He hardly reflected upon the matter again until, in the midst of a European War, he found that that War was being conducted in a country where French was the chief language, and that familiar-sounding words and phrases assailed his ear on every side. This was of considerable service to him, enabled him to add to his own and his brother officers’ comfort; but he never boasted of it, having a profound uncertainty, after years of clerkdom, about anything so foreign and out of office hours. The legend of his peculiar ability persisted, however; and when after more than a year of incredible fatigues and nastiness, his neat methods and perfect amenity to orders were rewarded by the unofficial job of helping in the A. and Q. office of a division, he found his legend there before him. It was therefore with a sigh, and a mental ejaculation equivalent to “Spare me these useless laurels,” that he got up and went over to his Chief’s table, to be confronted by the sentence: “_Esquinté une vierge chez moi!_” “What’s _Esquinté_? It’s not in Cassells’ Dictionary!” “I should say--knocked asquint, sir! Spoiled, ruined; they often say it, if the troops go into the crops.” “Well, how does it read, then? Knock asquint; no, that won’t do; ruined, you say. Ruined a Virgin in my house. This sounds like a nice business, with the French in their present mood!” Dormer simply could not believe it and asked: “May I see the claim?” “Certainly. Come here. Stop me wherever I go wrong.” He knew more French than Dormer gave him credit for. He read the blue form, printed question and pen-and-ink reply to the end. It went like this: Q. When was the damage committed? A. Last Thursday. Q. What troops were responsible? Give the number and name of the English detachment. A. A soldier of the 469 Trench Mortar Battery (T.M.B.). Q. Were you present and did you see the damage done? A. No, but my daughter knows all about it. Q. In what conditions was the damage done? A. He broke the window (_vitrage_). She called out to him, but he replied with oaths. Q. Can you prove responsibility (_a_) by witness? A. My daughter. Q. (_b_) By _procès-verbal_. A. They insulted the Mayor when he came to do it! Q. (_c_) By admission of the culprits. A. Not necessary. It is visible. Q. Did you complain to the officer commanding troops? A. He would not listen. And so on. Deposed and sealed at the Mairie of Hondebecq, Nord, as the claim for compensation of Mr. Vanderlynden, cultivator, 64 years old, by us Swingadow, Achille, Mayor. “What do you say to that?” asked the Chief. Dormer had a good deal to say, but kept it down. “I can’t believe it, sir. I know the billet. I remember Miss Vanderlynden. She’s as strong as a man and much more determined than most. It’s a mistake of some sort!” “Pretty circumstantial mistake, isn’t it? Look at this covering letter received with it.”