ecure
Delaherche's influence in favor of Father Fouchard. She had heard people
speak, smiling significantly as they did so, of the servitude to which
Gilberte had reduced Captain de Gartlauben; she was, therefore, somewhat
embarrassed when she encountered old Madame Delaherche, to whom she
thought it her duty to explain the object of her visit, ascending the
great staircase on her way to the colonel's apartment.

"Dear madame, it would be so kind of you to assist us! My uncle is in
great danger; they talk of sending him away to Germany."

The old lady, although she had a sincere affection for Henriette, could
scarce conceal her anger as she replied:

"I am powerless to help you, my child; you should not apply to me." And
she continued, notwithstanding the agitation on the other's face: "You
have selected an unfortunate moment for your visit; my son has to go to
Belgium to-night. Besides, he could not have helped you; he has no more
influence than I have. Go to my daughter-in-law; she is all powerful."

And she passed on toward the colonel's room, leaving Henriette
distressed to have unwittingly involved herself in a family drama.
Within the last twenty-four hours Madame Delaherche had made up her mind
to lay the whole matter before her son before his departure for Belgium,
whither he was going to negotiate a large purchase of coal to enable
him to put some of his idle looms in motion. She could not endure the
thought that the abominable thing should be repeated beneath her eyes
while he was absent, and was only waiting to make sure he would not
defer his departure until some other day, as he had been doing all the
past week. It was a terrible thing to contemplate: the wreck of her
son's happiness, the Prussian disgraced and driven from their doors,
the wife, too, thrust forth upon the street and her name ignominiously
placarded on the walls, as had been threatened would be done with any
woman who should dishonor herself with a German.

Gilberte gave a little scream of delight on beholding Henriette.

"Ah, how glad I am to see you! It seems an age since we met, and one
grows old so fast in the midst of all these horrors!" Thus running
on she dragged her friend to her bedroom, where she seated her on the
lounge and snuggled down close beside her. "Come, take off your things;
you must stay and breakfast with us. But first we'll talk a bit; you
must have such lots and lots of things to tell me! I know that you are
wit