"Perhaps, for an hour or two." Then smiling at me and laughing a little, "I have known many officers ... very many." "No, thank you," I said sternly. "I have a sister," she said. She turned, crying: "Marie, Marie!" A little girl, who could not have been more than fourteen years of age, appeared from the background. She also was red-cheeked and plump; her hair also was arranged in black, shining curls. She stood looking at us, half smiling, half defiant, sucking her finger. "She also has known officers," said the girl. "She would be very glad, if you cared--" I heard their father behind the bar humming to himself. "Come out of this!" I said to Trenchard. "Come away!" He followed me quietly, bowing very politely to the staring sisters.... "Go on," I said to Nikolai. "Drive on. No time to waste. We've got work to do." On our return we found that the press of work was not as yet severe. Half the building belonged to us, the remaining half being used by the officers of the battery. Nikitin had arranged a large room, that must I think have been a dining-room in happier days, with beds; to the right was the operating-room, overhead were our bedrooms and the room where originally I had sat with Marie Ivanovna was a general meeting place. The officers of the battery, two middle-aged and two very young indeed, were extremely courteous and begged us to make use of them in any way possible. They were living in the raggedest fashion, a week's growth of beard on their chins, their beds unmade, the floor littered with ends of cigarettes, pieces of paper, journals. "Been here weeks," they apologetically explained to us. "Come in and have a meal with us whenever you like." They resembled animals in a cave. When they were not on duty they played _chemin-de-fer_ and slept. Meanwhile for three days and nights our work was slight. The battle drew further away into the Forest. Wagons with wounded came to us only at long intervals.