Moonchild

"Great. But I thought — " "Prehistoric. It's perfectly Cocker." [325] Such conversations lack the merit of intelligibility to the outsider; but then the outsider is particularly to be kept from understanding. Dialogues of this curious sort determine most important events in English society and "haute politique." "Then see to it that I get taken seriously." "Surely, Kurille!" "Precetur oculis mellitis!" "Kurille, Catulle!" When Englishmen return to the use of the dead languages, it is a sign of that moral state which is said by the Psalmist to resemble the Holy Oil that flowed down upon the head of Aaron, even unto the skirts of his garments. The orderly called the Staff to dinner. Cyril, as the guest of the evening, was on the Commander-in-Chief's right hand. "You have been very highly recommended to me," said the old Cavalry leader, when the time came to smoke, "and I look to you to distinguish yourself accordingly. You will be under the orders of Colonel Mavor, of course; you should report to him at once." "May I give you some information direct?" asked Cyril. "The matter hardly brooks delay, as I see it: you should know it at once, and — to be frank — I think this my best chance of your ever hearing it." "A damned funny beginning," growled the general. "Well, get on!" The permission was not very gracious; but an irregularity is a serious thing in the British Army. General Cripps made bad worse. "Unofficially, mind, absolutely unofficially," he added, before Cyril could begin. This is the English expedient for listening to anything without hearing it, or saying anything without meaning it. An official conversation cannot [326] be thus sterile; it involves notes, memoranda, dockets, recommendations, reports, the appointment of commissions, interminable deliberations, more reports, questions in Parliament, the introduction of bills, and so on. Nothing is done in the end, exactly as in the case of an unofficial conversation; so you can take your choice, sir, and be damned to you! "Unofficially, of course, General!" agreed Cyril. "My object is merely to disclose the plans of the German General Staff." "Thank you, Captain Grey," replied the great man, sarcastically;" this will