"And so, Aurelle," concluded Major Parker, "you see us poor Englishmen searching hard for the solution of a problem when there isn’t one. You may think that the Irish want certain definite reforms, and that they will be happy and contented the day they get them; but not at all. What amuses them is discussion itself, plotting in theory. They play with the idea of Home Rule; if we gave it them, the game would be finished and they would invent another, probably a more dangerous one." "Go to Ireland after the War, messiou," said the colonel, "it’s an extraordinary country. Every one is mad. You can commit the worst crimes—it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters." "The worst crimes?" said Aurelle, "Oh, I say, sir!" "Oh yes, anything you like—the most unheard-of things. You can go out hunting in brown breeches, fish in your neighbour’s salmon river—nothing will happen; no one will take the smallest notice of you." "I do believe," said Aurelle, "that I am beginning to understand the Irish question." "I will finish your education," said the doctor. "A year before the War a Liberal M.P. who was visiting Ireland said to an old peasant, ’Well, my friend, we are soon going to give you Home Rule!’ ’God save us, your honour,’ said the man, ’do not do that.’ ’What?’ said the astonished Member. ’You don’t want Home Rule now?’ ’Your honour,’ said the man, ’I’ll tell you. You are a good Christian, your honour? It’s to heaven you want to go? So do I, but we do not want to go there to-night.’" *CHAPTER VIII* CHORUS: "What, Jupiter not so strong as these goddesses?" PROMETHEUS: "Yes, even he cannot escape destiny." When young Lieutenant Warburton, temporarily commanding B Company of the Lennox Highlanders, took over his trench, the captain he came to relieve said to him: "This part is not too unhealthy; they are only thirty yards off, but they are tame Boches. All they ask is to be left alone." "We will wake things up a bit," said Warburton to his men, when the peaceable warrior had departed. When wild beasts are too well fed, they become domesticated; but a few well-directed rockets will make them savage again. In virtue of this principle, Warburton, having provided himself with a star shell, instead of sending it straight up fired it horizontally towards the German trenches. A distracted Saxon sentry cried, "Liquid-fire attack!" The Boche machine-guns began to bark. Warburton, delighted, replied with grenades. The enemy called the artillery to its assistance. A telephone call, a hail of shrapnel, and immediate reprisals by the British big guns. The next day the German _communiqué_ said: "An attack by the British under cover of liquid-fire at H—— was completely checked by the combined fire of our infantry and artillery."