preparing for a siege!"

"Never mind," I returned, "you must remember that there are twelve
persons to feed, and we'll soon get away with all I've got here."

The afternoon was spent in arranging our apartments. For convenience
sake, we decided to close part of the chateau and all live as near
together as possible in one wing. The children and younger servants
seemed to consider the whole as a huge joke--or rather, a prolonged
picnic party, and the house rang with peals of jolly laughter.

Monday, the third, Elizabeth and I tackled the provisions which were
piled high on the table in the servants' hall. A visit to the storeroom
and a little calculation showed that there were sufficient groceries
already on hand to last the month out.

"Very good," said I. "Now, the rest we'll divide into three even parts
--that makes September, October and November assured. By that time
we'll know what precautions to take!"

"Well, I should hope so!" came the smiling reply. And we set to work.
It all recalled the days of my childhood when I used to play at
housekeeping and would measure out on the scales of my dolls' house so
much rice, so much flour, so much macaroni, etc. I could hardly believe
I was in earnest.

We were right in the midst of our task when our gardeners appeared
bearing between them a clothes basket full of plums.

"Madame, they can't wait a day longer. They're ready to cook now."

It was almost a disagreeable surprise, for we were already as busy as we
could be. But there was no way of waiting, or the fruit would be
spoiled.

"Is that all the plums?"

"Ah, no, Madame, there are fully two baskets more. And in a day or two
the blackberries and black currants must be picked or they'll rot on the
vines."

"Heaven preserve us!" thought I. "Will we ever come to the end of it
all!" But by four o'clock the first basket of plums was stoned, the
sugar weighed, and a huge copper basin of _confiture_ was merrily
boiling on the stove.

"Where are you going to hide your provisions now you've got them so
beautifully tied up?" enquired H., his eyes twinkling.

"Hide them?"

"Yes!"

"What for?"

"In case of invasion."

We all simply shook with laughter.

"Well, if the Germans ever reach here there won't be much hope for us
all," I returned.

"No, but joking aside; suppose we suddenly get the French troops
quartered on us, are you calmly going to produce your stock, let it be
devoured in a day or