"Ah!" said John, "enemy attitude hostile." Nevertheless he stated as required.
Three days later it came back again with the request that this officer further state his reasons, please.
"Enemy attitude distinctly hostile," said John, and committed himself further.
Nothing happened for a week and John's hopes ran high. "It must be through, old man," he declared, "or it would have been back before now."
But when at the end of the week it came back for further information his ardour cooled somewhat, and when, three days later, it turned up once more with a request for his urgent and private reasons, John in a fit of exasperation retorted that if the matter was kept much longer it wouldn't be urgent, and if they enquired much further it wouldn't be private. That finished him, and he got no leave.
My application was still on the tapis. Eventually it returned. "This officer can be granted leave only on condition that he promises to serve with the Rhine Army."
"Go on," said John; "promise."
So I promised.
Now, looking over the situation, we find that it amounts to this: John has no job and never will have till he can get leave to look for one. He can't get leave. That's John.
I have a job (I haven't really) if I can get leave to attend an interview. I've got leave, but only on the understanding that when I've got the job I refuse it because I've promised to serve on the Rhine. That's me.