第15部分(第4/7 頁)

　it　was　unseemly　for　a　nurse　to　be　seen　unchaperoned　with　a　patient　who　did　not　look　as　though　he　needed　attendance；　so　we　were　not　together　much　in　the　afternoons。　Although　sometimes　we　could　go　out　to　dinner　if　Ferguson　went　along。　Miss　Van　Campen　had　accepted　the　status　that　we　were　great　friends　because　she　got　a　great　amount　of　work　out　of　Catherine。　She　thought　Catherine　came　from　very　good　people　and　that　prejudiced　her　in　her　favor　finally。　Miss　Van　Campen　admired　family　very　much　and　came　from　an　excellent　family　herself。　The　hospital　was　quite　busy；　too；　and　that　kept　her　occupied。　It　was　a　hot　summer　and　I　knew　many　people　in　Milan　but　always　was　anxious　to　get　back　home　to　the　hospital　as　soon　as　the　afternoon　was　over。　At　the　front　they　were　advancing　on　the　Carso；　they　had　taken　Kuk　across　from　Plava　and　were　taking　the　Bainsizza　plateau。　The　West　front　did　not　sound　so　good。　It　looked　as　though　the　war　were　going　on　for　a　long　time。　We　were　in　the　war　now　but　I　thought　it　would　take　a　year　to　get　any　great　amount　of　troops　over　and　train　them　for　bat。　Next　year　would　be　a　bad　year；　or　a　good　year　maybe。　The　Italians　were　using　up　an　awful　amount　of　men。　I　did　not　see　how　it　could　go　on。　Even　if　they　took　all　the　Bainsizza　and　Monte　San　Gabriele　there　were　plenty　of　mountains　beyond　for　the　Austrians。　I　had　seen　them。　All　the　highest　mountains　were　beyond。　On　the　Carso　they　were　going　forward　but　there　were　marshes　and　swamps　down　by　the　sea。　Napoleon　would　have　whipped　the　Austrians　on　the　plains。　He　never　would　have　fought　them　in　the　mountains。　He　would　have　let　them　e　down　and　whipped　them　around　Verona。　Still　nobody　was　whipping　any　one　on　the　Western　front。　Perhaps　wars　weren't　won　any　more。　Maybe　they　went　on　forever。　Maybe　it　was　another　Hundred　Ye