thrill, no drama, no personality--only a sick throb in my head and a cold hand upon my chest and a desire to fling myself into any horror, any danger, if I could but escape this indigestible monotony.... Once Trenchard, treading very softly as though every one around him were asleep, came across and talked to me. "You know," he said in a whisper, "this isn't at all what I expected." "You needn't whisper," I answered irritably, "that battery's making such a noise that I can't hear anything you say." "Yes, isn't it!" he said with a little sigh. "It's very unpleasant indeed. Do you think Semyonov's forgotten us? We've been here a good many hours and we aren't doing very much." "No," I answered. "We're doing nothing except get sick headaches." There was a pause, then he said: "Where is everything?" "Everything?--What?" "Well, the battle, for instance!" "Oh, that's down the hill, I suppose. We're trying to cross the river and they're trying to prevent us." "Yes," he answered. "But that isn't exactly what I mean.... It's hard to explain, but even if we were to see our soldiers trying to cross the river and the Austrians trying to prevent them that wouldn't be--well, wouldn't be exactly the real thing, would it? It would only be a kind of side-show, rather unimportant like that dead man there!" But my headache prevented my interest in his speculations. I said nothing. He added as though to himself: "Perhaps each individual soldier sees the real thing for himself but can't express what he sees...." As I still made no answer, with another little sigh he got up and walked back, on tip-toe, to the side of Marie Ivanovna. Then suddenly, in the early hours of the afternoon, to our intense relief, Semyonov and Andrey Vassilievitch appeared. Semyonov was, as ever, short, practical, and unemotional. "Been a long time, I'm afraid. We found it difficult to see exactly where would be the best place. And, after all, we've got to separate.... One Sister's wanted at the Red Cross over there. They've asked for our help. The other will come with me on to the Position until this evening. You three gentlemen, if you'll be so good, will wait here until a wagon comes. Then it will take you down to the trenches at the bottom of the hill. Then, if you don't mind, I would like you to wait until dusk when we shall go out to fetch the wounded.... Is that clear?" We answered yes. "Now which Sister will come with me? Marie Ivanovna, I think it would interest you. No danger, except a stray shrapnel or two. Will you come?" There leapt upon us then, with an agitation that seemed to silence the very battery itself, Trenchard's voice: "No.... No ... Marie. No, it's dangerous. Semyonov says so. Your first day...." He spoke in English, his voice trembling. I turned to see his face white, his eyes wide open and at the same time blind; he passionately addressed himself to Marie Ivanovna and to her alone. But she turned impatiently.