was
directed to a small, frowzy apartment, which apparently had once been
the land-lord's sitting-room. Two officers, Colonel Hullocher and his
Adjutant, both with ribbons, were seated close together at a littered
deal table, behind a telephone whose cord, instead of descending
modestly to the floor, went up in sight of all men to the ceiling. In a
corner a soldier, the Colonel's confidential clerk, was writing at
another table. Everything was dirty and untidy. Neither of the officers
looked at George. The Adjutant was excitedly reading to the Colonel and
the Colonel was excitedly listening and muttering. The clerk too was in
a state of excitement. George advanced towards the table, and saluted
and stood at attention. The Adjutant continued to read and the Colonel
to murmur, but the Adjutant did manage to give a momentary surreptitious
glance at George. After some time the Colonel, who was a short, stout,
bald, restless man, interrupted the reading, and, still without having
looked at George, growled impatiently to the Adjutant:

"Who's this fellow?"

The Adjutant replied smoothly:

"Mr. Cannon, sir."

The Colonel said:

"He's got a devilish odd way of saluting. I must go now." And jumped up
and went cyclonically as far as the door. At the door he paused and
looked George full in the face, glaring.

"You came to me with a special recommendation?" he demanded loudly.

"Colonel Rannion kindly recommended me, sir."

"General Rannion, sir. Haven't you seen this morning's _Times_? You
should read your Gazette."

"Yes, sir."

"You're the celebrated architect?"

"I'm an architect, sir."

"I wish you would condescend to answer, yes or no, sir. That's the
second time. I say--you're the celebrated architect?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, remember this. When you come into the Army what you were before
you came into the Army has not the slightest importance."

"Yes, sir."

Colonel Hullocher glared in silence for a moment, and was gone. The
clerk slipped out after him.

The Adjutant rose:

"Now, Cannon, we're all very busy."

And shook hands.

IV

The same afternoon, indeed within about two hours of his entrance into
the Army, George found himself driving back from Wimbledon to London in
a motor-bus.

Colonel Hullocher had vanished out of his world, and he had been sent to
another and still more frowzy public-house which was the Headquarters of
No. 2 Battery of the Second Brigade. He was allotted to No.