They say
they are moving already in great strength across the border, but that is
far away from here, and it is not our concern. It is for us to keep the
Germans so busy here that they will not be able to crush France before
England can get her army into action. At the beginning it does not
matter so much whether we win victories or not, so long as we can force
the Germans to send many corps here instead of using them to invade
France. But I have talked enough. Now--good-bye, and may God be with you
here!"

"Good-bye," said Boris, and Fred repeated Ivan's wish in Russian. Ivan
seemed astonished.

"So your mother taught you her mother tongue!" he said. "Ah, but that is
splendid!"

Then he was off.

"Ivan might have been a great actor, I believe," said Boris. "See, isn't
he the German to the life as he goes, there? No wonder he can deceive
them so!"

"It's pretty dangerous work for him, though, I should think," said Fred.
"They wouldn't waste much time on him if they caught him, would they?"

"Only the time they needed for a drumhead court-martial. After that, if
he was lucky, he would be shot instead of being hung. But he is ready,
you see. It is his part. Oh, we Russians are all united now, if we never
were before! Germany has threatened us for years. She has set Austria
against us. This time we had to fight, and you will see that all Russia
will be behind the Czar. We learned our lessons against the Japanese.
That was not a popular war. It was not made by the people, but by a few
who forced the Czar's hand. Now we shall make the world see that though
Russia may be beaten, she has the power to rise from defeat."

"What will happen here if they do take the men away?"

"They won't take them all. Only the younger ones. There will be enough
left to look after the place and after us. Though if they come, I shall
have to hide you, my cousin! I am just thinking of that. I shouldn't
wonder if those stupid people would have sent word to someone. We had
better be prepared. Come with me--I will show you something."

Fred followed Boris, and in a few minutes found himself in a great room
that was obviously the dining-room of the house. In this room there were
many pictures, and the walls were panelled in oak, blackened by smoke
and age. Boris looked about to make sure that they were not observed,
then he touched a spot in one of the panels, and it slid open. Beyond
this, however, was revealed an unbroken wall. Again Bor