But military lips, when applied personally, proved to be a rhetoric as unsuccessful as military words.

The maid was platonic, and something more than platonic; and the hero got so much the worst of it, that he gave up the battle, and changed the subject to a conscript in his charge, who had locked himself in his bed-room and would not answer.
How was he to know whether he had the conscript safe?
All this lasted some time; and when they were gone, one of the _pensionnaires_ came in.

With him I had to fight the battle of the window, which I had opened to its farthest extent.

After he had got over the first surprise and shock of finding me on the chairs instead of in the bed, for whose comfort he vouched enthusiastically, he became confident that it was merely out of complaisance to him and his comrade that I had opened the window, and assured me that they really did not care for fresh air, even if they could feel the difference in the alcove, which he declared they could not.

As soon as that was arranged to my satisfaction, the other _pensionnaire_ came in, and with him the battle was fought with only half success, for he peremptorily closed one side of the window.