' I can imagine how the peace apostles
are raising their voices again, crying that war ought to cease, and
we should run home because we did not gain the battle of Brienne. It
is indispensable, therefore, for us, Gneisenau, to strike a good
blow and get even with Napoleon. Yonder the fellow stands, with his
few thousand men, showing his teeth, as if he were still the lion
that needed only to shake his mane to frighten us off as flies. I
will show him that I am no fly, but a man who is able at any time to
cope with him and such as are with him. Gneisenau, we cannot help
it; we must attack him this very day. We must silence the
trubsalsspritzen, in order to accelerate our operations against
Paris."
"You are right, field-marshal," said Gneisenau; "we must strike a
decisive blow, and compel the gentlemen at headquarters to
discontinue their present system of procrastination. We must show
Napoleon that we have also passed through a military school, though
not at Brienne."
"It makes me feel angry, Gneisenau, that we were unable to show him
that at the very city of Brienne. I had thought how well it would be
for me to prove to him, at the place where he passed his examination
and received his first commission, that I had also passed my
examination and learned something. Well, it is no use crying about
it now; we must, try to get over it, and only think of the best
manner in which we may be even with him.
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