"I can't see that at all," his neighbour replied. "We've got nothing to do with it!" "If the Germans won't leave the Belgians alone!..." Perkins interrupted again. "We've got a Belgian cook in our hotel," he said. "It ... it sort of brings it all home to you, that!" There were rumours that the working-people were resolute against the war.... "And so are the employers," said Perkins. "I can tell you that. I've not met anybody yet who wants a war!" And as the rumours flew about, they grew. One could see a rumour begin and swell and change and increase. "I tell you what," said Perkins. "These Germans have been damn well asking for it, and I hope they'll damn well get it. I know a few Germans ... Manchester's full of 'em ... and I don't like 'em. As a nation, I don't like 'em. They ... they get on my nerves, that's what they do!" There was talk about German organisation, German efficiency, German militarism.... "They don't think anything of a civilian in Germany. The soldier's everything. And women ... oh, my God, the way they treat women! I've seen German officers ... I've seen 'em myself ... chaps that are supposed to be gentlemen ... going along the street, and shoving women off the pavement!..." "You know," said Perkins, "I don't really think much of the Germans myself. I mean to say, they got no initiative. That's what's the matter with 'em. Do you know what a German does when he wants to go across the street? He goes up to a policeman and asks him. And what does the policeman do? Shoves him off the pavement!... I'd break his jaw for him if he shoved me!" They stayed on, wondering sometimes why they stayed, and then at midnight, a troop train steamed into the station, and a crowd of tired soldiers alighted from the carriages and prepared to embark. "My God, it's begun!" said Perkins. "Where you chaps going to?" he asked of a soldier. "I dunno," the soldier answered. "Ireland, I think. I 'eard we was goin' to put down these bleedin' Orangemen that's bin makin' so much fuss lately, but some'ow I don't think that's it. 'Ere, mate," he added, thrusting a dirty envelope into Perkins's hand. "That's my wife's address. I 'adn't time to write to 'er ... we was sent off in a 'urry ... you might just drop 'er a line, will you an' say I'm off!..." "Right you are," said Perkins. "Tell 'er I think I'm off to France, see, on'y I don't know, see! There's a rumour we're goin' to Ireland, but I don't think so. You better tell 'er that. An' I'm all right, see. So far any'ow!..." "God!" said Perkins, as the soldiers moved towards the transport, "don't it make you feel as if you wanted to cry!..." In the morning, they knew that England had declared war on Germany. "Of course," said Gilbert, "we couldn't keep out of it. We simply had to go in!" They had gone down to the bay to bathe. "This'll be my last," Gilbert muttered as they stripped, "for a while anyhow!" "But you're not going yet," Henry said.