For us all there must have been at this moment something of this passing from an old life into a new one, and yet I dare swear that not for any one of us was there any drama, any thrill, any excitement.

We stood, a rather lonely little group, in the forest clearing whilst the soldiers in the trench flung us a careless glance, then turned back to their business of the day with an indifference that showed how ordinary and drab a thing custom had made it.
Yes, we made a desolate little group.

Semyonov had gone to a house on the farther side of the road up which we had come, a house that flew the Red Cross flag.

We had only the right to care for the wounded of certain Divisions and our presence had to be reported.

We were left then, Marie Ivanovna, Anna Petrovna, Andrey Vassilievitch, Trenchard and I, all rather close together, uncomfortable, desolate and shy, as boys feel on their first day at school.