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Je veux qu'on soit sincère , et qu'en homme d'honneur
On ne lâche aucun mot qui ne parte du coeur.

I would have people be sincere, and that, like men of honour, no word be spoken that comes not from the heart.
.​

Molière, LE MISANTHROPE

France, despite bravery, intelligence, vigour and natural defences, was sadly ruined by the Great War. She lost the flower of her army in the opening stages; she was famously ill-equipped with a suitable mixture of artillery; her largest warships were obsolete even as they were laid down; her generals learned the wrong lessons from the Russo-Japanese War. So many mistakes were made. These mistakes were not inevitable.

Hotel Brighton, Paris, Summer, 1904:

It had been a warm, sunny day in Paris. Jean-Michel, the clerk at the desk, was almost at the end of his long dull shift, and was looking forward to seeing his fiancée. He doodled a little sketch of her on a piece of the hotel’s stationery with a fond smile. Then a man coughed – oddly muffled. Jean-Michel looked up and almost started in alarm. The man before him had thick bandages covering his face, while his eyes were obscured by thick-rimmed dark glasses. A heavy, unseasonably stifling grey coat, expensive brown leather gloves and an ugly scarf completed the man’s appearance. Jean-Michel controlled himself. “Good evening, sir. Welcome to the Hotel
Brighton. How may I help you?”

The figure coughed in a sickly fashion. “Good evening. I am M. Dubois. I am here to meet my old and dear friend, M. Lacoste. He informed me that he would be present here at this time. Could you please verify this for me?” He spoke in a rasping guttural voice, as if his throat had been ruined. Jean-Michel couldn’t tell for certain, but the man’s odd manner of speech made him suspect that he was a foreigner.

“Certainly, sir. I shall have the boy inform him of your arrival.” Jean-Michel was back in control of himself. He gestured to little Pierre, gave him the message, and sent him to M. Lacoste’s room. The clerk now felt sorry for the gentleman before him. He could not comment on the gentleman’s appearance, for that would be most rude, but he felt sympathetic for the poor man. “Would you care to take a seat in the salon while you wait for your friend, sir? Perhaps I could have a drink brought out to you. It has been rather warm today.”

The man grunted angrily, and for a moment Jean-Michel feared he had over-stepped himself, and this M. Dubois would demand to see the manager. Then he barked. Or laughed. It was a healthy laugh. One quite at odds with his appearance - and his voice. Indeed, he too seemed to realise this. Dubois stopped abruptly. Jean-Michel maintained a carefully neutral face. Then coughing. Heavy false-sounding coughing. Jean-Michel helped the man to a seat. He went to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen, but when he returned the man was gone.

However, the boy had returned. “Pierre,” the clerk beckoned him, “what happened to the gentleman in the bandages?”

The boy was excited and smiling, “His friend came with me, sir, when I informed him. He seemed very relieved when I told him. He gave me three Francs! They went straight to M. Lacoste’s room to talk, I think.”

Jean-Michel was puzzled. But he thanked Pierre, and sent him away. He saw no more of either Dubois or Lacoste in the remaining twenty minutes of his shift, and the next day M. Lacoste left early in the morning. Jean-Michel never did know what had happened, and in the company of his darling Aurélie that night he quite forgot about it.

Intelligence Report​

12 September, 1904​
From: Agent Lacoste
To: M. Dupuy, Director

Sir, I have been contacted by a general officer of the German military, who is in financial difficulty. He goes to great lengths to disguise his appearance, swathing himself in bandages. I have not been able as yet to identify him. However, he terms himself “The Avenger” and has offered to provide us with details of Germany’s plans in the event of war with France. So far he appears genuine. The initial information, which he assures me he will support with further evidence, indicates that it is in the north that we should prepare for a German attack. We should prepare to face the enemy in Belgium. I shall endeavour to pass this information to you with the greatest haste so that you may apprise the Minister of War . . .

12 November, 1907​
From: Agent Lacoste
To: M. Crais, Director

Sir, “The Avenger” has provided us with yet more details of Germany’s plans in the event of war. Not only do we have approximate locations for two of the German armies, but the Germans appear to be planning to mobilise their Reserve divisions and use them as front line divisions! I know that this may seem to be impossible, given their lesser equipment and training, but I must remind you that every piece of information we have from this source has proved to be thoroughly accurate ever since he was recruited. I believe that the General de Lacroix* must be informed at once of this turn of events! I enclose details of the deployment of Germany’s northernmost army, and draw your attention to the proposed route . . .

* Vice-President of the Supreme Council of War.
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