As he became very red at that she gently reminded him of his blood pressure, but he only hammered on the table and said:
“Another thing, madam. God knows I don’t begrudge you the falderals they’ve been pinning on you, but it seems to me more than a coincidence that your celebrated strategy followed closely the lines of a memorandum, madam, that was missing from my table after your departure.”
“My dear man,” Tish replied urbanely, “there is a little military word I must remind you of—salvage. As one of your own staff explained it to me one perceives an object necessary to certain operations. If on saluting that object it fails to return the salute I believe the next step is to capture it. Am I not right?”
But I regret to say that he merely picked up his cap and went out of our sitting room, banging the door behind him.
To return. We reached the church safely, and from that working out in different directions we began our unhappy search. However, as it was still very dark I evidently lost my sense of direction, and while peering into a cellar was suddenly shocked by feeling a revolver thrust against my back.
“You are my prisoner,” said a voice. “Move and I’ll fire.”
It was, however, only Tish. We were both despondent by that time, and agreed to give up the search. As it happened it was well we did so, for we had no more than reached the church and seated ourselves on the doorstep in deep dejection when the enemy rushed the village. I confess that my immediate impulse was flight, but Tish was of more heroic stuff.
“They are coming, Lizzie,” she said. “If you wish to fly go now. I shall remain. I have too many tender memories of Aggie to desert her.”
She then rose and went without haste into the church, which was sadly changed by shell fire in the last two hours, and I followed her. By the aid of the flashlight, cautiously used, we made our way to a break in the floor and Tish suggested that we retire to the cellar, which we did, descending on piles of rubbish. The noise in the street was terrible by that time, but the cellar was quiet enough, save when now and then a fresh portion of the roof gave way.
I was by this time exceedingly nervous, and Tish gave me a mouthful of cordial. She herself was quite calm.