Author's Foreword
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The "Midland Supply Depôt" of The War-Workers has nocounterpart in real life, and the scenes and charactersdescribed are also purely imaginary.
E.M. Delafield
At the Hostel for Voluntary Workers, in Questerham, Miss Vivian,Director of the Midland Supply Depôt, was under discussion that evening.
Half a dozen people, all of whom had been working for Miss Vivian eversince ten o'clock that morning, as they had worked the day before andwould work again the next day, sat in the Hostel sitting-room and talkedabout their work and about Miss Vivian.
No one ever talked anything but "shop," either in the office or at theHostel.
"Didn't you think Miss Vivian looked awfully tired today?"
"No wonder, after Monday night. You know the train wasn't in till pastten o'clock. I think those troop-trains tire her more than anything."
"She doesn't have to cut cake and bread-and-butter and sandwiches fortwo hours before the train gets in, though. I've got the usual blistertoday," said an anaemic-looking girl of twenty, examining herforefinger.
There was a low scoffing laugh from her neighbour.
"Miss Vivian cutting bread-and-butter! She does quite enough withoutthat, Henderson. She had the D.G.V.O. in there yesterday afternoon forages. I thought he was never going. I stood outside her door for halfan hour, I should think, absolutely hung up over the whole of my work,and I knew she was fearfully busy herself."
"It's all very well for you, Miss Delmege—you're her secretary and workin her room, but we can't get at her unless we're sent for. I simplydidn't know what to do about those surgical supplies for the TownHospital this morning, and Miss Vivian never sent for me till pasteleven o'clock. It simply wasted half my morning."
"She didn't have a minute; the telephone was going the whole time," saidMiss Delmege quickly. "But yesterday, you know, when the D.G.V.O.wouldn't go, I thought she was going to be late at the station for thattroop-train, and things were fairly desperate, so what