He was expecting the postman at two o'clock; ought he at once to ask for troops? or would it be better to wait patiently, and not to act until he had received the directors' orders?
Il attendait le courrier a deux heures: devait-il tout de suite demander des troupes? valait-il mieux patienter, de façon a ne pas agir avant de connaître les ordres de la Régie?