een in the hands of a Boche.

Jan was a patient we had who had entirely lost his speech and memory. We
could get nothing out of him but an expressive shrug of the shoulders
and a smile. He was a good looking Belgian of about twenty-four; and it
was my duty to take him out by the arm for a short walk each morning to
try and reawaken his interest in life.

One day I saw the French Governor of the town coming along on horseback
followed by his _ordnance_ (groom). How could I make Jan salute, I
wondered? I knew the General was very particular about such things, and
to all appearance Jan was a normal looking individual. "_Faut saluer le
General_, Jan," I said, while he was still some distance away, but Jan
only shrugged his shoulders as much as to say, "I might do it, but on
the other hand I might not!" What was I to do? As we drew nearer I again
implored Jan to salute. He shrugged his shoulders, so in desperation,
just as we came abreast I put my arm behind him and seizing his, brought
it up to the salute! The General, whom I knew, seemed fearfully amused
as he returned it, and the next time we met he asked me if I was in the
habit of going for a walk arm in arm with Belgian soldiers, who had to
be made to salute in such a fashion?

One day we saw an aeroplane falling. At first it was hard to believe it
was not doing some patent stunt. Instead of coming down plumb as one
would imagine, it fell first this way and then that, like a piece of
paper fluttering down from a window. As it got nearer the earth though
where the currents of air were not so powerful, it plunged straight
downwards. Crowds witnessed the descent, and ran to the spot where it
had fallen.

Greatly to their surprise the pilot was unhurt and the machine hardly
damaged at all. It had fallen just into the sea, and its wings were
keeping it afloat. The pilot was brought ashore in a boat, and when the
tide went down a cordon of guards was placed round the machine till it
was removed.

Bridget, our former housekeeper at the hospital, went home to England in
the autumn for a rest and I was asked to take on her job. I moved to the
hospital and slept in the top room, behind our sitting-room, together
with the chauffeurs and Lieutenant Franklin.

I had to see that breakfast was all right, and at 7.30 lay the table in
the big kitchen, get the jam out of our store cupboard, make the tea,
etc. Breakfast over, I had the top room to sweep and dust, the beds to
make,