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[Page 29]
a universal holiday & all British officers are not supposed to work on holidays in the army not even in reliefs – I go back to hotel & for the afternoon go to St Cloud races.
At first the betting system worries me [indecipherable] how the prices [indecipherable] 5 fr 10 fr 50 fr at each bets are made in these prices You can bet that horse wins or that it gets a place & the prices are determined afterwards. You are ignorant at the time. Horses names are not used only the numbers. Horses running & results of last race & prices paid are shown on an indicator. I do fairly well ending up losing about 16/- not as bad considering I knew absolutely nothing of the horses & no one on the ground.
Leaving course with friend I had found I went to Rue des Paradis & thence to Restaurant Rabbie 69 Boiel Magenta en face de la Gare de L'Est where I met M & Mde Cayer & Oliver a retired French captain & Lucille. They give me a pleasant evening. The freedom from restraint & other peoples opinion on their own innocent enjoyment is very refreshing after the staidness of England.
After dinner we take café in those open spaces in the street so dear to Parisian life. Here the enjoyment is fast & furious. A lady singer looking for [indecipherable] arrives & her