He closes his eyes obediently and opens them the next instant.
"I say, may I come and call on you when we get back to England?"
You can only say: "Yes. Of course," and tell him to go to sleep.
His voice is so strong and clear that I could almost believe that he
will get back and that some day I shall look up and see him standing at
my garden gate.
Mercifully, when I tell him to go to sleep again, he does go to sleep.
And his voice is a little clearer and stronger every time he wakes.
And so the morning goes on. The only thing he wants you to do for him is
to sponge his hands and face with iced water and to give him little bits
of ice to suck. Over and over again I do these things. And over and over
again he asks me, "Do you mind?"
* * * * *
He wears a little grey woollen cord round his neck. Something has gone
from it. Whatever he has lost, they have left him his little woollen
cord, as if some immense importance attached to it.
* * * * *
He has fallen into a long doze. And at the end of the morning I left him
sleeping.
Some of the Corps have brought in trophies from the battle-field--a fine
grey cloak with a scarlet collar, a spiked helmet, a cuff with three
buttons cut from the coat of a dead German.
These things make me sick. I see the body under the cloak, the head
under the helmet, and the dead hand under the cuff.
[_Afternoon._]
Saw Mr. Foster. He is to be sent back to England for an operation. Dr.
Wilson is to take him. He asked me if I thought the Commandant would
take him back again when he is better.
Saw the President about Mr. Foster. He will not hear of his going back
to England. He wants him to stay in the Hospital and be operated on
here. He promises the utmost care and attention. He is most distressed
to think that he should go.
It doesn't occur to him in his kindness that it would be much more
distressing if the Germans came into Ghent and interrupted the
operation.
Cabled Miss F. about her Glasgow ambulance, asking her to pay her staff
if her funds ran to it. Cabled British Red Cross to send Mr. Gould and
his scouting-car here instead of to France. Cabled Mr. Gould to get the
British Red Cross to send him here.
Mr. Lambert has been ill with malaria. He has gone back to England to
get well again and to repair the car that broke down at Lokeren.[22]
Somebody else is to look after Mr. ---- this afternoon.