was when I went from here into the wide world as a soldier? What
use is all the lying, and pretending, and humbugging, and letting
on, when the day comes to you that your comrade is killed in the
trench beside you, and you don't as much as look round at him
until you trip over his poor body, and then all you say is to ask
why the hell the stretcher-bearers don't take it out of the way.
Why should I read the papers to be humbugged and lied to by them
that had the cunning to stay at home and send me to fight for
them? Don't talk to me or to any soldier of the war being right.
No war is right; and all the holy water that Father Quinlan ever
blessed couldn't make one right. There, sir! Now you know what
O'Flaherty V.C. thinks; and you're wiser so than the others that
only knows what he done.

SIR PEARCE [making the best of it, and turning goodhumoredly to
him again]. Well, what you did was brave and manly, anyhow.

O'FLAHERTY. God knows whether it was or not, better than you nor
me, General. I hope He won't be too hard on me for it, anyhow.

SIR PEARCE [sympathetically]. Oh yes: we all have to think
seriously sometimes, especially when we're a little run down. I'm
afraid we've been overworking you a bit over these recruiting
meetings. However, we can knock off for the rest of the day; and
tomorrow's Sunday. I've had about as much as I can stand myself.
[He looks at his watch.] It's teatime. I wonder what's keeping
your mother.

O'FLAHERTY. It's nicely cocked up the old woman will be having
tea at the same table as you, sir, instead of in the kitchen.