wn into a
waiting-room where far too many other persons had already assembled. To
me this congestion seemed deplorable; but the hearthrug merely grinned.
It was all a new experience to him, and his meter was registering the
time. We waited, I suppose, forty minutes and then came our turn, and we
were led to a little room where sat a typical elderly French officer at
a table. He had white moustaches and was in uniform with blue and red
about it. I bowed, he bowed, the hearthrug grovelled. I explained my
need, and he replied instantly that I had come to the wrong place; the
right place was the Conciergerie.

Another rebuff! In England I might have told him that it was one of his
own idiotic men who had told me otherwise, but of what use would that be
in France? In France a thing is or is not, and there is no getting round
it if it is not. French officials are portcullises, and they drop as
suddenly and as effectively. Knowing this, so far from showing
resentment or irritation, I bowed and made my thanks as though I had
come for no other purpose than a dose of frustration; and again we left
this cursed Bureau.

I re-entered the taxi, which, judging by the meter, I should very soon
have completely paid for, and we hurtled away (for the hearthrug was a
demon driver) to Paris's Scotland Yard. Here were more passages, more
little rooms, more inflexible officials. I had bowed to half-a-dozen and
explained my errand before at last the right one was reached, and him
the hearthrug grovelled to again and called "Mon Colonel." He sat at a
table in a little room, and beside him, all on the same side of the
table, sat three civilians. On the wall behind was a map of France. What
they did all day, I wondered, and how much they were paid for it; for we
were the only clients, and the suggestion of the place was one of
anecdotage and persiflage rather than toil. They acted with the utmost
unanimity. First "Mon Colonel" scrutinised my passport, and then the
others, in turn, scrutinised it. What did I want to go to ---- for? (The
name is suppressed because it is two or three months since the battle
was fought there.) I replied that my motive was pure curiosity. Did I
know it was a very dull town? I wanted to see the battlefield. That
would be _triste_ too. Yes, I knew, but I was interested. "Mon Colonel"
shrugged and wrote on a piece of paper and passed the paper to the first
civilian, who wrote something else and passed it on, and finally