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[Page 18]
He has had pretty bad treatment, the camp commandant of his division going so far as to put him on a picquet - that is, go on guard; but he made a protest and the C. C. had to climb down. This morning an obliging lieutenant sat for me and I did a drawing which pleased everybody. I felt quite bucked. He went bragging about it to one of the big guns who asked to see it and on doing so expressed a wish to be "taken". This I have just been doing and it is amusing to see his pleasure. Perhaps they're easily pleased but, boasting aside, I really think I have done something quite like him. He is a splendid looking man, the beau-ideal of soldierly appearance and it is a delight to set down his strong super-manly features. I hope it will send my stock up.
St. Gratien, June 22, 1919
Life here is very tame and uneventful. I had been hoping to get busy, but the weather has been so annoyingly boisterous (rowdy and squally), that anything in the nature of out-of-door work is out of the question. This is all very disappointing, and were it not for the interest I have in the portrait I'm doing I would be very much down in the mouth. And they don't want portraits from me, but illustrations. Unless these wretched gales give out there won't be any work to-day.
St. Gratien, June 23, '18.
I have to submit, at the end of each week, a diary showing how much work I've done. I set down what sketches I had done, trips I'd made and took it to the officer who for the time being is looking after the work of my real "boss". I took it along to him this morning and he told me that I must report to him at 4 p.m. and bring along what work I'd done. It struck me as peculiar that I should be ordered to do this (what does he know about it?) but when the time came round I was there with the goods, such as they were. It turned out that sheer curiosity was his ill-bred motive and he invited two or three other young officers