"Do you know what happened?"
"I saw what happened. You simply went to pieces."
"My dear Charlotte, you went to pieces, if you like."
"I know that's what you told Mac. And he knows how true it is."
"Does he? Well—he shan't have my ambulances. You don't suppose I'm going to let McClane fire me out of Belgium?… I suppose he put you up to this…."
He stood up as a sign to her to leave him. "I don't see that there's anything more to be said."
"There's one thing." (She slid to her feet.) "You swore you'd stick till the war's over. I swore, if I had to choose between you and the wounded, it shouldn't be you."
"You haven't got to choose. You've only got to obey orders…."
His face stiffened. He looked like some hard commander imposing an unanswerable will.
"… The next time," he said, "you'll be good enough to remember that I settle what risks are to be taken, not you."