CHAPTER X

_The Talk with Sonya_

"BUT, my dear child, surely you must see my position! The Red Cross unit
of which I am a member has asked the hospitality of your country in
order that we may care for a number of our ill soldiers until they are
sufficiently recovered to be sent away. I am deeply sorry and troubled
for you. But how can I show my appreciation of the courtesy--and I know
our continued presence in Luxemburg has been an embarrassment--by a
betrayal of confidence? It would be a betrayal if I were to aid you in
getting away from your home and country without your father's knowledge.
In a way it would not only be a personal discourtesy and deceit, there
might even be international difficulties. You are related to the Grand
Ducal family while I, well, very unimportant persons can make important
difficulties these days! So I am afraid I must refuse what you ask. But
surely if you speak plainly to your father and make him understand your
feeling in the matter, he will not demand a sacrifice of your youth and
happiness. Of course I don't know the laws or the customs of your
country, but an enforced marriage these days appears as an
impossibility."

"It is not a question of law or custom, Mrs. Clark; only in reigning
families are marriages actually arranged," the Countess Charlotta
answered. "Of course you know, however, that in Germany the consent of
the parents to a marriage is almost essential, and my father is German
born and was brought up in Germany, coming to Luxemburg when he was near
middle age. But I am not trying to pretend to you that I am actually
being forced into this marriage, since in the end in spite of my
pretence of bravery it will be my own cowardice which will condemn me to
it. I simply do not feel I can go on living at home with my father and
aunt if I refuse my consent. All my life I have been a disappointment
to them and the atmosphere of our existence has been one long
disagreement with antagonism between us on every possible subject. You
see I have a good deal of money in my own right and the man my father
wishes me to marry is an old friend of his, who has lost his fortune
through the war. My father is very bitter over the result of the war,
even if he may be forced to pretend otherwise. I think he wishes to give
my fortune to his friend as much as he wishes to see me a proper German
wife. But don't worry about me, Mrs. Clark, I _do_ see your point of
view and am sorry to have tro