Don't let us talk any more about
it...."
On Tuesday, August 28, Guynemer, having been obliged to come to Paris
again for repairs to his airplane, went to Saint-Pierre de Chaillot. It
was not exceptional for him to visit this old church; he loved to
prepare himself there for his battle. One of the officiating priests has
written since his death of "his faith and the transparency of his
soul."[28] The Chaillot parishioners knew him well, but pretended not to
notice him, and he thought himself one in a crowd. After seeing the
priest in the confessional, he usually enjoyed another little chat in
the sacristy, and although he was no man for long prayers and
meditations, he expressed his thoughts on such occasions in heartfelt
and serious language.
[Footnote 28: _La Croix_, October 7, 1917, article by Pierre l'Ermite.]
"My fate is sealed," he once said in his playful, authoritative way; "I
cannot escape it." And remembering his not very far away Latin, he
added: "_Hodie mihi, cras tibi_...."
* * * * *
Early in September he made up his mind to go back to Flanders, although
his airplane was not yet entirely repaired.
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