"I see a girl I know over there," he said to his neighbour.

"Excuse me, will you ?" Then he got up and walked boldly over to the vacant chair.

He was fast acclimatising to war conditions.
He sat down on that empty chair and met the girl's eyes fairly.

She was entirely at her ease and laughing merrily.

"I've lost my bet," she said, "and Tommy's won." "And you've made me tell a thundering lie," he replied, laughing too, "which you know is the first step towards losing one's soul.