en he and Eugenia crossed over to the other side of the room and stood
by the fireplace. Le Duc went with them and Eugenia kept one hand on the
dog's head.

Now and then she smiled over something Captain Castaigne said to her,
then again she looked at him with the anxious gravity that was a part of
Eugenia's character. The war had made the young French officer older,
love and marriage had apparently taken ten years from Eugenia's age.
Plainly a beautiful understanding existed between the husband and wife,
in spite of the differences in their natures, which would survive to the
end.

For when Captain Castaigne suddenly lifted his wife's hand and kissed
it, it was like Eugenia to blush and whisper a protest, at which the
young officer only laughed.

Over by the window Barbara and Mildred were really too busy with their
letters to notice what was taking place. Madame Castaigne had gone out
of the room for the instant to speak to Francois.

Of course, Barbara had read Dick's letters first. She could only read
them hastily, for Dick had written to say that he had a fine position
with a big real estate office in New York City, and enough salary for
two persons to live upon, in a tiny apartment on the west side. Barbara
was to come home at once, else Dick would probably lose his job by
deserting to fetch her. Also the letter from Mrs. Thornton was cheering.
Whatever it may have been, something had occurred to change that lady's
state of mind. Perhaps it was her anxiety about Mildred in the days
when she knew nothing of her daughter's fate except that Mildred had
stayed behind at Grovno until the hour of the final surrender of the
Russian fort.

For Mrs. Thornton had written to Barbara to say that she would be most
happy to welcome her as Dick's wife, and the dearest wish of her heart
was to have her two daughters safe at home in New York City as soon as
they were able to return.

Mildred's letters were much of the same character, and the two girls had
only barely finished them when Francois appeared bearing coffee and
cakes.

Then the little party talked on until nearly dusk.

At last, when Barbara and Mildred felt compelled to leave, Eugenia
proposed that she and Captain Castaigne walk over to the farmhouse with
them. She did not feel that she could wait for another day before seeing
Nona.

Nona and Sonya had just been in a few moments and taken off their wraps
when the others arrived. And Nona need have felt no n