her father and Percy, and had rightly interpreted it. She had risen
to her feet, but a warning gesture from Captain Barclay had checked
the cry of gladness on her lips; and she had stolen quietly from
the room, closed the door noiselessly, had flown to the front door
and out into the road beyond, and was now crying happily in Ralph's
arms.

"And when do you think he can get here, Richard?" Mrs. Barclay
asked her husband.

"Soon, dear--quite soon," he answered. "He may come tomorrow. He
would be certain to come almost as quickly as the news."

"Oh, how happy I am!" Mrs. Barclay said. "Thank God for His
mercies! To think that, tomorrow, I may have both my boys back
again."

"Will there be another train in, tonight, Percy?" Captain Barclay
asked.

"Quite possibly," Percy said; "indeed, indeed,"--and he
hesitated--"you see, I walked up fast; it is just possible that he
may have arrived by this train."

Mrs. Barclay understood now.

"He is come," she exclaimed, looking up. "I know it, now."

Captain Barclay took her up in his arms.

"You can bear it, can't you, Melanie? Yes, dear, he has come."

Percy saw that it was safe now. He went to the door, and opened it.
Ralph was standing outside, in readiness; and in another moment his
mother was in his arms.

Later in the evening, Captain Barclay said to Ralph:

"I suppose tomorrow you will obtain a medical certificate, and
write to General Chanzy: saying that you are alive, but unable to
rejoin?"

"Yes," Ralph answered, "I suppose that will be the best plan. I
must have a month's rest."

"That means, my dear boy, that you will not have to go out any
more. Another month will see the end of the struggle--or at any
rate, if the end has not absolutely arrived, it will be
unmistakable.

"The game is, I am convinced, altogether lost. A fortnight ago, I
had still hope. Chanzy and Bourbaki had each an army, nearly or
quite equal to that of Prince Frederick Charles. He could not
attack one in force, without leaving the road to Paris open to the
other.

"Bourbaki has come upon this mad expedition to the east; and you
will see Prince Frederick Charles will throw his whole strength
upon Chanzy, crush him, and then attend to Bourbaki. Bourbaki may
relieve Belfort, but in that corner of France what is he to do?
Prussian reinforcements are coming down to Werder, every day.
Troops are marching on this town from Paris and, if Bourbaki is not
wonderfully quick, we shall