the men were found to be professional singers and were to take part.

At one moment Mollie Drew solemnly agreed that she would sing the few old Irish ballads which had entertained the soldiers on less important occasions, yet the next she was apt to say that no power upon earth could induce her to appear.

So, Barbara was apparently going through the trials which beset the theatrical manager before an important production and had at least this reason for her nervousness. Moreover, what she was pleased to call[144] rehearsals took a great deal of time and strength. As these rehearsals could only be held in the evenings, Barbara had finally managed to persuade Mildred Thornton, whenever she was free, to play the accompaniments for a number of the singers, as Mildred was an exceptionally well-trained pianist.

[144]

She had also induced Eugenia to purchase a piano, insisting that nothing would give greater and more innocent pleasure to the American soldiers in their vicinity.

So, Barbara could scarcely be accused of idleness, even if she had altered the nature of her Red Cross duties. Nor was there a girl in the hospital excepting Nona Davis, perhaps, who did not, in a small measure, share in Barbara’s plans.

Eugenia thought of this fact one day, as she observed Nona going through the hall on her way to Lieutenant Martin’s room.

Madame Castaigne would not have felt it loyalty to discuss the matter with herself, but in a way Nona Davis was her present favorite among the original group of Red Cross girls. She was devoted to Mildred[145] Thornton and had seen more of her than of Nona or Barbara. But Mildred was undemonstrative, and her deep affections were given to her own family and to the Russian General to whom she had become engaged during her fine work as a war nurse in Russia.

[145]

At one time Eugenia may have considered that she was especially attached to Barbara. But although she was not supposed to have noticed, she, too, had seen that Barbara Thornton had changed since her marriage and not for the better. Yet there must be some hidden reason for Barbara’s present restlessness. Eugenia hoped that her work outside the hospital might be an outlet and that she would buckle down to more serious work later, else her coming abroad for the Red Cross was a decided mistake.

But now 

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