It was as if they both heaved an enormous sigh of relief. The general said:
"Then I need not keep you. . . ."
Tietjens stood on his feet, wanly, but with his heels together.
The general also rose, settling his belt He said:
". . . You can fall out."
Tietjens said:
"My cook-houses, sir. . . . Sergeant-Cook Case will be very disappointed. . . . He told me that you couldn't find anything wrong if I gave him ten minutes to prepare. . . ."
The general said:
"Case. . . . Case. . . . Case was in the drums when we were at Delhi. He ought to be at least Quartermaster by now. . . . But he had a woman he called his sister . . ."
Tietjens said: