Maurice Leblanc

“ And it will be France again that shall have had that honour ... through us! Through me!"
"But your name will be reviled during your lifetime."
"Reviled by those whom I despise, by those who have the cast of mind of that captain—though he's one of the best of them—who laughs and jokes when he is sent to certain death, he and his company."
Marthe answered indignantly:
"It's the laughter of a Frenchman, Philippe, of a Frenchman hiding his anguish under a little light chaff. A glorious laughter, which forms the pride of our race!"
"One does not laugh in the presence of the death of others." ”

“ France dismembered ... France wiped from the face of the earth...."
"But no, no," he said, with a gesture of protest, "there is no question of that!"
"Yes, there is, there is a question of that: it's a question of life or death to her.... And you, you are deserting!"
Philippe did not stir. Marthe felt that he was, if not shaken, at least anxious, uneasy. But, suddenly, he uncrossed his arms and, striking the table with his fist:
"I must! I must! I promised to! ... And I was right to promise! And I will keep my oath! What you call deserting is fighting, but fighting the real fight! ”

“ Your duty is to join your regiment, now that war is declared, and to fight, yes, to fight for France, like every other Frenchman ... like the first peasant that comes along, who may tremble with all his poor human flesh, it is true, and whose heart sinks within him and whose stomach turns cold, but who believes that his duty lies in being there ... and who goes ahead, come what may! March on, as he does, Philippe! ”