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lady； your servant until death。 I wish for your sake I had
joined the Bulgarian army instead of the Servian。 I am not a
native Servian。
RAINA （haughtily）。 No； you are one of the Austrians who set the
Servians on to rob us of our national liberty； and who officer
their army for them。 We hate them！
MAN。 Austrian！ not I。 Don't hate me； dear young lady。 I am only
a Swiss； fighting merely as a professional soldier。 I joined
Servia because it was nearest to me。 Be generous： you've beaten
us hollow。
RAINA。 Have I not been generous？
MAN。 Noble！heroic！ But I'm not saved yet。 This particular rush
will soon pass through； but the pursuit will go on all night by
fits and starts。 I must take my chance to get off during a quiet
interval。 You don't mind my waiting just a minute or two； do
you？
RAINA。 Oh； no： I am sorry you will have to go into danger again。
（Motioning towards ottoman。） Won't you sit（She breaks off
with an irrepressible cry of alarm as she catches sight of the
pistol。 The man； all nerves； shies like a frightened horse。）
MAN （irritably）。 Don't frighten me like that。 What is it？
RAINA。 Your pistol！ It was staring that officer in the face all
the time。 What an escape！
MAN （vexed at being unnecessarily terrified）。 Oh； is that all？
RAINA （staring at him rather superciliously； conceiving a
poorer and poorer opinion of him； and feeling proportionately
more and more at her ease with him）。 I am sorry I frightened
you。 （She takes up the pistol and hands it to him。） Pray take it
to protect yourself against me。
MAN （grinning wearily at the sarcasm as he takes the pistol）。
No use； dear young lady： there's nothing in it。 It's not loaded。
（He makes a grimace at it； and drops it disparagingly into his
revolver case。）
RAINA。 Load it by all means。
MAN。 I've no ammunition。 What use are cartridges in battle？ I
always carry chocolate instead； and I finished the last cake of
that yesterday。
RAINA （outraged in her most cherished ideals of manhood）。
Chocolate！ Do you stuff your pockets with sweetslike a
schoolboyeven in the field？
MAN。 Yes。 Isn't it contemptible？
（Raina stares at him； unable to utter her
feelings。 Then she sails away scornfully to the
chest of drawers； and returns with the box of
confectionery in her hand。）
RAINA。 Allow me。 I am sorry I have eaten them all except these。
（She offers him the box。）
MAN （ravenously）。 You're an angel！ （He gobbles the comfits。）
Creams！ Delicious！ （He looks anxiously to see whether there are
any more。 There are none。 He accepts the inevitable with
pathetic goodhumor； and says； with grateful emotion） Bless you；
dear lady。 You can always tell an old soldier by the inside of
his holsters and cartridge boxes。 The young ones carry pistols
and cartridges； the old ones； grub。 Thank you。 （He hands back
the box。 She snatches it contemptuously from him and throws it
away。 This impatient action is so sudden that he shies again。）
Ugh！ Don't do things so suddenly； gracious lady。 Don't revenge
yourself because I frightened you just now。
RAINA （superbly）。 Frighten me！ Do you know； sir； that though I
am only a woman； I think I am at heart as brave as you。
MAN。 I should think so。 You haven't been under fire for three
days as I have。 I can stand two days without shewing it much；
but no man can stand three days： I'm as nervous as a mouse。 （He
sits down on the ottoman； and takes his head in his hands。）
Would you like to see me cry？
RAINA （quickly）。 No。
MAN。 If you would； all you have to do is to scold me just as if
I were a little boy and you my nurse。 If I were in camp now
they'd play all sorts of tricks on me。
RAINA （a little moved）。 I'm sorry。 I won't scold you。 （Touched
by the sympathy in her tone； he raises his head and looks
gratefully at her： she immediately draws hack and says stiffly）
You must excuse me： our soldiers are not like that。 （She moves
away from the ottoman。）
MAN。 Oh； yes； they are。 There are only two sorts of soldiers：
old ones and young ones。 I've served fourteen years： half of
your fellows never smelt powder before。 Why； how is it that
you've just beaten us？ Sheer ignorance of the art of war；
nothing else。 （Indignantly。） I never saw anything so
unprofessional。
RAINA （ironically）。 Oh； was it unprofessional to beat you？
MAN。 Well； come； is it professional to throw a regiment of
cavalry on a battery of machine guns； with the dead certainty
that if the guns go off not a horse or man will ever get within
fifty yards of the fire？ I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw
it。
RAINA （eagerly turning to him； as all her enthusiasm and her
dream of glory rush back on her）。 Did you see the great cavalry
charge？ Oh； tell me about it。 Describe it to me。
MAN。 You never saw a cavalry charge； did you？
RAINA。 How could I？
MAN。 Ah； perhaps notof course。 Well； it's a funny sight。 It's
like slinging a handful of peas against a window pane： first one
comes； then two or three close behind him； and then all the rest
in a lump。
RAINA （her eyes dilating as she raises her clasped hands
ecstatically）。 Yes； first One！the bravest of the brave！
MAN （prosaically）。 Hm！ you should see the poor devil pulling at
his horse。
RAINA。 Why should he pull at his horse？
MAN （impatient of so stupid a question）。 It's running away with
him； of course： do you suppose the fellow wants to get there
before the others and be killed？ Then they all come。 You can
tell the young ones by their wildness and their slashing。 The
old ones come bunched up under the number one guard： they know
that they are mere projectiles； and that it's no use trying to
fight。 The wounds are mostly broken knees； from the horses
cannoning together。
RAINA。 Ugh！ But I don't believe the first man is a coward。 I
believe he is a hero！
MAN （goodhumoredly）。 That's what you'd have said if you'd seen
the first man in the charge to…day。
RAINA （breathless）。 Ah； I knew it！ Tell metell me about him。
MAN。 He did it like an operatic tenora regular handsome
fellow； with flashing eyes and lovely moustache； shouting a
war…cry and charging like Don Quixote at the windmills。 We
nearly burst with laughter at him； but when the sergeant ran up
as white as a sheet； and told us they'd sent us the wrong
cartridges； and that we couldn't fire a shot for the next ten
minutes； we laughed at the other side of our mouths。 I never
felt so sick in my life； though I've been in one or two very
tight places。 And I hadn't even a revolver cartridgenothing
but chocolate。 We'd no bayonetsnothing。 Of course； they just
cut us to bits。 And there was Don Quixote flourishing like a
drum major； thinking he'd done the cleverest thing ever known；
whereas he ought to be courtmartialled for it。 Of all the fools
ever let loose on a field of battle； that man must be the very
maddest。 He and his regiment simply committed suicideonly the
pistol missed fire； that's all。
RAINA （deeply wounded； but steadfastly loyal to her ideals）。
Indeed！ Would you know him again if you saw him？
MAN。 Shall I ever forget him。 （She again goes to the chest of
drawers。 He watches her with a vague hope that she may have
something else for him to eat。 She takes the portrait from its
stand and brings it to him。）
RAINA。 That is a photograph of the gentlemanthe patriot and
heroto whom I am betrothed。
MAN （looking at it）。 I'm really very sorry。 （Looking at her。）
Was it fair to lead me on？ （He looks at the portrait again。）
Yes： that's him： not a doubt of it。 （He stifles a laugh。）
RAINA （quickly）。 Why do you laugh？
MAN （shamefacedly； but still greatly tickled）。 I didn't laugh；
I assure you。 At least I didn't mean to。 But when I think of him
charging the windmills and thinking he was doing the finest
thing（chokes with suppressed laughter）。
RAINA （sternly）。 Give me back the portrait； sir。
MAN （with sincere remorse）。 Of course。 Certainly。 I'm really
very sorry。 （She deliberately kisses it； and looks him straight
in the face； before returning to the chest of drawers to replace
it。 He follows her； apologizing。） Perhaps I'm quite wrong； you
know： no doubt I am。 Most likely he had got wind of the
cartridge business somehow； and knew it was a safe job。
RAINA。 That is to say； he was a pretender and a coward！ You did
not dare say that before。
MAN （with a comic gesture of despair）。 It's no use； dear lady：
I can't make you see it from the professional point of view。 （As
he turns away to get back to the ottoman； the firing begins
again in the distance。）
RAINA （sternly； as she sees him listening to the shots）。 So
much the better for you。
MAN （turning）。 How？
RAINA。 You are my enemy； and you are at my mercy。 What would I
do if I were a professional soldier？
MAN。 Ah； true； dear young lady： you're always right。 I know how
good you have been to me： to my last hour I shall remember those
three chocolate creams。 It was unsoldierly； but it was angelic。
RAINA （coldly）。 Thank you。 And now I will do a soldierly thing。
You cannot stay here after what you have just said about my
future husband； but I will go out on the balcony and see whether
it is safe for you to climb down into the street。 （She turns to
the window。）
M