shooting; and as for fatigue, we shall not be the first in the
corps to give up."

"I must really apologize very much, but I had no idea that you
understood German, or I should not have made any remarks," the lady
said, smiling; "but so few French boys, out of Alsace, do
understand it that it never struck me that you spoke the language.
You will find it an immense advantage for, outside the towns, you
will scarcely meet a person understanding French. But I am sure you
must be all very hungry, and supper is quite ready."

They were soon seated at a well-spread table--waited upon by the
daughter of the family--while their host and hostess sat and
chatted with them, as to their corps, while the meal went on.

"Excuse another remark upon your personal appearance," the lady
said, smiling, "but two of you look more like Alsatians than
French. You have the fair complexion and brown, wavy hair. You do
not look like Frenchmen."

"Nor are we," Ralph laughed. "My brother and myself, although
French born, are actually English. Our father is an English
officer, but our mother is French and, as you see, we take after
him rather than her."

"But I wonder that, as your father is English, he lets you go out
upon this expedition--which is very perilous."

"We wished to go--that is, we thought it was our duty," Ralph said;
"and although they were very sad at our leaving, they both agreed
with us."

"I wish all Frenchmen were animated by the same feeling," their
host said warmly. "Your gallant example should shame hundreds of
thousands of loiterers and skulkers.

"You speak French perfectly. I should have had no idea that you
were anything but French--or rather, from the way you speak German,
that you were Alsatian."

"We have lived in France all our lives, except for two years which
we passed in Germany; and two years at one time, together with one
or two shorter visits, in England."

"And do you speak English as well as French?"

"Oh yes, we always speak English at home. Our father made a rule
that we should always do so; as he said it would be an immense
disadvantage to us, when we returned to England, if we had the
slightest French accent. Our mother now speaks English as purely
and correctly as our father."

"Are your friends any relations of yours?"

"They are our cousins," Ralph said; "their father is our mother's
brother."

For some time longer they chatted, and then their host said:

"It is half-past nine;