he news came of the continued advance of
the British troops. General Petain turned to me and said: "You must
indeed be proud in England of your new army. Please tell your
English people of our admiration of the magnificent effort of England.
The raising and equipping of your giant army in such a short time was
indeed a colossal task. How well it was carried out all the world now
knows, and we are reaping the harvest."

The General's Chief of Staff added: "Lord Kitchener was right when he
said the war would last three years--the first year preparation, the
second year defence, and the third year ... _cela sera rigolo_--it will
be huge sport." He quoted the phrase as Lord Kitchener's own.

Before we left the General signed for me the menu of the lunch, pointing
out to me, however, that if I were at any time to show the menu to the
village policeman, I must assure him that the hare which figured thereon
had been run over at night by a motor-car and lost its life owing to an
accident, otherwise he might, he feared, be fined for killing game out
of season!

I shall always remember the picture of General Petain seeing us into our
car with his parting words, "You are about to do the most dangerous
thing you have ever done or will ever do in your life. As for Verdun,
tell them in England that I am smiling, and I am sure that when you see
General Nivelle you will find him smiling too. That is the best answer I
can give you as to how things are going with us at Verdun." Then with a
friendly wave of his hand we passed on our way.

After leaving the headquarters of General Petain we were held up for
some time at a level crossing and watched the busy little train puffing
along, carrying towards Verdun stores, munitions, and men. This level
crossing had been the scene of active fighting; on each side were
numerous graves, and the sentinels off duty were passing from one to the
other picking a dead leaf or drawing a branch of trailing vine over the
resting-places of their comrades.

Above our heads circle _les guepes_, the wasps of the French Army. They
had been aroused by the appearance of a Taube and were preparing to
sting, had the Taube waited or made any further attempt to proceed over
the French lines. However, deciding that discretion was the better part
of valour, it turned and fled. It is unwise, however, to stir up the
"wasps of France"; they followed it, and later in the day we heard that
it had been brought down near