Then a pugnacious little officer with two pips up, called Wirral, who was a newcomer unknown to Bourne, entered, and politely but firmly asked the adjutant whether he, Wirral, was expected to do not only all the work of his own company, but apparently also the combined work of every other company in the battalion. The adjutant seemed to be impressed, or at least embarrassed, by the magnitude of the issues involved in these questions; but having a pathetic faith in the fallacy that man is a reasonable animal, he pointed out to Mr Wirral all the difficulties in which he found himself owing to the momentary shortage of officers, Captain Malet being on leave, Mr Clinton being in the hands of the dentist, and a few other officers being absent on one pretext or another. Mr Wirral was not at all moved by the difficulties of the adjutant; in fact he seemed disposed to increase them by every means available to him, unless he were treated with a minimum of consideration; if Mr Clinton happened to be suffering from a decayed tooth, he himself was at present a martyr to an ingrowing toe-nail. The adjutant held that these rival disabilities fell within different categories, the care of the feet, with all ranks, being an entirely personal responsibility. Mr Wirral’s sense of injustice only became more acute at this complete lack of sympathy, while the adjutant stiffened in his chair.

The malicious imp in Bourne’s heart laughed again for a moment. If Captain Malet had been in the adjutant’s place, the interview might have lasted a minute, but scarcely longer, and under the gaze of his intolerant eyes Mr Wirral would not have proceeded to argument, for with Captain Malet the immediate necessity was all that counted, and if he were ever driven to repeat an order, his voice and expression almost converted it into a threat of personal violence. Bourne had no feeling against the adjutant, he rather admired the conscientious and painstaking way in which he stuck to his work; but his manner was more likely to gain the approval of his superiors, than to command the obedience of those who worked under him. Mr Wirral was told in the end that as he had but lately returned from England to the front, it was only right that he should take some of the burden from the shoulders of officers who had been overworked for months. That closed the discussion, and he retired, after saluting the adjutant with an air of marked hostility. Then the colour-sergeant went over to the adjutant’s table, and bending down had a few minutes’ whispered conversation with him.