d,
defiant. _Vive la France!_

While Madame Blondel plied them with food she told them the story of the
new road--another shameless item in the wake of German criminality and
dishonor.

"They will wait to see if Amerique can send her troops. They will trust
zese submarines--so long. No more! All the while they make zis
road--ozzer roads. Zere will be ze tramping of zese _beasts_ over zese
roads to little Switzerland yet!" she said, falling into the French
manner in her anger. "So zey will stab her in ze back! Ug-g-g-gh!"

"Do you think that Florette and her mother are both there?" Tom asked.

"Ah," she said slyly; "you wish not that her mother should be there? So
you will be ze true knight! Ah, you are a bad boy!"

To Tom's embarrassment she embraced him again, by way of showing that
she was not altogether averse to bad boys.

"That ain't the way it is at all," he said flashing awkwardly. "I want
to save 'em both. That's the only thing I'm thinking about."

"Ah," she laughed slyly, to Archer's delight. "You are a bad boy! Iss he
not a bad boy? Yess?" She turned upon Archer. "Sixty years old I am, but
still would I have so much happiness to be ze boy. See! Blondel and I,
we run away to our marriage so many years ago. No one can catch us. So!
Ziss is ze way--yess? Am I right?" She pointed her finger at poor Tom.
"Ah, you are ze true knight! Even yet, maybe, you will fight ze
duel--so! Listen! I will tell you how you will trrick ze Prussians."

This was getting down to business and much to Tom's relief though Archer
had enjoyed the little scene hugely.

"See," she said more soberly. "I will tell you. Every young mam'selle
must work--all are there. From north and south have they brought them.
All! But not our older women. Like soldiers they must obey. Here to this
very house come those that rebel--arrest! Some are sent back with--what
you say? Reprimand. Some to prison. I cannot speak. My own
countrywomen! Ug-gh! Zese wretches!"

"So now I shall see if you are true Americans." She looked straight at
Tom, and even her homely spectacles did not detract from the fire that
burned in her eyes. Here was a woman, who if she had but been a man,
could have done anything. "I shall give you ze paper--all print. Ze
warrant. You see?" She paused, throwing her head back with such a fine
air of defiance that even her wrinkled face and homely domestic garb
could not dim its glory. "_You shall arrest Mam'selle!_ Here you shall
b