in while I was undressing. who was on duty.

 Passini was dead
 Passini was dead. I will take you to call. It was Miss Ferguson. Nothing to do. as I said.He cant do anything about it anyway.You have that pleasant air of a dog in heat. its smooth surface covered with brick dust. The cars would be all right with their good metaltometal brakes and anyway. he said. the lieutenant said. Ill paint all this and Does that sting Good. I said. We dont go out.

Its not serious I hope. Not in this ambulance business. My orderly had finished pouring water and the bed felt cool and lovely and I was telling him where to scratch on the soles of my feet against the itching when one of the doctors brought in Rinaldi. They seemed glad to see me and in a little while Miss Ferguson excused herself and went away. In a moment the blanket in front of the dressing station opened and two stretcherbearers came out followed by the tall Englishman.Must attack. he said. spilled the thin gold chain together and put it all in my breast pocket.Whats wrong with your legIts not my leg. Bring on something serious. and went through the trenches in the smasheddown town and along the edge of the slope. and found we still lived in the same house and that it all looked the same as when I had left it. and things went very badly. You understand Priest every night five against one.

 helping ourselves to wine from the grasscovered gallon flask; it swung in a metal cradle and you pulled the neck of the flask down with the forefinger and the wine. How is your headGood Christ I said.Lift it high. What if we take San Gabriele What if we take the Carso and Monfalcone and Trieste Where are we then Did you see all the far mountains to day Do you think we could take all them too Only if the Austrians stop fighting. I never hurt anybody. said Miss Ferguson. seeing it all ahead like the moves in a chess game.No. I said.Rinaldi went out with me. I said. Manera said. There were three others to locate. In a little while we would say insulting things.

Why notThey dont trust us when theres nothing going on. He had written to his father that I was coming and they had made preparations.A rivederci.You have beautiful hair. It was a hot day and the sky was very bright and blue and the road was white and dusty.Yes there is. Outside the window it was a lovely spring morning. I followed his hands with my eyes.I went out to look at the cars and see what was going on and then came back and sat down in the dugout with the four drivers. Still I would probably have been killed. I helped him down. There is nothing as bad as war.Wash up and come as you are.Outside something was set down beside the entrance.

Bersaglieri. And you play it as well as you know how. Gordini got up and ran for the dugout. I didnt mean to hurt you. He makes big preparations. dry and white in the sun. He did not see me and I did not know whether to go in and report or go upstairs first and clean up.Fine. I had imagined that the condition of the cars. And you do love meYes. Not very well. I made sure he was dead. I could go to Spain if there was no war. Look how you are wounded.

 She came back from wherever she had been.Bersaglieri have run too.What the hell. Always in Rome.Those that went out were not lined up when they took the tenth men. You would like the people and though it is cold it is clear and dry.Im awfully tired. There is nothing as bad as war.I said I knew. I think so. Lacerations of the scalp (he probed Does that hurt Christ. A V.In Milano. One of the medical captains said the attack had been put forward an hour.

 Signor Tenente. Tenente. They carried wounded in and brought them out. Why do you get yourself woundedYou can make fun of the priest. Perhaps. He has a rendezvous.How are you. They arent girls; they are old war comrades. Sometimes I think you and he are a little that way.You have beautiful hair. The Saint Anthony was in a little white metal capsule.The drops fell very slowly. Macedonias. I said.

Some of the officers went alone. I will.Sometimes in the dark we heard the troops marching under the window and guns going past pulled by motor-tractors. one of the captains said. Whats the matter with this machineIts no good. I had treated seeing Catherine very lightly.Have you seen Miss BarkleyI will bring her here. Shall attack!The priest nodded. Your goddesses. tipping their heads back. . We went for a stretcher but there wasnt any. I wanted to go to the Hartz Mountains. You are purer and sweeter.

 Im all right. At the gate of the driveway that led up to the British villa. There were many more guns in the country around and the spring had come. then took a bite of cheese. Your lovely cool goddess.It hasnt come up. Didnt you see itNo. Today I see priest with girls.Rinaldi picked up the candle. They returned it with his things. the tall Englishman said in Italian.Could I see her just for a momentThey sent an orderly to see and she came back with him.Goodnight. This chap of yours was very anxious for me to see you.

 he said to me. they stopped them. Maybe you will get an English medal too. Im sorry for your head. Youve been away a long time. There were troops on this road and motor trucks and mules with mountain guns and as we went down. although I learned it later. He had to sign the proposition for the citation. In the dark I could not see where it came from the canvas overhead. I smiled at the priest and he smiled back across the candlelight. put their stretchers down. the major said to the two stretcher bearers.No. a noble man and with whose injustice.

 But they say a Saint Anthonys very useful. drunk. Firenze.Listen.Hows everythingNot so bad. I said. Always with the girls. Ive studied it for months now. There was a great splashing and I saw the star shells go up and burst and float whitely and rockets going up and heard the bombs. God. drink that. I wanted to go to the Hartz Mountains. and his hair shone. loosely packed cigarettes that spilled tobacco and needed to have the ends twisted before you smoked them.

 she said. waiting for Catherine Barkley to come down.About the soup. He had not felt bad but now the shoulder had stiffened. walking under the trees. This was a game. Manera and Gavuzzi each went off with a load of wounded. Gavuzzi handed me the basin of macaroni.Have you any cheeseThe major spoke grudgingly to the orderly who ducked back into the hole again and came out with a quarter of a white cheese.Did they cross the river all rightEnormously. Outside the window it was a lovely spring morning. It was hard and slippery. the major said. He slapped me on the shoulder.

 Carabinieri shot them. There were many more guns in the country around and the spring had come. I tried to make out whether they were members of the family or what; but they were all uniformly classical.The major spoke to an orderly who went out of sight in the back and came back with a metal basin of cold cooked macaroni. Gordini said. Those of us that were awake talked across the ward. I was always able to forget. the house for officers. You should go to Rome. Five stars. He bellows. get me out of here.Rinaldi went out with me. I learn how to do it.

 He makes big preparations.Good Christ I said. I thought perhaps he couldnt stand it and then of course he was killed and that was the end of it. While I rubbed myself with a towel I looked around the room and out the window and at Rinaldi lying with his eyes closed on the bed. Tenente Can I help in any way He was the quietest one of the four. she said.I am happy. Yes. Anybody can take their property. I tried to move but I could not move. then. They lined them up afterward and took every tenth man. The major was a little man with upturned mustaches. as when a blast furnace door is swung open.

 Then there was one that we did not hear coming until the sudden rush. He shook his head at me. It was Passini and when I touched him he screamed. Rinaldi said. Rinaldi was sitting on the bed with a copy of Hugos English grammar. brought by Gordini who looked very white and sick.Quite well. and tears came in my eyes from the reflex. They cant go on doing things like the Somme and not crack.Whats wrong with your legIts not my leg. You see the point.What is there to eatWe have a little pasta asciutta.It is true. He was going to marry me and he was killed in the Somme.

 hung over the two beds. stepping carefully among the wounded. Every one laughed.Shes nice. I will go now and bring her here. Ahead there was a rounded turn off in the road to the right and looking down I could see the road dropping through the trees. You are a frozenfaced . I knew I did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her.Its not really the army. the meal was finished. he said. But its a rotten game. Rinaldi came in while I was undressing. who was on duty.