"Come on, let's sit down here and have a coffee—we needn't stop long."
All the smaller tables were occupied, but there was one long table that stretched across the room and only a few men were sitting at the far end of it. The officers sat down at the near end and ordered coffee. They seemed a little embarrassed at first, but they soon began to talk freely to each other:
"I wonder if there's a war on in these parts—I hear the Huns have made a bit of a push."
"Curse the blighters—they'll mess up my leave, it's due in a week's time."
"Jolly good coffee, this! Here, Marie, bring us another two cups—der coop der caffay—that's right, isn't it?"
"Dat's right," said the girl, "you speak goot French—vous avez tout a fait l'accent parisien."
Suddenly her sister came running into the room, sobbing loudly:
"English soldier come round from Commandant—he tell us Shermans come—ve got to go 'vay at once, ve got to leave everysing—ve go 'vay and English troops steal everysing and shellss come and smash everysing and ve looss everysing."
The civilians of the village had received orders to leave immediately. Through the window we could see groups of people standing in the street and talking together. They were greatly agitated.
The old woman sniffed and wiped her eyes. The elder daughter was packing a few things in a bundle. One of the officers asked: "What about our coffee?" but she took no notice. Her sister had gone out in search of further information.