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FAREWELL TO BAPAUME 371
Falkenhausen "^ was not to be wondered at, for he was no
less a person than the nephew of the head of the great publish-
ing firm known throughout the Continent by its " Collection
of British Authors, Tauchnitz Edition." This chance acquaint-
ance, in itself very agreeable, had the result that I could not
resist the temptation to accompany Baron Tauchnitz on the
following morning to Blamont, where a fight was to take place
and where a French position was to be stormed.
It was nearly three o’clock in the morning when the Duke
and I returned to our humble establishment. I had arranged
to call at 6.30 in the morning for Tauchnitz and the officers
whom he was to drive to Blamont. The Duke, on the other
hand, was due to return to Bapaume at about nine. Thus we
were not to meet again for the present, so I said good-bye and
thanked him as heartily as my restricted powers of eloquence
allowed. For he had not only given me his time, his hospi-
tality and friendship, he had given me opportunities of visiting
some of the most remarkable points in the fighting line and
of gathering deep and abiding impressions of this great world
war. But the recollection I cherish most of all from that
memorable week is that of his own personality, for he is a
fine and noble man, a man whose outlook is not dimmed by
his exalted birth and the glamour of fame, but who remains
ever modest before men and humble before God. We felt
quite sure that we should meet once more at some future time.
Then we would empty the store of our memories and would
recall the shrapnel shells at Quesnoy, which whizzed so close
over our heads but forgot to burst and part us for ever from
each other.
And now, to conclude, one more hearty handshake and
" Auf Wildersehen !
"
^ Commander of the Mechanical Transport of the Falkenhausen Army
Headquarters.
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