From all of which I am convinced that Tantalus suffers in many guises this side of the infernal regions.

The adjutant made the prayer, but I did not take note of it, being too engrossed with the massed picture of misery before me.

But the speech ran something like this: "You will feast in Paradise.

No matter how you starve and suffer here, you will feast in Paradise, that is, if you will follow the directions." And so forth and so forth.

A clever bit of propaganda, I took it, but rendered of no avail for two reasons.