ere all strongly fortified with great guns commanding the
plain that lies between the Meuse and the Moselle.

They were passing through one of the most interesting districts in all
France--that quiet, fertile valley where stood peaceful, prosperous
homesteads, and where the sheep were once more calmly grazing--the valley
which for four years was so strongly contested, and where every village
had been more or less destroyed.

At the headquarters of the Sixth Army Corps of France much was known,
much that was still alarming. It was that knowledge which urged on those
ever active military preparations, for placing that district of France
that had been ravaged by the Hun in the Great War in a state of complete
fortification as a second line of defence should trouble again arise.

Thoughts such as these arose in Enid's mind as she sat in silence looking
forth upon the panorama of green hills and winding stream as they slowly
approached the quaint town of Commercy.

Arrived there, the pair lunched at the old-fashioned Hotel de Paris,
under the shadow of the great chateau, once the residence of the Dukes de
Lorraine, and much damaged in the war, but nowadays a hive of activity as
an infantry barracks. And afterwards they went forth to do their shopping
in the busy little Rue de la Republique, not forgetting to buy a box of
"madeleines." As shortbread is the specialty of Edinburgh, as
butterscotch is that of Doncaster, "maids-of-honour" that of Richmond,
and strawberry jam that of Bar-le-Duc, so are "madeleines" the special
cakes of Commercy.

The town was full of officers and soldiers. In every cafe officers were
smoking cigarettes and gossiping after their _dejeuner_; while ever and
anon bugles sounded, and there was the clang and clatter of military
movement.

As the two ladies approached the big bronze statue of Dom Calmet, the
historian, they passed a small cafe. Suddenly a man idling within over a
newspaper sprang to his feet in surprise, and next second drew back as if
in fear of observation.

It was Walter Fetherston. He had come up from Nancy that morning, and had
since occupied the time in strolling about seeing the sights of the
little place.

His surprise at seeing Enid was very great. He knew that she was staying
in the vicinity, but had never expected to see her so quickly.

The lady who accompanied her he guessed to be her stepsister; indeed, he
had seen a photograph of her at Hill Street. Had Enid been