‘Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas Domini manet in aeternum.’
‘The truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.’
They stepped out into the sunlight and blinked in the glare of the high road.
* * * * *
Later, the return to the base and the motor ride to the harbour, and the steamboat off to the Parentis. A return to the world of men and ships, where the war was the essence of life and the main topic of conversation. The ward room was discussing the newly-arrived boat which was to take the place of Blake’s.
Singleton was a man of merry moods, and kept them going with stories of his struggles with the contractors and the trials he had been through while his boat had been building.
‘A hell of a lot of work,’ he concluded, ‘and didn’t get any “command money” for seven weeks either.’
‘And had a fine fat time of it ashore, I bet,’ remarked the Staff Paymaster lightly.
‘Not so bad, not so bad, but nothing to write home about. Not married, you know. Found things pretty dull in the evening.’
‘Ah,’ said the Engineer Commander, ‘I married ten years ago, and haven’t spent more than a fortnight at a time with my wife ever since. Some people have all the luck.’