I stood back against the gate of the villa watching soldiers hurry by, seeing high mysterious hedges, the roofs of houses, a line of lighted sky, the tops of trees, all these things rising and falling as the glare in the heavens rose and fell.

There was sometimes a terrible noise and sometimes an equally terrible stillness.

Somewhere in the darkness a man was groaning, "Oh! ah!--Oh! ah!" without cessation.

Somewhere the gate of one of the villas swung to and fro, creaking.

Sometimes soldiers would stare at my motionless figure and then pass on.