CHAPTERI

partfive.

theheartofacityamiensintimeofwar

chapteri

duringthebattlesofthesommein1916,andafterwardinperiodsofprogressandretreatovertheabominablefields,thecityofamienswasthecapitalofthebritisharmy.whenthebattlesbeganinjulyofthatyearitwasonlyashortdistanceawayfromthefighting-lines;nearenoughtoheartheincessantroarofgun-fireonthefrenchfrontandours,andnearenoughtoget,bymotor-carorlorry,inlessthanthirtyminutes,toplaceswheremenwerebeingkilledormaimedorblindedintheroutineoftheday'swork.onewentoutpastamiensstationandacrossalittlestonebridgewhichafterward,intheenemy'sadvanceof1918,becamethemarkforgermanhighvelocitiesalongtheroadtoquerrieux,whererawlinsonhadhisheadquartersofthefourtharmyinanoldchateauwithpleasantmeadowsrounditandastreammeanderingthroughfieldsofbuttercupsinsummer-time.beyondthedustyvillageofquerrieuxwithitswhitecottages,fromwhichtheplasterfelloffinblotchesasthewarwenton,wewentalongthestraighthighroadtoalbert,throughthelongandlingvillageoflahoussoye,wherescottishsoldiersinreserveloungedaboutamongfrowsypeasantwomenandplayedsolemngameswith“thebairns”;andso,pastcampsandhutmentsoneachsideoftheroad,totheuglyred-bricktownwherethegoldenvirginhungheaddownwardfromthebrokentowerofthechurchwithherbabeoutstretchedabovethefieldsofdeathasthoughasapeace-offeringtothisworldatwar.

onecouldbekilledanydayinalbert.isawmenblowntobitstheretheclayafterthebattlesofthesommebegan.itwasintheroadthatturnedtotheright,pastthesquaretogotomeaulteandontofricourt.therewasatideofguntransportswirlingdowntheroad,bringingupnewammunitionforthegunsthatwerefiringwithoutapauseoverfricourtandmametz.thehighscreamofashellcamethroughablueskyandendedonitsdownwardnotewithasharpcrash.forafewminutesthetransportcolumnwasheldupwhileamassofrawfleshwhichasecondbeforehadbeentwolivingmenandtheirhorseswasclearedoutoftheway.thenthegunwagonswentataharderpacedowntheroad,raisingacloudofwhitedustoutofwhichiheardthecursesofthedrivers,swearinginafoulwaytodisguisetheirfear.

iwentthroughalbertmanyscoresoftimestothebattlefieldsbeyond,andwatcheditsprocessofdisintegrationthroughthoseyears,untilitwasnothingbutawildscrapheapofreadbrickandtwistediron,and,inthelastphase,eventhegoldenvirginandherbabe,whichhadseemedtoescapeallshell-firebymiraculouspowers,layburiedbeneathamassofmasonry.beyondwerethebattlefieldsofthesommewhereeveryyardofgroundispartofthegreatgraveyardofouryouth.

soamiens,asihavesaid,wasnotfarawayfromtheredheartofwar,andwasclearenoughtothelinestobecrowdedalwayswithofficersandmenwhocameoutbetweenonebattleandanother,andby“lorry-jumping”couldreachthiscityforafewhoursofcivilizedlife,accordingtotheirviewsofcivilization.tothesemen—boys,mostly—whohadbeenlivinginlousyditchesunderhellfire,amienswasparadise,withlittlehellsforthosewholikedthem.therewerehotelsinwhichtheycouldgogetabath,iftheywaitedlongenoughorhadthelucktobeearlyonthelist.therewerestreetsofshopswithplate-glasswindowsunbroken,shining,beautiful.therewerewell-dressedwomenwalkingabout,withkindeyes,andchildrenasdainty,someofthem,asinhighstreet,kensington,orprince'sstreet,edinburgh.youngofficers,whohadplentyofmoneytospend—becausetherewasnochanceofspendingmoneybetweenarowofblastedtreesandaditchinwhichbitsofdeadmenwereplasteredintotheparapet—invadedtheshopsandboughtfancysoaps,razors,hair-oil,stationery,pocketbooks,knives,flash-lamps,top-boots(atafabulousprice),khakishirtsandcollars,gramophonerecords,andthelatestsetofkirchnerprints.itwasthedelightofspending,ratherthanthejoyofpossessing,whichmadethemgofromoneshoptoanotherinsearchofthingstheycouldcarryhacktotheline—thatandthelureofgirlsbehindthecounters,laughing,bright-eyedgirlswhounderstoodtheirexecrablefrench,evenenglishspokenwithaglasgowaccent,andwerepleasedtoflirtforfiveminuteswithanygroupofyoungfighting-men—whobrokeintoroarsoflaughteratthegallantryofsomedonjuanamongthemwiththegiftofaudacity,andpaidoutrageouspricesfortheprivilegeofstammeringoutsomefoolishsentimentinbrokenfrench,blushingtotherootsoftheirhair(thoughcaptainsandheroes)attheirowntemeritywithagirlwho,inanotherfiveminutes,wouldplaythesamepartinthesamescenewithadifferentgroupofboys.

iusedtomarvelatthepatienceofthesegirls.howboredtheymusthavebeenwithallthisflirtation,whichledtonothingexcept,perhaps,thepurchaseofabitofsoapattwiceitsproperprice!theyknewthattheseboyswouldleavetogobacktothetrenchesinafewhoursandthatsomeofthemwouldcertainlybedeadinafewdays.therecouldbenoromanticepisode,saveofatransientkind,betweenthemandthesegood-lookingladsinwhoseeyesthereweredesireandhunger,becausetothemtheplainestgirlwaswomanhood,thesweet,gentle,andfemininesideoflife,asopposedtothecruelty,brutality,anduglinessofwaranddeath.theshopgirlsofamienshadnoillusions.theyhadlivedtoolonginwarnottoknowtherealities.theyknewtherisksoftransientloveandtheywerenottakingthem—unlessconditionswereveryfavorable.theyattendedstrictlytobusinessandhopedtomakealotofmoneyintheshop,andwere,ithink,mostlygoodgirls—asvirtuousaslifeinwar-timemayletgirlsbe—wisebeyondtheiryears,andwithpitybehindtheirlaughterforthesesoldierswhotriedtotouchtheirhandsoverthecounters,knowingthatmanyofthemweredoomedtodieforfranceandengland.theyhadtheirownlovers—boysinbluesomewherebetweenvaux-sur-sommeandhartmanns—weilerkopf—andapartfromoccasionalintimacieswithenglishofficersquarteredinamiensforlongspells,leftthetrafficofpassiontootherwomenwhowalkedthestreets.