"I can tell you that the
thought of war is never absent for a single day from the average German
mind. We are all soldiers, you see. We start with that. You start by
being golfers and cricketers. But 'der Tag' is never quite absent
from the German mind. I don't say that all you golfers and cricketers
wouldn't make good soldiers, but you've got to be made. You can't be a
golfer one day and a soldier the next."
Michael laughed.
"As for that," he said, "I made an uncommonly bad soldier. But I am an
even worse golfer. As for cricket--"
Falbe again interrupted.
"Ah, then at last I know two things about you," he said. "You were a
soldier and you can't play golf. I have never known so little about
anybody after three--four days. However, what is our proverb? 'Live and
learn.' But it takes longer to learn than to live. Eh, what nonsense I
talk."
He spoke with a sudden irritation, and the laugh at the end of his
speech was not one of amusement, but rather of mockery. To Michael this
mood was quite inexplicable, but, characteristically, he looked about in
himself for the possible explanation of it.
"But what's the matter?" he asked. "Have I annoyed you somehow? I'm
awfully sorry.
Pages:
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113