Diary of a U-Boat Commander

ted for some moments; it is evident that he wishes to

was on charge, and to dash a match from my hand! I could have shot him where he sto

no space in which to do half my Müller exercises, the leg-and-arm-swin

s we reach the Mo

ne Mess

ns from the south-west vibrates faintly through the open window, for it is extraordinarily

be in for a week, and I am on four days' "extended absence from the boat," which practical

rang Zoe up on the telephone;

ed. I guessed at once it was the Colonel, and I had coun

o me to ring off without further ado, but I restrai

that?"

e, and my fears were confirmed, b

inued, "on behalf of Li

e, and for an instant a pan

o ring up and inquire when it would be convenient, as he would like to meet you, sir, as well. He

f at this little

then, for I leave to-morrow evening f

rang up again in order to tell the Colonel that Lieutenant Schenk had apparently been detained, as he was not yet back in Bruges, and how I felt sure that he would be sorry at missing the Colonel,

motor for the day to the Forest of Meten, taking our

rating off Havre, she has made no signal for a fortnight. Such is the price of victory and the cost of war--de

as it is raining now it must be getting bad up at the front. Except for the r

loved Zoe, loved her as I have never yet loved

an hour's run took us to the forest. We left the

on and on until we found a suitable p

mysteries, which are so vivid a contrast to the monotony of the sea, with t

gold and red and brown, the beeches were still well co

had run ahead, called to me, and as I write I seem to hear the echoes of "Karl! Karl!" which

forest, and beneath its shelter with the old trees as silent witnesses

hich had an enormous effect on me; Zoe as

ut known it, I am still sufficiently old-fashioned to appreciate the impli

er a question to which

lonel had gone to the Somme, whether tha

d me that she was not leaving for the present. The Colonel, she said, had a strange belief that once a ma

ill end his career on that great burial ground. As we were talking about the Colonel I longed to ask her how she

a curious shyness had taken

her; you have kissed her, first at the dinner-party, secondly wh

he eve of a dangerous life, and I was simply

still longed to kiss her, but I wanted to have the unque

rom the contaminating ownership of the

elt herself that a subtle change in our relationship had taken place,

erness for her filled my mind. She is very beautiful and to me desirable above all women; I can see her as she lay there tr

r, and lies low on her forehead. Her complexion is of the purest whiteness beyond compare, which but accentuates the red warmth of the lips which encir

by the long black eyelashes which curled up delicately as they rested on her cheeks. I have re-read this description, and it is

et, unfortunate that I am, I cannot

ctions of her behaviour at the dinner-party, when with

rst roughly kiss

ct to-day was different. She was so quiet after tea as we wandered back through

as pleased, for I may say with justice that my voice is of high quality for an amateur, and t

returned to the car the chauffeur permitted himself a sa

udent mouth, but for her sake I ju

ut her all night, but it is near

d the sky is lit by their flashes; may the fig

t ten days lat

Since our glorious day in the forest I have seen her nearly every afternoon, though twice t

nd we had long hours together playing Chopin and Beethoven; we also played some of Moussorgsky'

French composer's works, but she pouted and looked so adorable that all my scruples vanished in an instant, so we closed all the doors an

eresting letters, and has had many narrow escapes, but unfortunately he seems to bear a charmed life. His lett

es; she says he is so accustomed to writing official rep

them, with a view to forming a collection of letters written from the front whilst the incidents he describes are vivid in his mind. I suppose the

y a gesture or word of mouth did she show that I

k and look long and deeply into my eyes, then she would gently kiss my lips. Not an atom of emotion! not a spark