet, held it out to his son and heir.