ess they travel so far that
there is no hope of returning, perhaps for months together. It will be a
great problem to provide shelter for these people so that they can
return.

We cut through Beaumont, and then took the main road to Mons, where we
arrived in the middle of the morning. On the way we had heard that the
English nurses had not yet been released, so I made for the military
headquarters and saw the commandant. It was evident that they had been
hauled over the coals for the way they had behaved when Jack was there,
for I never saw such politeness in any headquarters. I was preceded by
bowing and unctuous soldiers and non-commissioned officers, all the way
from the door to the Presence, and was received by the old man standing.
He was most solicitous for my comfort and offered me everything but the
freedom of the city. He said that he had not received a word of
instructions until a few minutes before my arrival, but that he was now
able to give the young ladies their liberty and turn them over to me. In
order to get them, I was prayed to go over to the headquarters of the
military governor of the Province, and an officer was assigned to
accompany me. While we were there, the officer who had been so insulting
to Jack and to Miss Hozier came into the room, took one look at us, and
scuttled for safety. We heard afterward that he had been ordered to
apologise for his behaviour.

At the door of the Provincial headquarters I found another car flying
the Legation flag, and Monsieur de Leval came charging out into my arms.
There had been a pretty hot time about the nurses and he had finally
been sent down to get them out. In a few minutes we had them sitting on
a bench in the Governor's office, while Kracker, who used to be one of
the Secretaries of the German Legation here, was making out their
_laisser-passers_ to come to Brussels. They were a happy crowd, but
pretty well done up by the treatment they had had.

When they were all fixed I went in and asked for the release of Miss
Bradford, another English nurse, who had been in prison in Mons and
Charleroi for the past five weeks. I learned of her imprisonment almost
by accident while we were waiting for the passports. After some argument
it was granted, and I went with a soldier to the prison to get her out.
I had not expected to find anything very luxurious, but I was shocked
when I saw the place. It was the most severe, repressive penitentiary in
the country--st