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Haldane's leave of absence passed all too quickly, and in parting he said to Laura: "You think I have faced some rather difficult duties before, but there was never one that could compare with leaving you for the uncertainties of a soldier's life." But he went nevertheless, and remained till the end of the war.
"No, sir," continued Mr Fosset; "nor could the helmsman or old Greazer here, who came up with the binnacle lamp at the time. Not one of us could see this wonderful ship of Haldane's, though it was pretty clear all round then, and we all looked in the direction to which he pointed." "That's strange," said Captain Applegarth, "very strange."
In order completely to understand the issues involved and to obtain Lord Haldane's view, the reader should consult the very valuable book recently published by Lord Haldane: "Before the War." In the latter part of 1915, indeed, the negotiations with Sir Edward Grey on this subject had reached their second stage.
Will the time ever come when you will consider your mother's and sisters' feelings?" For a time all went as well as could be expected in the trying circumstances of Haldane's life. His prayers for strength and patience were at first earnest, and their answers seemed assured so assured, indeed, that in times of haste and weariness prayer eventually came to be hurried or neglected.
"Ask Mr Stokes here and your doctor there, Mr O'Neil, whether they did not hear Haldane's yarn about your ship five days ago, sir, before we ever clapped eyes on you," said he in a slightly aggrieved tone, as if he thought his word was being doubted. "Why, colonel, this poor lad was becoming the butt for everybody's chaff on board on account of it!" "Gracious!" cried the other.
It was as futile and absurd as Don Quixote's charge of the windmill. They were brought to a dead halt by the nature of the ground and machine-gun fire which killed their horses, and lay out that night with German shells searching for their bodies. One of the most disappointed men in the army was on General Haldane's staff.
In my country you can still hear a good sermon. When staying with Lord Haldane's mother the most beautiful, humorous and saintly of old ladies I heard an excellent sermon at Auchterarder on this very subject, the dullness of Sundays.
Haldane's expressions of sympathy were hollow, indeed, for he hoped that, as a result of her indisposition, he would have Laura all to himself that evening. With an insinuating smile he said to the young girl, after her aunt had left the table: "I shall expect you to be very agreeable this evening, to compensate me for Mrs. Arnot's absence."
It is pleasant to remember how solidly Lord Roberts received local Territorial support when he made the most prophetic of all his speeches in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on the 22nd October 1912. Lord Haldane's conversion of the Volunteers into the Territorial Force of 1907 meant little change in the internal economy or in the personnel of this Battalion.
"But I'm not going to ease down till seven bells, my hearty, unless we run across Dick Haldane's ship before, when we'll go as slow as you like and bear up again on our course to the westwards."
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