Who the devil is fool enough to give up his expectations ?" Chazelle [continuing his philippic].

"You may not be, but I am! We have no chances at all.

Time was when nothing was more encouraging than a civil-service career.

So many men were in the army that there were not enough for the government work; the maimed and the halt and the sick ones, like Paulmier, and the near-sighted ones, all had their chance of a rapid promotion.

But now, ever since the Chamber invented what they called special training, and the rules and regulations for civil-service examiners, we are worse off than common soldiers.