The officers showed their respect as she walked by, saluting and bowing solemnly. Once she had passed, they returned to their seats, embodying a sense of duty and routine. The scene paints a picture of military life, where moments of formality are juxtaposed with simple acts like lighting a cigarette.

As one officer, Waddington, lit his cigarette, the smoke drifting up became a metaphor for the fleeting nature of a man's existence. This moment captures the essence of life as both transient and filled with the rituals that accompany it, emphasizing how personal experiences can intertwine with broader themes of duty and mortality.