Sorbonne, for my father. If they don't take me back right after the war, I'll apply and apply again until they do.'
'And the third?'
She smoothed her skirt. Then she studied him. 'Of course it's different for you. You're a man - you've had many girls, and you are applauded for it.'
'Me? I'm as celibate as a Capuchin.'
She laughed mockingly.
'If you're listening to the nurses again,' said Younger, 'they're just jealous because I spend all my time with you.'
'You never married?' she asked.
'I don't believe in marriage.'
'Let me guess why not,' she said. 'Because you think it's against man's nature to be monogamous.
'Marriage looks to the future. Not practical, when you're at war.'
'I have another explanation.' She put her glass down and picked up Younger's leather jacket and military cap. 'It's because you're American.'
'Well?'
'Well, if you were a Frenchman and you got married, you could have as many affairs as you liked. You would consider it your right. But as an American, you would have to be faithful.'
'Would I?'
'American married men are much more faithful. That's what Monsieur de Tocqueville says.' She stood up, trying on the jacket and cap. 'How do I look?'
He didn't answer.
'You don't like me to wear your uniform? All right.' She took the cap from her head and set it on his, tilting it to her liking. 'It suits you better anyway.'
As she adjusted the cap on his head, bent at the waist before him, the lapels of his leather jacket, oversized on her, fell open at her neck, allowing a small silver and mother-of-pearl locket to hang down from her white blouse. He took her wrists and slowly lowered her to the grass.
'What are you doing?' she asked.
He undid the top button of her blouse.
'Don't,' she said.
He kissed her neck.
'No,' she whispered.
He stopped, looked at her. Her fiercely green eyes stared up at him, breathtakingly. The locket rose and fell with her chest. He reached for her shirt. She scrambled away like an animal. When she sat up, on her knees, his pistol was in her hands. But it was also in its holster, which she couldn't shake loose. She flapped the gun furiously, making the gun belt wag like a dog's tail. Finally she thrashed the pistol free and pointed it at him.
'Don't move,' she said.
He raised an eyebrow. 'For the record,' he said, 'I was about to rebutton you.'
'I don't need your help buttoning,' she answered, standing and making good on that claim. He began to get up as well. 'I said don't move.'
He rose, ignoring her command.
'Just get in your car and go,' she said, wriggling out of his leather jacket and throwing it at his feet. 'If you take one step toward me, I'll shoot.'
'Go ahead.' He stepped forward to pick up the jacket. 'Better to die at your hands than in a number of other ways I can think of.'
She never had a chance to reply. The motor of a military vehicle roared nearby, and an open two-seater swung its headlights directly onto them. The vehicle pulled up not ten feet away. Younger's orderly hopped out, leaving the engine running; in the glare of the headlights, Colette was still pointing a pistol at Younger.
'Sorry, sir,' said the orderly. 'Everything all right, sir?'
'What is it, Franklin?'
"They want you back, sir. On the double.'
'Why?' asked Younger.
"Two Jerry runners got captured up near Reems,' said Franklin, referring to the city of Rheims. 'They found messages on them. The attack's coming tonight, sir. The big one.'
'Forgive me, Mademoiselle, but my country requires me,' said Younger, picking up his gun belt from the grass and strapping it on.
She frowned. 'Will they send you to the front?'
He smiled. 'I've never heard such solicitude from
'And the third?'
She smoothed her skirt. Then she studied him. 'Of course it's different for you. You're a man - you've had many girls, and you are applauded for it.'
'Me? I'm as celibate as a Capuchin.'
She laughed mockingly.
'If you're listening to the nurses again,' said Younger, 'they're just jealous because I spend all my time with you.'
'You never married?' she asked.
'I don't believe in marriage.'
'Let me guess why not,' she said. 'Because you think it's against man's nature to be monogamous.
'Marriage looks to the future. Not practical, when you're at war.'
'I have another explanation.' She put her glass down and picked up Younger's leather jacket and military cap. 'It's because you're American.'
'Well?'
'Well, if you were a Frenchman and you got married, you could have as many affairs as you liked. You would consider it your right. But as an American, you would have to be faithful.'
'Would I?'
'American married men are much more faithful. That's what Monsieur de Tocqueville says.' She stood up, trying on the jacket and cap. 'How do I look?'
He didn't answer.
'You don't like me to wear your uniform? All right.' She took the cap from her head and set it on his, tilting it to her liking. 'It suits you better anyway.'
As she adjusted the cap on his head, bent at the waist before him, the lapels of his leather jacket, oversized on her, fell open at her neck, allowing a small silver and mother-of-pearl locket to hang down from her white blouse. He took her wrists and slowly lowered her to the grass.
'What are you doing?' she asked.
He undid the top button of her blouse.
'Don't,' she said.
He kissed her neck.
'No,' she whispered.
He stopped, looked at her. Her fiercely green eyes stared up at him, breathtakingly. The locket rose and fell with her chest. He reached for her shirt. She scrambled away like an animal. When she sat up, on her knees, his pistol was in her hands. But it was also in its holster, which she couldn't shake loose. She flapped the gun furiously, making the gun belt wag like a dog's tail. Finally she thrashed the pistol free and pointed it at him.
'Don't move,' she said.
He raised an eyebrow. 'For the record,' he said, 'I was about to rebutton you.'
'I don't need your help buttoning,' she answered, standing and making good on that claim. He began to get up as well. 'I said don't move.'
He rose, ignoring her command.
'Just get in your car and go,' she said, wriggling out of his leather jacket and throwing it at his feet. 'If you take one step toward me, I'll shoot.'
'Go ahead.' He stepped forward to pick up the jacket. 'Better to die at your hands than in a number of other ways I can think of.'
She never had a chance to reply. The motor of a military vehicle roared nearby, and an open two-seater swung its headlights directly onto them. The vehicle pulled up not ten feet away. Younger's orderly hopped out, leaving the engine running; in the glare of the headlights, Colette was still pointing a pistol at Younger.
'Sorry, sir,' said the orderly. 'Everything all right, sir?'
'What is it, Franklin?'
"They want you back, sir. On the double.'
'Why?' asked Younger.
"Two Jerry runners got captured up near Reems,' said Franklin, referring to the city of Rheims. 'They found messages on them. The attack's coming tonight, sir. The big one.'
'Forgive me, Mademoiselle, but my country requires me,' said Younger, picking up his gun belt from the grass and strapping it on.
She frowned. 'Will they send you to the front?'
He smiled. 'I've never heard such solicitude from
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