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　and　newspapers；　I　regularly　drank　three　glasses　of　gin　before　dinner；　never　more　or　less；　and　…went　to　bed　immediately　after　the　nine　o'clock　news。　I　was　always　awake　and　fretful　an　hour　before　reveille。
　　　　Here　…my　last　love　died　…　There　was　nothing　remarkable　in　the　manner　of　its　death。　One　day；　not　long　before　'this　last　day　in　camp；　as　I　lay　awake　before　reveille；　in　the　Nissen　hut；　gazing　into　the　plete　blackness；　amid　the　deep　breathing　and　muttering　of　the　four　other　occupants；　turning　over　in　my　mind　what　I　had　to　do　that　day　…　had　I　put　in　the　names　of　two　corporals　for　the　weapon…training　course？　Should　I　again　have　the　largest　number　of　men　overstaying　their　leave　in　the　batch　due　back　that　day？　Could　I　trust　Hooper　to　take　the　candidates　class　out　map…reading？　…　as　I　lay　in　that　dark　hour；　I　was　aghast　to　realize　that　something　within　me；　long　sickening；　had　quietly　died；　and　felt　as　a　husband　might　feel；　who；　in　the　fourth　year　of　his　marriage；　suddenly　knew　that　he　had　no　longer　any　desire；　or　tenderness；　or　esteem；　for　a　once…beloved　wife；　no　pleasure　in　her　pany；　no　wish　to　please；　no　curiosity　about　anything　she　might　ever　do　or　say　or　think；　no　hope　of　setting　things　right；　no　self…reproach　for　the　disaster。　I　knew　it　all；　the　whole　drab　pass　of　marital　disillusion；　we　had　been　through　it　together；　the　Army　and　I；　from　the　first　importunate　courtship　until　now；　when　nothing　remained　to　us　except　the　chill　bonds　of　law　and　duty　and　custom。　I　had　played　every　scene　in　the　domestic　tragedy；　had　found　the　early　tiffs　bee　more　frequent；　the　tears　less　affecting；　the　reconciliations　less　sweet；　till　they　engendered　a　mood　of　aloofness　and　cool　criticism；　and　the　growing　conviction　that　it　was　not　myself　but　the　loved　one　who　was　at　fault。　I　caught　the　false　notes　in　her　voice　and　learned　to　listen　for　them　apprehensively；　I　recognized　the　blank；　resentful　stare　of　inprehension　in　her　eyes；　and　the　selfish；　hard　set　of　the　ers　of　her　mouth。　I　learned　her；　as　one　must　learn　a　woman　one　has　kept　house　with；　day　in；　day　out；　for　three　and　a　half　years；　I　learned　her　slatternly　ways；　the　routine　and　mechanism　of　her　charm　her　jealousy　and　self…seeking　and　her　nervous　trick　with　the　fingers　when　she　was　lying。　She　was　stripped　of　all　enchantment　now　and　I　knew　her　for　an　uncongenial　stranger　to　whom　I　had　bound　myself　indissolubly　in　a　moment　of　folly。
　　　　So；　on　this　morning　of　our　move；　I　was　entirely　indifferent　to　our　destination。　I　would　go　on　with　my　job；　but　I　could　bring　to　it　nothing　more　than　acquiescence。　Our　orders　were　to　entrain　at　0915　hours　at　a　nearby　siding；　taking　in　the　haversack　the　unexpired　portion　of　the　day's　ration；　that　was　all　I　needed　to　know。　The　pany　second…in…mand　had　gone　on　with　a　small　advance　party。　pany　stores　had　been　packed　the　day　before。　Hooper　had　been　detailed　to　inspect　the　lines。　The　pany　was　parading　at　0730　hours　with　their　kit…bags　piled　before　the　huts。　There　had　been　many　such　moves　since　the　wildly　exhilarating　morning　in　1940　when　we　had　erroneously　believed　ourselves　destined　for　the　defence　of　Calais。　Three　or　four　times　a　year　since　then　we　had　changed　our　location；　this　time　our　new　manding　officer　was　making　an　unusual　display　of　'security'　and　had　even　put　us　to　the　trouble　of　removing　all　distinguishing　badges　from　our　uniforms　and　transport。　It　was　'valuable　training　in　active　service　conditions'；　he　said。　'If　I　find　any　of　these　female　camp　followers　waiting　for　us　the　other　end；　I'll　know　there's　been　a　leakage。'
　　　　The　smoke　from　the　cook…houses　drifted　away　in　the　mist　and　the　camp　lay；　revealed　as　a　planless　maze　of　short…cuts；　super…imposed　Oh　the　unfinished　housing…scheme　as　though　disinterred　at　a　much　later　date　by　a　party　of　archaeologists。
　　　　'The　Pollock　diggings　provide　a　valuable　link　between　the　citizen…slave　 munities　of　the　twentieth　century　and　the　tribal　anarchy　which　succeeded　them。　Here　you　see　people　of　advanced　culture；　capable　of　an　elaborate　draining　system　and　the　construction　of　permanent　highways；　over…run　by　a　race　of　the　lowest　type。'
　　　　Thus；　I　thought；　the　pundits　of　the　future　might　write；　and；　turning　away；　I　greeted　the　pany　sargeant…major：　'Has　Mr　Hooper　been　round？'
　　　　'Haven't　seen　him　at　all　this　morning；　Sir。'
　　　　We　went　to　the　dismantled　pany　office；　where　I　found　a　window　newly　broken　since　the　barrack…damages　book　was　pleted。　'Wind…in…the…night；　Sir；'　said　the　Sergeant…Major。
　　　　（All　breakages　were　thus　attributable　or　'to　'Sappers'…demonstration；　Sir。'）
　　　　Hooper　appeared；　he　was　a　sallow　youth　with　hair　bed　back；　without　parting；　from　his　forehead；　and　a　flat；　Midland　accent；　he　had　been　in　the　pany　two　months。
　　　　The　troops　did　not　like　Hooper　because　he　knew　too　little　about　his　work　and　would　sometimes　'address　them　individually　as　'George'　at　stand…easies；　but　I　had　a　feeling　which　almost　amounted　to　affection　for　him；　largely　by　reason　of　an　incident　on　his　first　evening　in　mess。
　　　　The　new　colonel　had　been　with　us　less　than　a　week　at　the　time　and　we　had　not　yet　taken　his　measure。　He　had　been　standing　rounds　of　gin　in　the　ante…room　and　was　slightly　boisterous　when　he　first　took　notice　of　Hooper。
　　　　That　young　officer　is　one　of　yours；　isn't　he；　Ryder？'　he　said　to　me。　'His　hair　wants　cutting。
　　　　'It　does；　sir；'　I　said。　It　did。　'I'll　see　that　it's　done。'
　　　　The　colonel　drank　more　gin　and　began　to　stare　at　Hooper；　saying　audibly；　'My　God；　the　officers　they　send　us　now！'
　　　　Hooper　seemed　to　obsess　the　colonel　that　evening。　After　dinner　he　suddenly　said　very　loudly：　'In　my　late　regiment　if　a　young　officer　turned　up　like　that；　the　other　subalterns　would　bloody　well　have　cut　his　hair　for　him。'
　　　　No　one　showed　any　enthusiasm　for　this　sport；　and　our　lack　of　response　seemed　to　inflame　the　colonel。　'You。'　he　said；　turning　to　a　decent　boy　in　'A'　pany；　'go　and　get　a　pair　of　scissors　and　cut　that　young　officer's　hair　for　him。'
　　　　'Is　that　an　order；　sir？'
　　　　'It's　your　manding　officer's　wish　and　that's　the　best　kind　of　order　I　know。'
　　　　'Very　good；　sir。'
　　　　And　so；　in　an　atmosphere　of　chilly　embarrassment；　Hooper　sat　in　a　chair　while　a　few　snips　were　made　at　the　back　of　his　head。　At　the　beginning　of　the　operation　I　left　the　ante…room；　and　later　apologized　to　Hooper　for　his　reception。　'It's　not　the　sort　of　thing　that　usually　happens　in　this　regiment；'　I　said。
　　　　'Oh；　no　hard　feelings；'　said　Hooper。　'I　can　take　a　bit　of　sport。'
　　　　Hooper　had　no　illusions　about　the　Army　…　or　rather　no　special　illusions　distinguishable　from　the　general；　enveloping　fog　from　which　he　observed　the　universe。　He　had　e　to　it　reluctantly；　under　pulsion；　after　he　had　made　every　feeble　effort　in　his　power　to　obtain　deferment。　He　accepted　it；　he　said；　'like　the　measles'。　Hooper　was　no　romantic。　He　had　not　as　a　child　ridden　with　Rupert's　horse　or　sat　among　the　camp　fires　at　Xanthusside；　at　the　age　when　my　eyes　were　dry　to　all　save　poetry　…　that　stoic；　redskin　interlude　which　our　schools　introduce　between　the　fast…flowing　tears　of　the　child　and　the　man　…　Hooper　had　wept　often；　but　never　for　Henry's　speech　on　St　Crispin's　day；　nor　for　the　epitaph　at　Thermopylae。　The　history　they　taught　him　had　had　few　battles　in　it　but；　instead；　a　profusion　of　detail　about　humane　legislation　and　recent　industrial　change。　Gallipoli；　Balaclava；　Quebec；　Lepanto；　Bannockburn；　Roncevales；　and　Marathon　…　these；　and　the　Battle　in　the　West　where　Arthur　fell；　and　a　hundred　such　names　whose　trumpet…notes；　even　now　in　my　sere　and　lawless　state；　called　to　me　irresistibly　across　the　intervening　years　with　all　the　clarity　and　strength　of　boyhood；　sounded　in　vain　to　Hooper。
　　　　He　seldom　plained。　Though　himself　a　man　to　whom　one　could　not　confidently　entrust　the　simplest　duty；　he　had　an　overmastering　regard　for　efficiency　and；　drawing　on　his　modest　mercial　experience；　he　would　sometimes　say　of　the　ways　of　the　Army　in　pay　and　supply　and　the　use　of　'man…hours'：　'They　couldn't　get　away　with　that　in　business。'
　　　　He　slept　sound　while　I　lay　awake　fretting。
　　　　In　the　weeks　that　we　were　together　Hooper　became　a　symbol　me　of　Young　England；　so　that　whenever　I　read　some　public　utterance　proclaiming　what　Youth　demanded　in　the　Future　and　what　the　world　owed　to　Youth；　I　would　test　these　general　statements　by　substituting　'Hooper'　and　seeing　if　they　still　seemed　as　plausible。　Thus　in　the　dark　hour　before　reveille　I　sometimes　pondered：　'Hooper　Rallies'；　'Hooper　Hostels'；　'International　Hooper　Cooperation'；　and　'the　Religion　of　Hooper'。　He　was　the　acid　test　of　all　these　alloys。
　　　　So　far　as　he　had　changed　at　all；　he　was　less　soldierly　now　than　when　he　arrived　from　his　OCTU。　This　morning；　laden　with　full　equipment；　he　looked　scarcely　human。　He　came　to　attention　with　a　kind　of　shuffling　dance…step　and　spread　a　wool…gloved　palm　across　his　forehead。
　　　　'I　wan't　to　speak　to　Mr　Hooper；　sergeant…major　。。。　well；　where　the　devil　have　you　been？　I　told　you　to　inspect　the　lines。'
　　　　'　'M　I　late？　Sorry。　Had　a　rush　getting　my　gear　together。'
　　　　'That's　what　you　have　a　servant　for。'
　　　　'Well；　I　suppose　it　is；　strictly　speaking。　But　you　know　how　it　is。　He　had　his　own　stuff　to　do。　If　you　get　on　the　wrong　side　of　these　fellows　they　take　it　out　of　you　other　ways。'
　　　　'Well；　go　and　inspect　the　lines；now。'
　　　　'Rightyoh。'
　　　　'And　for　Christ's　sake　don't　say　〃rightyoh〃。'
　　　　'Sorry。　I　do　try　to　remember。　It　just　slips　out。'
　　　　When　Hooper　left　the　sergeant…major　returned。
　　　　'C。O。　just　ing　up　the　path；　sir；'　he　said。
　　　　I　went　out　to　meet　him。
　　　　There　were　beads　of　moisture　on　the　hog…bristles　of　his　little　red　moustache。
　　　　'Well；　everything　squared　up　here？'
　　　　'Yes；　I　think　so；　sir。'
　　　　'Think　so？　You　ought　to　know。'
　　　　His　eyes　fell　on　the　broken　window。　'Has　that　been　entered　in　the　barrack　damages？'
　　　　'Not　yet；　sir。'
　　　　'Not　yet？　I　wonder　when　it　would　have　been；　if　I　hadn't　seen　it。　'
He　was　not　at　ease　with　me；　and　much　of　his　bluster　rose　from　timidity；　but　I　thought　none　the　better　of　it　for　that。
He　led　me　behind　the　huts　to　a　wire　fence　which　divided　my　area　from　the　carrier…platoon's；　skipped　briskly　over；　and　made　for　an　overgrown　ditch　and　bank　which　had　once　been　a　field　boundary　on　the　farm。　Here　he　began　grubbing　with　his　stick　like　a　truff