o was rather charming but "triste" because so many of
her friends had been killed, so "triste" that she never plays the
piano now. We had to justify and explain our opinions and confessions,
and so to bed, only to get up at 7-0 the next morning so as to get
everything packed up to move off at 9-20 a.m. This day (Thursday)
fortunately it was not raining, and the Trench Mortar Batteries and
Brigade Headquarters moved off independently of the Battalion; we went
only about ten miles and arrived at Blendeque for lunch, where we were
billeted with the brewer, a most topping and hospitable old man, who
offered us drinks before lunch, and attended to us in a most courtly
manner. After lunch Kitty and I borrowed two signallers' bikes and
biked into St. Omer to get pay--it is rather nice country round here,
not flat like it is further forward, but rolling downs and quite a lot
of wood, and lanes, rather like Salisbury Plain. You will be relieved
to know that the Bosches could not shell us here if he tried, and we
are here in army rest for a week or two. In St. Omer we went for money
for ourselves and men, and then went to the canteen to get cigarettes,
&c.; after that we went to a tea shop to tea. While we were there a
lot of the 16th Scots came in, and we had a jolly tea altogether. We
then biked back again. I paid my men, and then we had a jolly good
dinner. After dinner we went in to enjoy ourselves with our host; he
offered us all sorts of drinks, cigarettes, cigars, &c., in a very
hospitable manner, and his daughter played the piano and we all sang
all sorts of English songs. Madamoiselle sang "Where my caravan has
rested," "Chocolate soldier," &c., with a perfect English accent. Then
she and Monsieur sang from various operas in French; they both have
very good voices, and have been well trained. When we went to bed I
said to Madamoiselle "Bon soir," &c., of course, in a hopelessly
English accent, and she replied with "Good-night" in perfect English.
In bed, unfortunately, Kitty insisted on having all the bed and most
of the bedclothes, and in the morning accused me of taking it all.
When two people sleep together they always both sleep on the edge, and
a mysterious third person seems to come and sleep in the middle and to
take all the clothes.

At 8-0 this morning we moved off again and arrived here at Eperlecques
at about 12-30, this being our final destination. We are in a big
farm, with a nice big mess-room and a nice li