"Admirable!" said Aurelle. "And what about trout?"
"The trout is a lady," said the major; "you must deceive her; but it is not easy, because she is a judge of flies. And you," he added politely, after a short silence, "what do you do in peace time?"
"I write a little," said Aurelle, "and I am trying for a degree."
"No, no; I mean what is your sport—fishing, hunting, golf, polo?"
"To tell the truth," acknowledged Aurelle, "I am not much good at sport. I am not very strong and——"
"I'm sorry to hear that," said the major, but he turned to his other neighbour and bothered no more about the Frenchman.
Aurelle was thrown back on the Veterinary Captain Clarke sitting on his left, who had up to then been eating and drinking without saying a word.
"It rains a lot in your country," said Captain Clarke.
"So it does in England," said Aurelle.
"I intend," said Clarke, "when this damned war is over to go back to Santa Lucia."