s and drive them from the door. The next minute he
felt that the time had come, for she turned to him and said:

"But you do not speak like one of us, little one. You are not French?"

Phil drew himself up, and his face looked white and then flushed deeply
red, as he gazed bravely in the woman's face, the Doctor watching him
the while with his forehead wrinkled, as if he had grown ten years older
as he stood.

"What will my pupil say?" he muttered to himself.

It was bravely spoken.

"No, I am English," he said.

"Ah!" said the woman, softly. "Why are you here? Who are your people--
your father?"

It was hard, but Phil felt that he must speak out; and he did it
bravely, suffering agony as soon as he had spoken, for the woman looked
at him in silence.

A few minutes later Phil was sitting back watching the woman blowing up
the fire to heat some of the evening's milk and fry fresh eggs for her
visitors, joining them in a hearty meal and laughing, too, the end, as
after struggling hard to keep his eyes open, Phil let his head sink
slowly down upon the table--fast asleep, too much worn out to feel when
the Doctor lifted him out to follow their hostess into the next room,
where a clean bed was given up to them. For when the Doctor declined
and said he was sure it was the woman's, she told him it was her own and
that she would do with it as she pleased.

CHAPTER FIVE.

The sun was high when Phil woke next morning, to find the weary Doctor
sleeping still; but he started up at a touch, and hearing them about,
their hostess came and tapped at the door to say that breakfast was
ready, and later on when they stepped out she looked sadly at them, for
she had news.

"I woke at daylight," she said. "There were guns firing, and the
fighting has been going on ever since. Quick! Come and eat your
breakfast and go. It is not safe for that little fellow to be staying
here."

Phil had no appetite to finish that breakfast. Before it was half done
he had started to his feet, to run to the door, full of dread for his
father, for one after the other came the reports of heavy guns in the
distance, and from much nearer the rattle of musketry, telling that
instead of leaving the terrible encounters far behind, either they had
marched right amongst it or the opposing armies had suddenly turned in
their direction.

There was no time to waste. The Doctor pressed money upon their kind
hostess, but she refused it angri