what British sternness meant. In due course twenty wounded Prussians
came in. He was discovered next day actually distributing cigarettes to
them. Now we must recollect that the British Tommy is not a class apart;
he is simply the 'man in the street,' the people. Sometimes there is
savage bitterness, not without good reason, and frequently the sullen or
frightened temper of the prisoners made friendliness difficult, but
Tommy--and by that name I mean the British citizen under arms--does not
long nourish grudges when the price has been paid. He is essentially
chivalrous, and even to his enemy, when the passion of fighting or the
strain of watchfulness is past, he is incurably kind.

An atmosphere of hope and cheerfulness pervaded the clearing station
this first morning of the 'great offensive.' Passing through a ward I
said to the nurse, 'Well, sister, everything seems to be going
splendidly.' She looked up sombrely from the wound she was dressing and
replied, 'So they said in the first hours of Neuve Chapelle.' I was
chilled by what she said and felt angry with her.


II

_Doubts and Fears_

As the day wore on the news was not so good. The Meerut Division, which
had delivered the containing attack in front of us on the Moulin du
Pietre, was where it had been before it attacked, so the wounded said,
with the exception of some units, notably Leicesters and Black Watch,
who had apparently disappeared. Perhaps all that had been intended had
been achieved. After all, the real battle--none could be more real and
more costly to those taking part in it than a containing attack, forlorn