In the evening Grannie, and Auntie Louie, and Auntie Emmeline, and Auntie Edie, and Uncle Morrie, and Uncle Bartie came up to say good-bye.  And in the morning Nicholas went off to France, excited and happy, as he had gone off on his wedding journey.  And between Frances and her son the great thing remained unsaid.

Time itself was broken.  All her minutes were scattered like fine sand.

     February 27th, 1915.
          B.E.F., FRANCE.

Dearest Mother and Dad,—­I simply don’t know how to thank you all for the fur coat.  It’s pronounced the rippingest, by a long way, that’s been seen in these trenches.  Did Ronny really choose it because it “looked as if it had been made out of Timmy’s tummy?” It makes me feel as if I was Timmy.  Timmy on his hind legs, rampant, clawing at the Boches.  Just think of the effect if he got up over the parapet!

The other things came all right, too, thanks.  When you can’t think what else to send let Nanna make another cake.  And those tubes of chutney are a good idea.

No; it’s no earthly use worrying about Michael.  If there was no English and no Allies and no Enthusiasm, and he had this War all to himself, you simply couldn’t keep him out of it.  I believe if old Mick could send himself out by himself against the whole German Army he’d manage to put in some first rate fancy work in the second or two before they got him.  He’d be quite capable of going off and doing grisly things that would make me faint with funk, if he was by himself, with nothing but the eye of God to look at him.  And then he’d rather God wasn’t there.  He always was afraid of having a crowd with him.

The pity is he’s wasting time and missing such a lot.  If I were you two, I should bank on Don.  He’s the sensiblest of us, though he is the youngest.

And don’t worry about me.  Do remember that even in the thickest curtain fire there are holes; there are more holes than there is stuff; and the chances are I shall be where a hole is.

Another thing, Don’s shell, the shell you see making straight for you like an express train, isn’t likely to be the shell that’s going to get you; so that if you’re hit you don’t feel that pang of personal resentment which must be the worst part of the business.  Bits of shells that have exploded I rank with bullets which we knew all about before and were prepared for.  Really, if you’re planted out in the open, the peculiar awfulness of big shell-fire—­what is it more than the peculiar awfulness of being run over by express trains let loose about the sky?  Tell Don that when shrapnel empties itself over your head like an old tin pail, you might feel injured, but the big shell has a most disarming air of not being able to help itself, of not looking for anybody in particular.  It’s so innocent of personal malice that I’d rather have it any day than fat German fingers squeezing my windpipe.