coupon, I hope?" she interrupted with,—"if you eat without it one of my household has less!" I produced it.38 38 "Two days old will do here," then she became all interest in my project again and chuckled anew. "Not a novel my son, at your age and with your temperament, it would arouse emotions in you if you created them in your characters, you are better without them.—No!—Something serious; Altruism as well as another, by all means!" "I expected you to say that, you are always so practical and kind, then we will choose a research subject to keep me busy." "Why not the history of Blankshire, your old county where the Thormondes have sat since the conquest—hein?" This delighted me, but I saw the impossibility. "I cannot get at the necessary reference books, and it is impossible to receive anything from England." She realized this before I spoke. "No—philosophy it must be—or your pet hobby, the furniture of your William and Mary!" This seemed the best of all, and I decided in a moment. This shall be my subject. I really know something of William and Mary furniture! So we settled it. Then she became reflective. "The news is très grave to-day, my son," she whispered softly, "the fearful ones predict that the Boche will be within range in a few days.—Why not leave Paris?" "Are you going, Duchesse?" "I,—Mon Dieu!—Of course not!—I must stay to39 get my Blessés out—if the worst should come—but I never believe it.—Let the cowards flee—. Some of my relatives have gone again. Those I speak to will have become a minority when peace arrives, it would seem!"—then she frowned angrily. "Many are so splendid—devoted, untiring, but there are some—!—Mon Dieu! the girls play tennis at the tix aux pigeons!—and the Germans are sixty-five kilometers from Paris!" 39 I did not speak, and then, as though I had said something disparaging and she must defend them—"But you must not judge them hardly—No!—it is not possible with our National temperament that young girls of the world can nurse men—No—No—and our ministry of War won't employ women—what can they do—ask yourself, what can they do?—but
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