ervousness over
Eugenia's attitude toward Sonya. Many things had happened to broaden
Eugenia's point of view since her arrival in Europe to act as a Red
Cross nurse. Besides, few persons could fail to feel anything but
sympathy and admiration for the beautiful Russian woman, whose life had
come so near closing in tragedy.

There was not a great deal of food at the farmhouse, nevertheless
Eugenia and Captain Castaigne remained to dinner.

Barbara and Mildred retired to act as cooks, while Eugenia and Sonya
fell to talking together, and Nona and Captain Castaigne.

In the course of their talk Nona remembered to inquire for Lieutenant
Hume, who was Captain Castaigne's friend. At last she might be able to
hear real news of the young British officer.

By good fortune Captain Castaigne had received a letter written by him
in the same post that had brought Barbara's and Mildred's letters.

"Lieutenant Hume had gone to the United States and was living at the
present time in Florida. He had appeared to have contracted a fatal
illness during his imprisonment, but his letter had said he was feeling
ever so much better.

"I can't say how glad I am," Captain Castaigne continued. "There was
never a braver fellow in the world than Robert Hume. And besides, if he
should happen to die just now, it would be particularly hard on his
family. You see, Hume's older brother, the one with the title, has just
been killed in the Dardanelles. Robert Hume is Lord Hume now, I believe,
and the English think more of titles than we do in Republican France,"
the French officer concluded.

"But I thought," Nona commented stupidly, "that Lieutenant Hume was a
gardener's son and had been educated by friends who were interested in
him."

Then Nona stopped, because Captain Castaigne was half smiling and half
frowning over her information. Moreover, Nona suddenly remembered that
what she was saying was founded partly on information and the rest on
her own fancy.

"Lieutenant Hume told me he was the gardener's son," she protested, "or
at least he called the gardener's wife 'Mother Susan.'"

Eugenia had suddenly spoken her husband's name and Captain Castaigne had
gotten up to go over to her.

However, he stopped long enough to expostulate. "That was an
extraordinary idea of yours, Miss Davis. Hume was only talking of his
old nurse. His mother died when he was a baby and she brought him up. I
have heard him speak of 'Mother Susan' myself. The Coun