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Show II The thing la done. Sir Eric Burnham gave me an introduction to an important person per-son at the war office. The important impor-tant person paased me to the proper authority. I was interviewed by a large, tired and tolerant man who treated me rather like an Idiot child. I was quite without enthusiasm; enthu-siasm; so was he. My commission as a temporary lieutenant in the R. A. M. C would be put through. Meanwhile, I couM order my kit and uniform and go home and wait until I received the notice to report for duty. I am in khaki and. In spite of myself, tempted to show off my plumage. Mary is quite brazen in her eagemeaa to display me. She appears to think that the British army has received a most important reinforcement. I hear that the Pon-sonbys Pon-sonbys have asked us to dinner. We go. and those masterful wenches congratulate me. I find that the atmosphere of Brackenhurst has changed. It is genial and approving, and almost I begin to feel a fine fellow. Officially, to be correctly dressed I am supposed to wear spurs, and in my innocence I wear them. I know nothing about horses and I find that the damned things scratch the inside of my boots as I walk. Congratulation! For Brent I meet Guthrie in the High street. He has had a dram and la offensive offen-sive and silly and patronizing. He pata me on the shoulder. "By jove, my boy, that's better. Splendid!" He almost shoves his face Into mine and I smell his breath. "You'll be quite a lad with the girls. Brent." He looks me over, leers and suddenly sud-denly with elaborate and mysterious mysteri-ous friendliness he takes me by the arm and maneuvers me Into the gateway beside Hayward's, the grace gra-ce r'a "I say, Brent, my dear chap, your spurs!" I explain that they are supposed sup-posed to be official, if superfluous. "Quite, quite, but you have got 'em on upside down." I feel petulant and foolish. Does the aas expect me to sit down on somebody's doorstep and rectify the error? I manage to laugh a little self-consciously. I thank him for his interest in my appearance. But Guthrie does not react to Irony. "That's all rightray dear chap. Just a word to the wise." But that was the but occasion upon which I wore spurs. I left the damned things behind in the bottom |