They crowded into the Canteen, and ate sandwiches and eggs and bacon, and drank ginger-beer. It was too late for beer. Our temperate troops didn’t need beer at that hour of the night. * * * * * About 2 A.M. they marched back to the station. To Winterbourne’s surprise and delight Elizabeth and Fanny were there. Elizabeth had received his telegram, although it was after hours. She had rung up Fanny, and they had gone to Waterloo together, only to find that the train with the Upshires draft was not there. Fanny had used her charms upon a susceptible R.T.O. and he had told them where to go, so there they were. All this Elizabeth poured out in a rapid, nervous, jerky way. While Fanny just clutched Winterbourne’s left hand and pressed it hard, saying nothing. They had about ten minutes before the train left. The draft-conducting officer noticed that Winterbourne was speaking to two women, “obviously ladies,” and came up: “Get in anywhere you like, Winterbourne, only don’t miss the train.” “Very good, Sir, thank you,” and saluted smartly. “D’you always have to do that?” asked Elizabeth with a little giggle. “Yes, it’s the custom. They seem to attach great importance to it.” “How absurd.” “Why absurd?” said Fanny, feeling that Winterbourne was somehow hurt by the contempt in her voice. “It’s only a convention.” The whole train was filled with different drafts of soldiers who had been ordered into the carriages. Only Winterbourne and the two girls were left on the platform, except for the R.T.O. and one or two other officers. As often happens in railway partings they seemed embarrassed, with nothing to say to each other. Winterbourne simply felt dull and uneasy, tongue-tied. He was saying farewell perhaps for the last time to the only two human beings he had really loved, and found he had nothing to say. He just felt dull and uneasy, dully remote from them. He noticed they were both wearing new hats he hadn’t seen, and that skirts were being worn much shorter. He wished the train would go. Interminable waiting. What was Elizabeth saying? He interrupted her: “Is that the new fashion?” “What?” “Shorter skirts?” “Why, yes, of course, and not so very new. Where have your eyes been?” “Oh, there were only village women where I’ve been. I haven’t seen a properly dressed woman since my firing leave.” Tactless! He had spent those few days with Fanny. Dear Fanny. A good sort. She had thought it an awful lark to go on a week-end with a Tommy. She was dreadfully sick of the Staff. Only it was inconvenient that the only decent hotels and restaurants were out of bounds to Tommies. Fanny felt quite democratic about it. Elizabeth hadn’t cared. She lived with a kind of inner intensity which kept her from noticing such things.