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FAREWELL TO BAPAUME 367
which is rather illuminating. As I have mentioned before,
it is strictly forbidden throughout the German army to take
anything, whatever it may be, in a house or church in the
occupied territory, and any breach of this rule is very severely
punished. Now it so happened that a gentleman who served
in the army had discovered amongst the vestments of a village
church in the neighbourhood a piece of embroidery which he
intended to take home as war booty. When his offence came
to the knowledge of his superiors, he was discharged and sent
home. Had not extenuating circumstances existed, he would
have been still more severely punished. To carry away " war
souvenirs " is considered in the German army to be equivalent
to theft. To be dismissed for such an offence is a terrible
disgrace at a time when no one can conceive a greater happi-
ness than to be allowed to serve his country in the field. ^
After sitting chatting for the last time in the dim lamp-light
with Monsieur Cossart and the demoiselles Lengagne, I pro-
ceeded with my most gracious friend, Duke Adolf Friedrich,
to the officers’ mess, where the rest of the day and a good part
of the night was passed in a most agreeable atmosphere of
gravity blended with humour. Among the guests I met
Colonel von Alers, late of the Second Artillery Regiment of
the Prussian Guards ; he is related to our Swedish Counts
Wachtmeister. He had fought in the wars of 1866 and 1870-71,
and was no chicken. But he meant to fight for his country
once more, and so he turned out as volunteer. Nothing but
real men wherever you go in Germany ! Age is nothing,
whether you are young or old it is all the same, and no one is
too old to remember that he is still a man.
In the morning of November 4th the Duke and I were seated
at our usual breakfast téte-å-téte. We were quite ready to
start off, my luggage had already been stowed away in the
car, and I had taken a hearty farewell of my German friends
who happened to be about and Monsieur Cossart. Now I was
off to Metz, a distance of about two hundred English miles,
Duke Adolf Friedrich himself took charge of the steering wheel,
and I sat beside him, map in hand. A soldier was seated inside
the car.
At 9.20 a.m. we started. It was the fastest journey I have
^ This relentless severity, as actually practised, should be compared with
what the champions of truth in The Times and Slandard have to say about
the German " Huns," " incendiaries " and " burglars." Steffen, pp. 132-33.
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