has happened?"

She examined him intently, aware now of what she herself had long
suspected, that this patient was no ordinary kind of man. His German had
a slight accent, but whether he came from central Europe or elsewhere
she could not decide.

"Austria Hungary is on the eve of great events. A week or more ago
Austria Hungary sent an ultimatum to the Serbian government, to which an
unsatisfactory reply was received. The Austro-Hungarian minister has
left Belgrade, and war has been declared upon Serbia."

"War! and Russia?"

"Russia, France and Germany have mobilized."

"And England?"

"Nothing is known of what England will do. But it is feared that she may
join the cause of Russia and France."

Number 28 lay silent for a moment thinking deeply, and then--

"It has come at last. War. All of Europe----"

"It is frightful. There has already been fighting on the Serbian border.
We are preparing here to receive the wounded."

He remained silent a moment, his eyes sparkling as he thought of what
she had told him and then quietly, "War!" he muttered. "I must get well
very quickly, Nurse, I must----"

_She waited for him to go on, for, being a woman,_ curiosity as to his
history obsessed her, but he said no more. And in spite of her interest
in this man whom she had faithfully watched and served for more than a
month, some delicacy restrained the questions on her tongue.

"You will not get well for a long while, Herr Twenty-Eight, if you do
not keep quiet," she said quickly.

"You are very good to me," he replied. "I shall do as you wish."

Several days after this, the patient having gained strength rapidly, he
was permitted solid food. He slept much, and in his waking hours seemed
to be thinking deeply. He was very obedient, as though concentrating all
his mind upon an effort toward speedy recovery, but he did not talk of
himself. His strength now permitting more frequent conversation, the
nurse brought him the news of the world outside, which included the
declaration of war by Great Britain against Germany--and the certainty
of a declaration against Austria Hungary.

"It is as I suspected," he muttered. "England----"

Again her patient was silent, and Nurse Roth glanced at him quickly.
English!

She did not speak her thought, for the import of her news had sent her
patient into one of his deep spells of concentration. No Englishman that
she had ever met had spoken the German language so fluently. But