Paul. Mais non, monsieur. Pas ce soir. Je suis en congé.
Gerald. Heaven knows what that means, except that he's a fixture. Oh well, I don't care if he does see me. He'll not know what to make of it, anyhow. [Up to statue.] Jeanne d'Arc, I'm putting this wreath on your statue. It's an English wreath and it came from England. It's English holly and English ivy and it's supposed to mean that England's sorry for the awful things she did to you and I hope you've forgiven us all. [He has cap off. Now puts cap on.] I think that's all. [Places wreath at statue's feet. Stands erect, salutes, turns.] Hang that French fellow. I suppose he'll think I'm mad. [Gerald goes down steps and off R. Paul salutes, then goes up steps to look at the wreath. Fred Colledge, an English private, enters L. Without noticing Paul, he sits on the steps and lights a cigarette. In the light of his match he sees Paul, gives a little amused laugh and lies back making himself comfortable, turning up coat-collar, etc. Paul sees him, and is shocked. Comes down steps.]
Paul. Monsieur!
Fred. Hullo, cockey. How are you getting on?
Paul. Monsieur! This place. These steps. One does not rest upon these steps.
Fred. Ho yes, one does. I'm doing it, so I ought to know.
Paul. But here, monsieur. Outside the church.
Fred. That's all right. The better the place the better the seat. It ain't a feather-bed in the old house at home, but I've sort of lost the feather-bed 'abit lately.
Paul. One should not sit on these steps, monsieur.
Fred. You must like that tune, old son, the way you stick to it. And, if you ask me, one should not do a pile of things that one's been doing over here. Take me, now. By rights, I ought to be eating roast beef and plum-pudding to-morrow in Every Street. Third turn on the left below the Mile End Pavilion, but I suppose I'm the same way as you. Going back on the train at 2 A.M. to eat my Christmas dinner in the blooming trenches. That's you, ain't it? And it's me, too. So let's sit down together and do an entente for an hour. Don't talk and I'll race you to where the dreams come from. [He pulls Paul down genially beside him.]