Marie Belloc Lowndes

The Red Cross Barge Marie Belloc Lowndes

The Herr Doktor moved away his chair from the large round table across half of which, amid the remains of a delicious dessert a large-scale map of the surrounding Frenchcountryside had been spread out. On the other half of the table had been pushed a confusion of delicate white-and-goldcoffee-cups and almost empty liqueur-bottles-signs of the pleasant ending to the bestdinner the five young Uhlan officers who were now gathered together in this French innparlour had eaten since 'The Day.'Although the setting sun still threw a warm, lambent light on the high chestnut trees in thepaved courtyard outside, the low-walled room was already beginning to be filled with thepale golden shadows of an August night. A few moments ago the Herr Commandant hadloudly called for a lamp, and Madame Blanc, owner of the Tournebride, had herself broughtit in. Placed in the centre of the table the lamp illumined the flushed, merry young facesnow bent over the large coloured map. Alone the Herr Doktor sat apart from the bright circle of light, and, although he was himselfsmoking a pipe, the fumes of the other men's strong cigars seemed to stifle him