Men at Arms Read Online Free PDF

humdrum topical subjects. Tonight with Angela and Tony frequently on their feet moving the plates, he seemed less at his ease. His interests were still topical and humdrum but Guy and Tony had each his own preoccupation.
    ‘Shocking thing about the Abercrombies,’ he said. ‘Did you hear? They packed up and went to Jamaica bag and baggage.’
    ‘Why shouldn’t they?’ said Tony. ‘They couldn’t be any use here. Just extra mouths to feed.’
    ‘It looks as though I am going to be an extra mouth,’ said Guy. ‘it’s a matter of sentiment, I suppose. One wants to be with one’s own people in war time.’
    ‘Can’t see it,’ said Tony.
    ‘There’s plenty of useful work for the civilian,’ said BoxBender.
    ‘All the Prentices’ evacuees have gone back to Birmingham in a huff,’ said Angela. ‘They always were unnaturally lucky. We’ve got the Hittite horrors for life, I know.’
    ‘It’s an awful business for the men not knowing where their wives and families are,’ said Tony. ‘Our wretched Welfare Officer spends his whole day trying to trace them. Six men in my platoon have gone on leave not knowing if they’ve got a home to go to.’
    ‘Old Mrs Sparrow fell out of the apple-loft and broke both legs. They wouldn’t take her in at the hospital because all the beds are kept for air-raid casualties.’
    ‘We have to keep a duty officer on day and night doing P.A.D. It’s a ghastly bore. They ring up every hour to report “All clear”.’
    ‘Caroline Maiden was stopped in Stroud by a policeman and asked why she wasn’t carrying a gas-mask.’
    ‘Chemical Warfare is the end. I’m jolly grateful I had a classical education. We had to send an officer from the battalion on a C. W. course. They had me down for it. Then by the mercy of God a frightfully wet fellow turned up in C Company who’d just got a science scholarship, so I stood the adjutant a couple of drinks and got him sent instead. All the wettest fellows are in C.W.’
    Tony was from another world; their problems were not his.
    Guy belonged to neither world.
    ‘I heard someone say that this was a very exclusive war.’
    ‘Well, surely, Uncle Guy, the more who can keep out of it the better. You civilians don’t know when you’re well off.’
    ‘Perhaps we don’t want to be particularly well off at the moment, Tony.’
    ‘I know exactly what I want. An M.C. and a nice neat wound. Then I can spend the rest of the war being cosseted by beautiful nurses.’
    ‘
Please
, Tony.’
    ‘Sorry, Mum. Don’t look so desperately serious. I shall begin to wish I’d spent my leave in London:’
    ‘I thought I was keeping such a stiff upper lip. Only please, darling, don’t talk like that about being wounded.’
    ‘Well, it’s the best one can hope for, isn’t it?’
    ‘Look here,’ said Box-Bender, ‘aren’t we all getting a bit morbid? Take Uncle Guy away while your mother and I clear the table.’
    Guy and Tony went into the library. The french windows were open on the paved garden. ‘Damn, we must draw the curtains before we put on the light.’
    ‘Let’s go out for a minute,’ said Guy.
    It was just light enough to see the way. The air was scented by invisible magnolia flowers, high in the old tree which covered half the house.
    ‘Never felt less morbid in my life,’ said Tony, but as he and Guy strolled out into the gathering darkness, he broke the silence by saying suddenly, ‘Tell me about going mad. Are lots of Mum’s family cuckoo?’
    ‘ No.’
    ‘There was Uncle Ivo, wasn’t there?’
    ‘He suffered from an excess of melancholy.’
    ‘Not hereditary?’
    ‘No, no. Why? Do you feel your reason tottering?’
    ‘Not yet. But it’s something I read, about an officer in the last war who seemed quite normal till he got into action and then went barking mad and his sergeant had to shoot him.’
    ‘“Barking” is scarcely the word for your uncle’s trouble. He was in every sense a most retiring