.
I had escaped for an hour from Orderly Room with your letter and a
sketchbook, and was caught in the act. No time now.

_November 25._

[Sidenote: THE SOMME VALLEY]

A few more moments with you before you go to bed.

Yes, isn't it funny how we seem to be talking face to face! And to every
question of mine you reply in three days' time and _vice versa_. It
always sounds to me like this, rather:

QUESTION. ANSWER.

_Mon._ Isn't it cold? None.
_Tues._ Have you seen mother? None.
_Wed._ Are you happy? None.
_Thurs._ How are you all? Freezing.
_Fri._ When did I see you last? Only yesterday.
_Sat._ May I have a cake! Yes, very.
_Sun._ How is Queen Anne? Much better.
_Mon._ None. Last April.
_Tues._ None. I'll send one.
_Wed._ None. Dead.

Don't you find it's a bit like that? What question can I have asked a
week ago to which the answer is a rabbit? So tiresome when we want to
talk at very close range.

As to leave--well let's not talk about that. Every dog has his day.

You know the dog who has been shut up in a kennel for a long time? Or
the dog who has been locked up in an empty house for a long time? It'll
be a mixture of these.

Well, the day will come.

_November 27._

Can't write properly because it's very cold and I've been riding, and
that makes one's fingers like pink bananas. They don't seem to answer to
the bridle. There's an awful noise of hissing going on. Hale and Hunt
are busy on the horses.

_November 28._

A box will arrive containing another Bristol ball, which I discovered in
a cottage here, and bought for 1fr. 50c. Rather a jolly green one,
biggish. Also I am enclosing the wineglass from Geudecourt, which I
mentioned some time ago. There can't be any harm in mentioning this
name, as we have left that area some time now. I have got several
sketches of other places round about there, which I hope you will like.
Won't it be fun, when the time comes, looking at them. To-day Hunt came
round in a great state about the horses. Jezebel had pulled up her
shackle, and was in "one of her moods," as Hunt always describes it. She
had been kicking both Tank and Swallow with great violence. He had left
Hale trying to get her quiet, and rushed up to report.

She was quiet again when I got down, an