stoops over him almost maternally: he shakes his head.) Oh, you
are a very poor soldier--a chocolate cream soldier. Come, cheer
up: it takes less courage to climb down than to face
capture--remember that.

MAN (dreamily, lulled by her voice). No, capture only means
death; and death is sleep--oh, sleep, sleep, sleep, undisturbed
sleep! Climbing down the pipe means doing something--exerting
myself--thinking! Death ten times over first.

RAINA (softly and wonderingly, catching the rhythm of his
weariness). Are you so sleepy as that?

MAN. I've not had two hours' undisturbed sleep since the war
began. I'm on the staff: you don't know what that means. I
haven't closed my eyes for thirty-six hours.

RAINA (desperately). But what am I to do with you.

MAN (staggering up). Of course I must do something. (He shakes
himself; pulls himself together; and speaks with rallied vigour
and courage.) You see, sleep or no sleep, hunger or no hunger,
tired or not tired, you can always do a thing when you know it
must be done. Well, that pipe must be got down--(He hits himself
on the chest, and adds)--Do you hear that, you chocolate cream
soldier? (He turns to the window.)

RAINA (anxiously). But if you fall?

MAN. I shall sleep as if the stones were a feather bed.