erman
uniform. And it was the sight of the uniform which had brought the
terror to the child's face.

Sonya saw the look and understood it at the same moment. In order that
there might be no further argument she said gently:

"Girls, I don't often preach, but perhaps I shall make the effort now.
We are going into an extraordinary new experience for which I sometimes
wonder if we are either mentally or spiritually prepared. During the
past four years we have felt an intense bitterness against everything
German; they represented for us all the forces of evil against which we
were fighting. Now we are going to live among them and I suppose must
not feel the same degree of hatred. Yet it will be difficult to change,
impossible at first. I think it may be a number of years before we can
learn to accept them as our friends. And yet I do not wish any of us to
stir up fresh antagonism. One has always heard that the soldiers who
have done the actual fighting have never the same hatred toward each
other as the noncombatants, and perhaps we Red Cross workers stand
somewhere in between the two. And yet Germany has only herself to thank
that she has earned the distrust of the civilized world!"

As no one replied, after remaining silent a moment, Sonya went on: "You
know our soldiers have been given the order that they are to be as
polite as possible and not to make trouble, but also they are not to
fraternize with the Germans, even if living in their homes. I think the
same order holds good with us."

At this instant Bianca Zoli who had appeared to be almost asleep opened
her eyes and yawned.

"But I thought fraternizing meant becoming like brothers," she remarked
irritably. "I don't see how there is any danger of our becoming too
brotherly with the Germans, Sonya."

The laugh at Bianca's speech, although annoying to her, helped to clear
the atmosphere.

In truth at the time the Red Cross girls were weary and anxious to reach
the end of their journey, in order that they might establish their Red
Cross headquarters.

Bianca was in a particularly discouraged frame of mind. She was
distinctly grieved at saying goodby to the little Luxemburg countess,
whom she happened to have liked more than any girl she had ever known;
she also cherished a grievance against Sonya Clark, because Sonya had
refused to consent to bring Charlotta away with them secretly.

Moreover, Bianca was anxious to have some word of Carlo Navara. Not a
lin