Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) NON-COMBATANTS AND OTHERS BY ROSE MACAULAY AUTHOR OF 'THE LEE SHORE,' 'THE MAKING OF A BIGOT,' ETC. HODDER AND STOUGHTON LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO _Printed in 1916_ TO MY BROTHER AND OTHER COMBATANTS 'Let the foul scene proceed: There's laughter in the wings: 'Tis sawdust that they bleed, But a box Death brings. Gigantic dins uprise! Even the gods must feel A smarting of the eyes As these fumes upsweal. Strange, such a Piece is free, While we Spectators sit Aghast at its agony, Yet absorbed in it. Dark is the outer air, Cold the night draughts blow, Mutely we stare, and stare At the frenzied show. Yet heaven has its quiet shroud Of deep and starry blue-- We cry "An end!" we are bowed By the dread "'Tis true!" While the Shape who hoofs applause Behind our deafened ear Hoots--angel-wise--"the Cause!" And affrights even fear.' WALTER DE LA MARE, _The Marionettes_. 'War is just the killing of things and the smashing of things. And when it is all over, then literature and civilisation will have to begin all over again. They will have to begin lower down and against a heavier load.... The Wild Asses of the Devil are loose, and there is no restraining them. What is the good, Wilkins, of pretending that the Wild Asses are the instruments of Providence, kicking better than we know? It is all evil.' REGINALD BLISS, _Boon_. 'There is work for all who find themselves outside the battle.' ROMAIN ROLLAND, _Above the Battle_. CONTENTS PART I. WOOD END CHAPTER I. JOHN COMES HOME CHAPTER II. JOHN TALKS CHAPTER III. ALIX GOES PART II. VIOLETTE CHAPTER IV. SATURDAY MORNING AT VIOLETTE CHAPTER V. AFTERNOON OUT CHAPTER VI. EVENING AT VIOLETTE CHAPTER VII. HOSPITAL CHAPTER VIII. BASIL AT VIOLETTE CHAPTER IX. SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY CHAPTER X. EVENING IN CHURCH CHAPTER XI. ALIX AND EVIE CHAPTER XII. ALIX AND BASIL CHAPTER XIII. ALIX, NICHOLAS, AND WEST PART III. DAPHNE CHAPTER XIV. DAPHNE AT VIOLETTE CHAPTER XV. ALIX AT A MEETING CHAPTER XVI. ON PEACE CHAPTER XVII. NEW YEAR'S EVE PART I WOOD END CHAPTER I JOHN COMES HOME 1