The Red Cross Barge

it, as it was his undoubted right, almost his duty, to do. Also, though in no way a coward, his nerve had been shaken by the terrible things he had seen, and by the lo

erhaps his wisest course would be to go up the hill again, and, together with his patient, return with a

ment later, by the lady of the barge herself. But her fair hair was now almost entirely hidden by the severe, unbecoming head-dress

e mingled terror and anger which made her face turn from white to

tics of the world, and quite involuntarily he th

the Red Cross nurse, came a short, sturdy-looking, elderly woman, clad in a d

e stone jetty with the barge, and while the Herr Doktor was trying to compose the right f

r many here, for we already have eighteen.' As he remained silent, she went on, a little breathlessly, and he saw t

und the French words he wanted with

oiselle. It is his Highness Prince Egon v

th relief that, for some difficult-to-understand reason

asked in the clear, grave voice

ssing his patient. 'What the Prince requires rest and care and quiet is. There could not a better place for him than your Red Cross barge be. Perhaps will you me allow with your doct

down the plank footway. 'Have I your graciou

bent h

to her sad blue eyes. She looked pale and worn, but it was only the transitory pallor and

ho is a doctor, would be here were it not that'-her voice broke sudden

tor, and he was indeed sorry. 'But who attends th

her face. 'I and my two friends whom you see here. Most of the

I to your three serious cases may be?' He spoke deferentiall

quietly, 'but I fear the

a square passage place, lighted by a porthole, on the ledge of which stood the po

larger and the barer because here too everything was white-the walls, the floor, the curtains drawn acros

w what it was now, the Herr Doktor paid his guide a secret, involuntary tribute of respect. She had not exaggerated, as the amateur nurse so often does,

o doctor him seen?' he asked abruptly. He had not raised his

red, 'or he will hear you. The poor

when he had suddenly spoken, in front of a certain wounded boy, of the fact that he could not last many hours. But whereas he had felt very much annoyed, annoyed and angry, with the rebuke uttered so sharply by the Red Cros

d would of course have to pay in treasure, as she was now paying in lives, heavily, for her lesson. But after the coming peace France would become, not only a peaceful, but what she had never before been, an affect

that, while she busied herself with the lighting of a hand

iful concern, he felt the surprise he had not thought to feel, and the admiration he was ready to encourage, grow and grow. Glad indeed was the Herr Doktor to know that there were certain things which he could do to ea

ame to him a sud

ch, however much he hated it in theory, came yet so

nurse answered, in the same uncout

anxious, almost agonised, strain faded from her blue eyes and delicately chiselled face; while as for the Herr Doktor, he felt as though they two had suddenly glid

to him-yet how thankful was he now for that sudden inspiration! It reversed the r?les, gave him the advantage, and that most agreeably, of t

England been?' h

England!' She looked at him quite straight as she spoke, and he felt a sudden sense of unease. It w

m into the other and smaller half of the hold. This cabin was empty, save for a row o

d now with your permission, gracious miss, my two

is needed?' she asked, and there was a t

Indeed, you will not here be, it must now the time be when you away go.' And as she looked at him in surprise, he added awkwa

ay here all night'; and then, looking at him pleadingly, she added, 'Could

as possible the Prince here bring. It is bad

ingly. 'Our curé is on his way to administer these poor dying. I can

ot do so. He has been taken as a hostage for the good behaviour of the population of this town. Temporarily is he prisoner. A sad necessity of war such things are.' He looked at h

'But surely Monsieur le Curé will be allowed to administ

this so refined and zierliches Madchen had glided so pleasantly but a short half-hour ago. Full of very real concern he nerved himself to reject the personal appeal he felt sure she wa

ian doctor of the Red Cross is going to bring a wounded Prussian officer on to the barge. He will occupy the smaller cabin. Two

oiselle Rouannès put out her hand and laid it on the old fellow's shoulder. 'My good friend,' she said, and her voice quivered for the first time,

ss surgeon. 'At your orders, M'sieur,' he said gruffly. As for the woman, she turned a

distantly. 'Bon soir, Mo

was disconcerting, even strange, to f

w door of the larger ward, an

rised at seeing that strange look of aversion and horror f

s barge, and that by the rules of the International Red Cross Society. He might, however, so far humour her as not to bring his orderlies to-night on board what had been her Red Cross barge. He had

hat he wanted done, he asked him, in his halting Fr

ther ashamed of his ungraciousness, the man added, 'I

nd about him, drew a deep, long breath. The falling of the shade of night was singularly beautiful on this quiet

ed for a few yards in darkness along the leafy mall. None of the street lamps had been lit on this, the evening of the most tr

ything on himself. With what seemed to his companion an unnecessary torrent of words, he explained that 'Monsieur' was a doctor of the Red Cross, who had come to look after the wounded on the Red Cross barge, and that therefore a r

Herr Doktor could not help feeling grateful to