ng is obviously an affectation, and becomes more offensive
than boasting."

"All right, I won't resent it. Here, John, take another piece of this
cold ham. I didn't know they had such fine ham in France."

"They've a lot of splendid things in France," retorted John, in high,
good humor, "and we'll find it out fast. I'm thinking the French
soldiers will prove a good deal better than some people say they are,
and this chateau is certainly fine. It must have been put here for our
especial benefit."

"Now that we've eaten all we want and our clothing is dried thoroughly,"
said Carstairs, "I suggest that we put out the fire. There isn't much
smoke, but it goes up that flue and escapes somewhere. Even in the night
the Germans might see it."

"Good advice, Carstairs," said Wharton. "You're as intelligent sometimes
as the Americans are all the time."

"Pleasant children you Americans."

"Some day we'll save the aged English from destruction."

"Meanwhile we'll wait."

They extinguished the fire, carefully put away all the dishes they had
used, restored everything to its pristine neatness, and then the three
yawned prodigiously.

"Bedrooms next," said Carstairs.

"Do you propose that we spend the night here," said Wharton.

"That's my idea. We're worn out. We've got to sleep, somewhere. No use
breaking ourselves down, and we've found the chateau here waiting for
us."

"What about the Germans?"

"We'll have to take our chances. War is nothing but a chain of chances,
so far as your life is concerned."

The other two wanted to be persuaded, and they yielded readily, but John
insisted upon one precaution.

"Old houses like this are likely to have isolated chambers," he said.
"Some of them I suppose have their secret rooms, and if we can find such
a place, lock the door on ourselves, and go to sleep in it we're not
likely to wake up prisoners of the Germans."

Wharton and Carstairs approved of his suggestion, and they examined the
house thoroughly. John concluded from the presence of all the furniture
and the good order in which they found everything that the departure of
its owners had been hasty, perhaps, too, with the expectation of a
return on the morrow.

The room that they liked best they found on the third floor, not a
secret chamber, but one that chance visitors to the house would not be
likely to see. A narrow stairway starting near it led down through the
rear of the house, and the door was fastened w