- Toby smokes and thinks, mostly about the man and his son. Of course, he wouldn't be Toby if he wasn't also thinking about his fortifications. Finally, Trim reappears with a story. Here's what he says:
- When the lieutenant (for he was in the army) found out that Toby was worried about him, he invited Trim to come visit.
- He was just finishing his prayers when Trim stepped into the room—for soldiers do pray, contrary to popular belief, especially when they've been standing in trenches filled with cold water for half a day—and told Trim that he'd served under Toby in Flanders.
- He tells Trim that he was the man whose wife was shot, and Trim remembers that incident sadly.
- Trim then leaves the room, and Le Fever's son tells him that they're heading from Ireland to Flanders. But they're not going to make it, Trim tells Toby, because Le Fever is dying.