Arms and the Man quotes

With grim goodhumor.

All of them, dear lady, all of them, believe me. It is our duty to live as long as we can, and kill as many of the enemy as we can.

Now if you raise an alarm—

Yielding to her. There is just half a chance, if you keep your head.

Remember: nine soldiers out of ten are born fools.

He hides behind the curtain, looking out for a moment to say, finally. If they find me, I promise you a fight—a devil of a fight! He disappears. Raina takes off the cloak and throws it across the foot of the bed.

Load it by all means.

I’ve no ammunition. What use are cartridges in battle? I always carry chocolate instead; and I finished the last cake of that yesterday.

Outraged in her most cherished ideals of manhood. Chocolate! Do you stuff your pockets with sweets—like a schoolboy—even in the field?

Ravenously. You’re an angel! He gobbles the comfits. Creams! Delicious! He looks anxiously to see whether there are any more. There are none. He accepts the inevitable with pathetic goodhumor, and says, with grateful emotion, Bless you, dear lady.

You can always tell an old soldier by the inside of his holsters and cartridge boxes. The young ones carry pistols and cartridges; the old ones, grub.

Thank you. He hands back the box. She snatches it contemptuously from him and throws it away. This impatient action is so sudden that he shies again. Ugh! Don’t do things so suddenly, gracious lady. Don’t revenge yourself because I frightened you just now.

Ah, perhaps not—of course. Well, it’s a funny sight.

It’s like slinging a handful of peas against a window pane: first one comes; then two or three close behind him; and then all the rest in a lump.

Her eyes dilating as she raises her clasped hands ecstatically. Yes, first One!—the bravest of the brave!

Ah, true, dear young lady: you’re always right. I know how good you have been to me: to my last hour I shall remember those three chocolate creams.

It was unsoldierly; but it was angelic.

Coldly. Thank you. And now I will do a soldierly thing. You cannot stay here after what you have just said about my future husband;

Staggering up. Of course I must do something. He shakes himself; pulls himself together; and speaks with rallied vigour and courage.

You see, sleep or no sleep, hunger or no hunger, tired or not tired, you can always do a thing when you know it must be done.

Well, that pipe must be got down—He hits himself on the chest, and adds,—Do you hear that, you chocolate cream soldier? He turns to the window.

Looking dubiously at his own hand.

Better not touch my hand, dear young lady. I must have a wash first.

Touched. That is very nice of you. I see that you are a gentleman.

With searching scorn.

You have the soul of a servant, Nicola.

Complacently. Yes: that’s the secret of success in service.

Complacently.

Yes: that’s the secret of success in service.

A loud knocking with a whip handle on a wooden door, outside on the left, is heard.

With conviction.

That comes from washing your neck every day. I’ve often told you so.

Over his coffee and cigarette. I don’t believe in going too far with these modern customs. All this washing can’t be good for the health: it’s not natural.

Why not shout for him?

Civilized people never shout for their servants. I’ve learnt that while you were away.

Well, I’ll tell you something I’ve learnt, too. Civilized people don’t hang out their washing to dry where visitors can see it; so you’d better have all that indicating the clothes on the bushes put somewhere else.

With grave irony. Madam: it was the cradle and the grave of my military reputation.

I won the battle the wrong way when our worthy Russian generals were losing it the right way.

That upset their plans, and wounded their self-esteem. Two of their colonels got their regiments driven back on the correct principles of scientific warfare. Two major-generals got killed strictly according to military etiquette. Those two colonels are now major-generals;

I won the battle the wrong way when our worthy Russian generals were losing it the right way. That upset their plans, and wounded their self-esteem. Two of their colonels got their regiments driven back on the correct principles of scientific warfare.

Two major-generals got killed strictly according to military etiquette.

Those two colonels are now major-generals; and I am still a simple major.

I am no longer a soldier.

Soldiering, my dear madam, is the coward’s art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong, and keeping out of harm’s way when you are weak.

That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your enemy at a disadvantage; and never, on any account, fight him on equal terms. Eh, Major!

Oh, Raina, what a silly question!

He was like a commercial traveller in uniform. Bourgeois to his boots.

Grinning. Sergius: tell Catherine that queer story his friend told us about him—how he escaped after Slivnitza. You remember?—about his being hid by two women.

Again putting his arm round her. You are a provoking little witch, Louka. If you were in love with me, would you spy out of windows on me?

Well, you see, sir, since you say you are half a dozen different gentlemen all at once, I should have a great deal to look after.

Charmed. Witty as well as pretty. He tries to kiss her.

Putting down her embroidery. I daresay I had better. You will only splutter at them. She goes out, Petkoff holding the door for her and following her.

What a country! They make cannons out of cherry trees; and the officers send for their wives to keep discipline!

He begins to fold and docket the papers. Raina, who has risen from the divan, strolls down the room with her hands clasped behind her, and looks mischievously at him.

Making a wry face. Do you like gratitude? I don’t.

If pity is akin to love, gratitude is akin to the other thing.

Gratitude! Turning on him. If you are incapable of gratitude you are incapable of any noble sentiment. Even animals are grateful. Oh, I see now exactly what you think of me! You were not surprised to hear me lie.

Dubiously. There’s reason in everything. You said you’d told only two lies in your whole life.

Dear young lady: isn’t that rather a short allowance? I’m quite a straightforward man myself; but it wouldn’t last me a whole morning.

Staring haughtily at him. Do you know, sir, that you are insulting me?

I can’t help it.

When you get into that noble attitude and speak in that thrilling voice, I admire you; but I find it impossible to believe a single word you say.

Unmoved. Yes?

Wonderingly.

Do you know, you are the first man I ever met who did not take me seriously?

You mean, don’t you, that I am the first man that has ever taken you quite seriously?

Wonderingly. Do you know, you are the first man I ever met who did not take me seriously?

You mean, don’t you, that I am the first man that has ever taken you quite seriously?

Yes, I suppose I do mean that. Cosily, quite at her ease with him. How strange it is to be talked to in such a way! You know, I’ve always gone on like that—I mean the noble attitude and the thrilling voice.

That’s only your ignorance; and don’t you forget it. And don’t be so ready to defy everybody. Act as if you expected to have your own way, not as if you expected to be ordered about.

The way to get on as a lady is the same as the way to get on as a servant: you’ve got to know your place; that’s the secret of it.

And you may depend on me to know my place if you get promoted. Think over it, my girl. I’ll stand by you: one servant should always stand by another.

With bitter levity. Not a bit. They all slashed and cursed and yelled like heroes.

Psha! the courage to rage and kill is cheap.

I have an English bull terrier who has as much of that sort of courage as the whole Bulgarian nation, and the whole Russian nation at its back. But he lets my groom thrash him, all the same. That’s your soldier all over!

Oh, fervently give me the man who will defy to the death any power on earth or in heaven that sets itself up against his own will and conscience: he alone is the brave man.

How easy it is to talk! Men never seem to me to grow up: they all have schoolboy’s ideas.

You don’t know what true courage is.

What would you do, most noble Empress?

I would marry the man I loved, which no other queen in Europe has the courage to do.

If I loved you, though you would be as far beneath me as I am beneath you, I would dare to be the equal of my inferior. Would you dare as much if you loved me? No:

Releasing her in despair. Damnation! Oh, damnation!

Mockery, mockery everywhere: everything I think is mocked by everything I do.

He strikes himself frantically on the breast. Coward, liar, fool! Shall I kill myself like a man, or live and pretend to laugh at myself? She again turns to go. Louka! She stops near the door. Remember: you belong to me.

And how ridiculous!

Oh, war! war! the dream of patriots and heroes! A fraud, Bluntschli, a hollow sham, like love.

Outraged. Like love! You say that before me.

Cynically.

Raina: our romance is shattered. Life’s a farce.

To Raina, goodhumoredly. You see: he’s found himself out now.

No; but it doesn’t matter. I didn’t ask the reason when you cried on; and I don’t ask the reason now that you cry off.

I’m a professional soldier. I fight when I have to, and am very glad to get out of it when I haven’t to. You’re only an amateur: you think fighting’s an amusement.

You shall hear the reason all the same, my professional. The reason is that it takes two men—real men—men of heart, blood and honor—to make a genuine combat. I could no more fight with you than I could make love to an ugly woman.

You shall hear the reason all the same, my professional. The reason is that it takes two men—real men—men of heart, blood and honor—to make a genuine combat. I could no more fight with you than I could make love to an ugly woman.

You’ve no magnetism: you’re not a man, you’re a machine.

Apologetically. Quite true, quite true. I always was that sort of chap. I’m very sorry. But now that you’ve found that life isn’t a farce, but something quite sensible and serious, what further obstacle is there to your happiness?