answered so sternly that Nona was a little embarrassed and a little amused. [162]“No, I had forgotten that part of ‘Vanity Fair,’” she added quickly. “I only remember the conclusion, which I learned by heart when I was a small girl and took a more misanthropic view of life: ‘Ah! Vanitas, Vanitatum! Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire, or, having it, is satisfied?’” [162] Unconsciously Nona sighed as one naturally would after expressing such a sentiment. But she was stirred out of her self-centered mood by Lieutenant Martin’s suddenly stopping and directly facing her. “That is nonsense; when Thackeray expressed a sentiment like that he was simply tired and disappointed with his own work for the moment. Life isn’t all vanity and it means a great deal to do one’s task once it is started. Besides, finding love means happiness, and love and work are the fulfilment of desire. As for being satisfied, no one wishes to be satisfied who has any brains.” Then, observing that Nona appeared even more than mildly surprised by such a[163] wholly unexpected outburst, Lieutenant Martin laughed. [163] “That does not sound like me, does it? You scarcely look for a sentiment of that character from me. Well, I realize your friend Mr. Dawson would have expressed the idea far better and it may be impertinent for a soldier to differ with a great novelist’s philosophy of life. However, I have said exactly what I feel. You see, as a soldier I like a fighter, never a quitter in any cause.” But by this time Nona and Lieutenant Martin had reached the Casino, where Barbara and Mollie Drew, who were already there, found them seats. Later, Nona was pleased by the places Barbara had chosen, for after Eugenia and Madame Renane and Mildred arrived, she discovered that she had a fairly distinct view of them. Tonight Eugenia looked unusually tired and worn, in spite of her determined effort at animation and the entertainment of her guest. But then anything apart from the regular routine of her hospital work appeared to arouse in Eugenia unhappy memories.[164] This large gathering of gay and comparatively untried soldiers could not but fill one with the recollection of what the French soldiers had suffered in the past three years. Surely the American boys would be spared an
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