human
Have you heard the bad news about Spugg?
gpt
No, what?
human
His chauffeur's been gassed.
gpt
How is he taking it?
human
Fine. He's sending off his gardener to take the chauffeur's place.
gpt
Yes, he said,
human
Henry's gassed. How it happened I don't know. He must have come down out of the air. I told him I wanted him in the air. But let it pass. It's done now.
gpt
And you're sending your gardener?
human
I am, said Spugg.
gpt
He's gone already. I called him in from the garden yesterday. I said, 'William, Henry's been gassed. Our first duty is to keep up our man power at the front. You must leave to-night.'
human
What are you putting William into?
gpt
Infantry. He'll do best in the trenches,--digs well and is a very fair shot. Anyway I want him to see all the fighting that's going. If the Germans want give and take in this business they can have it. They'll soon see who can stand it best. I told William when he left. I said, 'William, we've got to show these fellows that man for man we're a match for them.' That's the way I look at it, man for man.
human
The war looks bad, I said to him one day as I chanced upon him getting into his motor.
gpt
This submarine business is pretty serious.
human
It is, he said,
gpt
William was torpedoed yesterday.
human
Yes, he was saying,
gpt
Spugg's gardener has been torpedoed, they said,
human
gpt
Well done, Spugg,
human
Henry's out of the hospital, said Spugg.
gpt
I hope to have him back in France in a few days. William's in bad shape still. I had a London surgeon go and look at him. I told him not to mind the expense but to get William fixed up right away. It seems that one arm is more or less paralysed. I've wired back to him not to hesitate. They say William's blood is still too thin for the operation. I've cabled to them to take some of Henry's. I hate to do it, but this is no time to stick at anything.
human
William and Henry, he said to me,
gpt
Missing?
human
Both of them. The Germans have caught them both. I suppose I shan't have either of them back now till the war is all over.