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st…joined　platoon…mander；　grudged　them　their　life　of　privilege；　'Hitler　would　put　them　in　a　gas　chamber；'　he　said；　'I　reckon　we　can　learn　a　thing　or　two　from　him。'
　　　　Here；　when　we　marched　in　at　mid…winter；　I　brought　a　pany　of　strong　and　hopeful　men；　word　had　gone　round　among　them；　as　we　moved　from　the　moors　to　this　dockland　area；　that　we　were　at　last　in　transit　for　the　Middle　East。　As　the　days　passed　and　we　began　clearing　the　snow　and　levelling　a　parade　ground；　I　saw　their　disappointment　change　to　resignation。　They　snuffed　the　smell　of　the　fried…fish　shops　and　cocked　their　ears　to　familiar；　peace…time　sounds　of　the　works'　siren　and　the　dance…hall　band。　On　off…days　they　slouched　now　at　street　ers　and　sidled　away　at　the　approach　of　an　officer　for　fear　that；　by　saluting；　they　would　lose　face　with　their　new　mistresses。　In　the　pany　office　there　was　a　crop　of　minor　charges　and　requests　for　passionate　leave；　while　it　was　still　half…fight；　day　began　with　the　whine　of　the　malingerer　and　the　glum　face　and　fixed　eye　of　the　man　with　a　grievance。
And　I；　who　by　every　precept　should　have　put　heart　into　them　…　how　could　I　help　them；　who　could　so　little　help　myself。？　Here　the　colonel　under　whom　we　had　formed；　was　promoted　out　of　our　sight　and　succeeded　by　a　younger　and　less　lovable　man；　cross…posted　from　another　regiment。　There　were　few　left　in　the　mess　now　of　the　batch　of　volunteers　who　trained　together　at　the　outbreak　of　war；　one　way　and　another　they　were　nearly　all　gone　…　some　had　been　invalided　out；　some　promoted　to　other　battalions；　some　posted　to　staff　jobs；　some　had　volunteered　for　special　service；　one　had　got　himself　killed　on　the　field　firing　range；　one　had　been　court…martialled　…　and　their　places　were　taken　by　conscripts；　the　wireless　played　incessantly　in　the　ante…room　nowadays　and　much　beer　was　drunk　before　dinner；　it　was　not　as　it　had　been。
　　　　Here　at　the　age　of　thirty…nine　I　began　to　be　old。　I　felt　stiff　and　weary　in　the　evenings　and　reluctant　to　go　out　of　camp；　I　developed　proprietary　claims　to　certain　chairs　and　newspapers；　I　regularly　drank　three　glasses　of　gin　before　dinner；　never　more　or　less；　and　…went　to　bed　immediately　after　the　nine　o'clock　news。　I　was　always　awake　and　fretful　an　hour　before　reveille。
　　　　Here　…my　last　love　died　…　There　was　nothing　remarkable　in　the　manner　of　its　death。　One　day；　not　long　before　'this　last　day　in　camp；　as　I　lay　awake　before　reveille；　in　the　Nissen　hut；　gazing　into　the　plete　blackness；　amid　the　deep　breathing　and　muttering　of　the　four　other　occupants；　turning　over　in　my　mind　what　I　had　to　do　that　day　…　had　I　put　in　the　names　of　two　corporals　for　the　weapon…training　course？　Should　I　again　have　the　largest　number　of　men　overstaying　their　leave　in　the　batch　due　back　that　day？　Could　I　trust　Hooper　to　take　the　candidates　class　out　map…reading？　…　as　I　lay　in　that　dark　hour；　I　was　aghast　to　realize　that　something　within　me；　long　sickening；　had　quietly　died；　and　felt　as　a　husband　might　feel；　who；　in　the　fourth　year　of　his　marriage；　suddenly　knew　that　he　had　no　longer　any　desire；　or　tenderness；　or　esteem；　for　a　once…beloved　wife；　no　pleasure　in　her　pany；　no　wish　to　please；　no　curiosity　about　anything　she　might　ever　do　or　say　or　think；　no　hope　of　setting　things　right；　no　self…reproach　for　the　disaster。　I　knew　it　all；　the　whole　drab　pass　of　marital　disillusion；　we　had　been　through　it　together；　the　Army　and　I；　from　the　first　importunate　courtship　until　now；　when　nothing　remained　to　us　except　the　chill　bonds　of　law　and　duty　and　custom。　I　had　played　every　scene　in　the　domestic　tragedy；　had　found　the　early　tiffs　bee　more　frequent；　the　tears　less　affecting；　the　reconciliations　less　sweet；　till　they　engendered　a　mood　of　aloofness　and　cool　criticism；　and　the　growing　conviction　that　it　was　not　myself　but　the　loved　one　who　was　at　fault。　I　caught　the　false　notes　in　her　voice　and　learned　to　listen　for　them　apprehensively；　I　recognized　the　blank；　resentful　stare　of　inprehension　in　her　eyes；　and　the　selfish；　hard　set　of　the　ers　of　her　mouth。　I　learned　her；　as　one　must　learn　a　woman　one　has　kept　house　with；　day　in；　day　out；　for　three　and　a　half　years；　I　learned　her　slatternly　ways；　the　routine　and　mechanism　of　her　charm　her　jealousy　and　self…seeking　and　her　nervous　trick　with　the　fingers　when　she　was　lying。　She　was　stripped　of　all　enchantment　now　and　I　knew　her　for　an　uncongenial　stranger　to　whom　I　had　bound　myself　indissolubly　in　a　moment　of　folly。
　　　　So；　on　this　morning　of　our　move；　I　was　entirely　indifferent　to　our　destination。　I　would　go　on　with　my　job；　but　I　could　bring　to　it　nothing　more　than　acquiescence。　Our　orders　were　to　entrain　at　0915　hours　at　a　nearby　siding；　taking　in　the　haversack　the　unexpired　portion　of　the　day's　ration；　that　was　all　I　needed　to　know。　The　pany　second…in…mand　had　gone　on　with　a　small　advance　party。　pany　stores　had　been　packed　the　day　before。　Hooper　had　been　detailed　to　inspect　the　lines。　The　pany　was　parading　at　0730　hours　with　their　kit…bags　piled　before　the　huts。　There　had　been　many　such　moves　since　the　wildly　exhilarating　morning　in　1940　when　we　had　erroneously　believed　ourselves　destined　for　the　defence　of　Calais。　Three　or　four　times　a　year　since　then　we　had　changed　our　location；　this　time　our　new　manding　officer　was　making　an　unusual　display　of　'security'　and　had　even　put　us　to　the　trouble　of　removing　all　distinguishing　badges　from　our　uniforms　and　transport。　It　was　'valuable　training　in　active　service　conditions'；　he　said。　'If　I　find　any　of　these　female　camp　followers　waiting　for　us　the　other　end；　I'll　know　there's　been　a　leakage。'
　　　　The　smoke　from　the　cook…houses　drifted　away　in　the　mist　and　the　camp　lay；　revealed　as　a　planless　maze　of　short…cuts；　super…imposed　Oh　the　unfinished　housing…scheme　as　though　disinterred　at　a　much　later　date　by　a　party　of　archaeologists。
　　　　'The　Pollock　diggings　provide　a　valuable　link　between　the　citizen…slave　 munities　of　the　twentieth　century　and　the　tribal　anarchy　which　succeeded　them。　Here　you　see　people　of　advanced　culture；　capable　of　an　elaborate　draining　system　and　the　construction　of　permanent　highways；　over…run　by　a　race　of　the　lowest　type。'
　　　　Thus；　I　thought；　the　pundits　of　the　future　might　write；　and；　turning　away；　I　greeted　the　pany　sargeant…major：　'Has　Mr　Hooper　been　round？'
　　　　'Haven't　seen　him　at　all　this　morning；　Sir。'
　　　　We　went　to　the　dismantled　pany　office；　where　I　found　a　window　newly　broken　since　the　barrack…damages　book　was　pleted。　'Wind…in…the…night；　Sir；'　said　the　Sergeant…Major。
　　　　（All　breakages　were　thus　attributable　or　'to　'Sappers'…demonstration；　Sir。'）
　　　　Hooper　appeared；　he　was　a　sallow　youth　with　hair　bed　back；　without　parting；　from　his　forehead；　and　a　flat；　Midland　accent；　he　had　been　in　the　pany　two　months。
　　　　The　troops　did　not　like　Hooper　because　he　knew　too　little　about　his　work　and　would　sometimes　'address　them　individually　as　'George'　at　stand…easies；　but　I　had　a　feeling　which　almost　amounted　to　affection　for　him；　largely　by　reason　of　an　incident　on　his　first　evening　in　mess。
　　　　The　new　colonel　had　been　with　us　less　than　a　week　at　the　time　and　we　had　not　yet　taken　his　measure。　He　had　been　standing　rounds　of　gin　in　the　ante…room　and　was　slightly　boisterous　when　he　first　took　notice　of　Hooper。
　　　　That　young　officer　is　one　of　yours；　isn't　he；　Ryder？'　he　said　to　me。　'His　hair　wants　cutting。
　　　　'It　does；　sir；'　I　said。　It　did。　'I'll　see　that　it's　done。'
　　　　The　colonel　drank　more　gin　and　began　to　stare　at　Hooper；　saying　audibly；　'My　God；　the　officers　they　send　us　now！'
　　　　Hooper　seemed　to　obsess　the　colonel　that　evening。　After　dinner　he　suddenly　said　very　loudly：　'In　my　late　regiment　if　a　young　officer　turned　up　like　that；　the　other　subalterns　would　bloody　well　have　cut　his　hair　for　him。'
　　　　No　one　showed　any　enthusiasm　for　this　sport；　and　our　lack　of　response　seemed　to　inflame　the　colonel。　'You。'　he　said；　turning　to　a　decent　boy　in　'A'　pany；　'go　and　get　a　pair　of　scissors　and　cut　that　young　officer's　hair　for　him。'
　　　　'Is　that　an　order；　sir？'
　　　　'It's　your　manding　officer's　wish　and　that's　the　best　kind　of　order　I　know。'
　　　　'Very　good；　sir。'
　　　　And　so；　in　an　atmosphere　of　chilly　embarrassment；　Hooper　sat　in　a　chair　while　a　few　snips　were　made　at　the　back　of　his　head。　At　the　b