a silver coffee-pot. At once I said to myself,
"I am evidently expected." It was like a story from the Arabian
Nights. I looked about the place and not a soul appeared, Alberta
tucked herself up on a rug and was soon fast asleep. I was just
preparing to partake of the refreshments which, it seemed, some fairy
godmother had provided, when in came one of our A.D.Cs. He was as much
surprised to see me as I was to see him. He told me that our (p. 245)
Divisional Commander had arrived there about an hour or two before and
had gone to bed, and that we were in the home of a certain count whose
servants had all fled. He also told me that there was a bedroom that I
could have upstairs, and which would not be occupied by our staff
until the next evening. I had a cup of coffee, and then, calling
Alberta and taking a candle, I climbed a very rambling staircase till
I reached the top storey, where I found an empty room with a very
dirty bed in it. However, I was glad to get a place in which to rest,
and so, with my rain-coat for a covering, I went to sleep. The next
morning, having foraged for some water in which I had a good wash, I
went off to the village to get some food. I met many of our units
coming up in busses. Some were halted by the wayside, and nobody knew
what we were going to do or why we were there. The Imperial transport
officer in charge had either acted under wrong orders or else the
drivers did not know the roads. Some of our battalions had lost their
way, one even entered a village at the other end of which were the
Germans, and two of our Engineer Companies disappeared completely for
two days.

The country people were hurrying off in carts, taking their household
goods with them. I found a primitive farmhouse where I was able to buy
some eggs and bread, and I invited a number of stragglers in to have
something to eat. By noon, however, we got orders from the Army to
move back to a place called Fosseaux. There we occupied an empty
chateau which before the war must have been a very fine place. A wide
grassy road nearly a mile in length, bordered on each side by fine old
trees, stretched off into the distance in front of the central door.
The entrance to the road was guarded by an exquisitely wrought iron
gate, flanked on each side by stone pillars surmounted by carved
heraldic figures. It was now cold and rainy, and our two Artillery
Brigades were halted in a field opposite and were awaiting orders.
Before n