told, at first hand, that there is as much variety in the reasons urged in
support of applications as there is in the manner of the applicants. They
attempt to melt him with piteous tales of their future in England, to shame
him with gruesome pictures of their recent past in France, to hustle him
with emergencies or special duties, or to bully him with dark references to
unseen powers. I had a list of them from an M.L.O. himself, who was highly
suspicious even of me, until he understood that I only wanted one thing in
the world, and that was someone interesting to talk to while I waited for
the leave boat to sail. Instance after instance he gave me of the low
cunning of my species, to all of which, as I ventured to guess, he had
proved himself equal. In the circumstances, as he said, this might suggest
some hardness of heart on his part, but I readily agreed, was even the
first to state, that there was no one in the wide world more anxious to
assist our irrepressibles when bent on their hard-earned holiday. But he
just couldn't do it. I put it for him that he was but the powerless and
insignificant agent of an authority greater than himself.

To that he said "Yes, and No," always, I think, a safe answer. True, he had
his duty to perform, and right well he performed it, we agreed. But he had
also his powers, his responsibilities--might we say, his scope? Yet, I
gathered, there were things which, not being entirely master of himself and
his affairs, he could not do. Take my own case, for example. I suggested
(very cautiously) that it would require a very much greater authority than
himself to give relief to an ordinary person like myself, with no stronger
reason to travel by the civilian boat than that my whole financial future
and domestic happiness depended upon my doing so. He said nothing to that;
I gave him but a very little chance. I said that I knew quite well that he
would help me if he could. We were unanimous as to the kindness of his
heart. It was because I quite realized that he couldn't that I didn't ask
him or think of asking him. Very soon after that we parted, I to sail for
England--but not by the leave boat.

Alas! for the weakness of human nature. I am no stronger nor more able to
be secretive than Robert, John and the rest of the brethren. I bragged; and
now I'm told there is a printed order posted outside that M.L.O.'s office,
making it a crime punishable with death for any officer proceeding on leave
t