Jim Bricknell. Sends you a message hoping you'll go down and
stay--down at Captain Bingham's place in Surrey, you know. Awfully queer
lot down there. Not my sort, no. You won't go down? No, I shouldn't. Not
the right sort of people."

Herbertson rattled away, rather spasmodic. He had been through the very
front hell of the war--and like every man who had, he had the war at the
back of his mind, like an obsession. But in the meantime, he skirmished.

"Yes. I was on guard one day when the Queen gave one of her tea-parties
to the blind. Awful affair. But the children are awfully nice children.
Prince of Wales awfully nice, almost too nice. Prince Henry smart boy,
too--oh, a smart boy. Queen Mary poured the tea, and I handed round
bread and butter. She told me I made a very good waiter. I said,
Thank you, Madam. But I like the children. Very different from
the Battenbergs. Oh!--" he wrinkled his nose. "I can't stand the
Battenbergs."

"Mount Battens," said Lilly.

"Yes! Awful mistake, changing the royal name. They were Guelfs, why not
remain it? Why, I'll tell you what Battenberg did. He was in the Guards,
too--"

The talk flowed on: about royalty and the Guards, Buckingham Palace and
St. James.

"Rather a nice story about Queen Victoria. Man named Joyce, something
or other, often used to dine at the Palace. And he was an awfully good
imitator--really clever, you know. Used to imitate the Queen. 'Mr.
Joyce,' she said, 'I hear your imitation is very amusing. Will you do it
for us now, and let us see what it is like?' 'Oh, no, Madam! I'm afraid
I couldn't do it now. I'm afraid I'm not in the humour.' But she would
have him do it. And it was really awfully funny. He had to do it. You
know what he did. He used to take a table-napkin, and put it on with
one corner over his forehead, and the rest hanging down behind, like
her veil thing. And then he sent for the kettle-lid. He always had the
kettle-lid, for that little crown of hers. And then he impersonated her.
But he was awfully good--so clever. 'Mr. Joyce,' she said. 'We are not
amused. Please leave the room.' Yes, that is exactly what she said: 'WE
are not amused--please leave the room.' I like the WE, don't you? And he
a man of sixty or so. However, he left the room and for a fortnight or
so he wasn't invited--Wasn't she wonderful--Queen Victoria?"

And so, by light transitions, to the Prince of Wales at the front, and
thus into the trenches. And then Herbertson was