“We have been watching the morning drill and afterwards came in here to rest, not dreaming anyone would discover us at such a time. Did you say it was a part of your duty to help keep your officers’ quarters in order. If it is, do you know I don’t think you have been very successful,” and Mollie’s color returned and her lips parted in a rather pretty Irish fashion of suddenly turning up at the corners to express amusement, as she looked around the disordered apartment.

The young man nodded.

“I don’t suppose I could hold my job for a week in your house, would I, unless you happened to take a fancy to me and wished to show me how housecleaning is accomplished? You see, before I undertook to be a soldier, why I’m afraid I belonged to the ‘idle rich’. I did not even know this business of keeping one’s[76] own possessions in order was a part of every regular private’s job. I have had some training in the last months, but I can still shoot straighter and ride better than I can do other things.”

[76]

And the young fellow looked in such utter disgust and consternation at the task ahead of him that Mollie laughed a second time.

“There is to be an inspection of quarters this afternoon and, as the Lieutenant is busy, I’ve been detailed to have this room shipshape.”

Mollie glanced toward Barbara.

“Suppose we help?” she suggested, “at least until Madame Castaigne and the others come down. No one will ever know. You see, ‘Monsieur Sammee,’ (that is what French people are calling you, isn’t it?) if you were a Red Cross nurse as Mrs. Thornton and I both are, you would know everything worth knowing of domestic tasks.”

Then, without waiting for Barbara’s agreement, Mollie began straightening the dusty, disordered table in a quiet, skilful fashion.

[77]The next instant Barbara had joined her at another task and soon the three of them were hard at work, the young soldier obeying orders.

[77]

When Eugenia and Mildred, Nona and Agatha finally looked into the room to see if Barbara and Mollie could possibly be found in there, they were for an instant overcome with amazement.

Eugenia was far from pleased. However, the scene was too absurd to take seriously or to speak reprovingly about.

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