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the effects of a shell; we found him in the garden with his body all swollen out.' I mentioned this sadness to 'the [[strikethrough]] General [[/strikethrough]] Baroness' who, like myself, has a soft spot in her heart for animals. She loved the dog and seeing that he was unhappy, she would have taken him to her home, had it not been for the resistance of her servants - rations could not be shared with a dog. Reluctantly I had to hear the truth: Savey did not die of shell-shock, he died of starvation. The caretakers abandoned the house and the dog too during the worst days of the artillery battle. 'Once I caught sight of him lying in the garden, unable to lift his head so weak was he, said the Baroness. I could not get to him for the cannons made me a prisoner in the house. He will haunt me many a night to come!'

September 31st  We say D.di D. and he told us of a chat he had with an American Negro soldier. D.di D. was sunning himself at his window looking over the Lungarno when a coloured soldier passing by looked up and feeling at liberty to express his aspirations in a conquered country, he shouted ' I want a Signorina! A Signorina!' Whereupon D.di D. who has lived in New York, answered with certain vigorous words called form his Harlem vocabulary. This brought on a no less vigorous reply from the Negro. Then D.di D. attacked again, but this time the Negro outdid him to such an extent that our aristocrat retreated hastily, shutting the window after him.

October 5th People are now dying of huger, there is no doubt about it.