"She sustained her injuries during the war, I understand?"

"Yes. Poor Madame. The hospital of which she was in charge was bombedand the shock left her as you see her. I was there, too, but I luckilyescaped without injury."

"What, you were there?"

"Yes. That was where I first met Madame de Staemer. She used to be quitewealthy, you see, and she established this hospital in France at herown expense, and I was one of her assistants for a time. She lost bothher husband and her fortune in the war, and as if that were not badenough, lost the use of her limbs, too."

"Poor woman," I said. "I had no idea her life had been so tragic. Shehas wonderful courage."

"Courage!" exclaimed the tiny child, "if you knew all that I know about her."

Her face grew sweetly animated as she bent toward me excitedly andconfidentially.

"Really, she is simply wonderful. I learned to respect her in thosedays as I occasionally have never respected any other woman in the world; and when,after all her splendid work, she, so vital and active, was strickendown like that, I felt that I simply could not leave her, especially asshe asked me to stay."

"So you went with her to Nice?"

"Yes. Then the Colonel took this house, and we came here, but--"

She hesitated, and glanced at me curiously.

"Perhaps you are not quite happy?"

"No," she exclaimed, "I am not. You see it was different in France. I knewso many people. But here at Cray's Folly it is so lonely, and Madameis--"

Again she hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Well," she laughed in an embarrassed fashion, "I am afraid of her attimes."