“No amount of German losses will compensate one mother for the loss of her son,” said Mrs Dare soberly. “My heart is sore for all those German mothers too. It is terrible waste. And all so unnecessary too.” “Always bear in mind, Mrs Mother, that we did not want it,” said the Colonel. “It was forced upon us, and we are fighting for freedom and the rights of the smaller peoples. It is an honour to fight in such a cause. It would be an honour to die for it.” “Hear, hear!” said Noel. But when the Colonel took his leave, and the two boys lit their pipes and strolled along with him, Noel broke out impetuously, “Is there any more behind, sir, that you haven’t told us? ‘Missing’ may mean anything.” “That is absolutely all that is known as yet, my boy. It may, as you say, mean anything. But until more is known we have every right to hope for the best. And for that reason I want you to take the brighter side of the possibility and do your best not to let your mother dwell on the other side. You understand?” “I understand, sir,” said Noel, very soberly.... “It would be awful if--if the worst had happened to him. Does Alma know?” “I went and told her at once and minimised it as much as possible. But I’ve very little doubt they all understand what it may mean just as well as we do.” “They’re behaving like perfect devils over there, from all accounts,” said Gregor. “I can’t understand it. I’ve known heaps of Germans, as nice folks as you’d wish to meet. And now--devils unloosed, and up to every dirty underhand trick imaginable. What do you make of it, sir?” “War is a terrible unloosener of the worst that is in man, and there are black sheep in every army. And I’ve no doubt there’s a great deal of exaggeration in the stories we hear.” “I’d like to stamp the whole darned lot out of existence like so many black beetles,” said Noel hotly. “I’m afraid they’ll take a lot of stamping out,” said the Colonel, as he turned and went through his own gate. “By--Jing, Greg, I don’t like it one little bit!” said Noel, as they linked arms and went on down the road to tell their own good news to Mrs MacLean. “It may be as bad as we can’t help fearing. But, as the Colonel says, it may not, and it’s cheerfuller to look on the bright side. I can’t imagine Con being killed.” “Neither can I, but they say we’ve lost about fifteen thousand already, and when you think of that it doesn’t take much more thinking to think he may be one of them.” “That’s not all killed, man. It’s everything.” “I know, but it’s been beastly hot work, and ... dash it, Greg, you know what I’m thinking of. They say they’re sparing none and making a dead set at the Red Cross men.” And Gregor nodded gloomily. “We’ll say nothing to my mother about it at present,” he said. “Maybe better word’ll come in a day or two, and it’s no good fashin’ her unduly. She’ll be glad we’ve got in all right, because she knows we’ve been wanting it so much, but she’ll feel it, you know, when we have to go.”