Miss Lowndes laid her hand caressingly on Lucie’s. “Yes, dear child, he knows; your friend told him in his letter.” “That was kind, but it was like Victor to do it. He would know that it might be hard for me to tell my father.” Miss Lowndes nodded. “I like that Victor. And so you did not write to your father at all?” “Not at first, but after a while, but it seems he did not get the letter. Then we found that he had been moved to another hospital and did not know where to write. You see, mademoiselle, Miss I mean--” Miss Lowndes smiled. “That isn’t the way we say it, dear. We would say Miss Lowndes, or just go on talking without saying Miss anything.” “I am forgetting some of my English, I am afraid. You see, Miss Lowndes, Paulette, she is the old peasant woman who took care of me when I was a baby, and who has always lived with us. Paulette is so lost here in Paris, and I am a very ignorant little girl. Neither of us knew where to go to find out about things; Paulette would be afraid, anyway, for she has a great fear of governments and officials, and but for Victor I do not know when we should have heard about papa.” “And who is this nice Victor person?” “He is the cousin of my best friend, Annette Le Brun who lived next door to us, at least she was my best friend; I do not know that I shall ever see her again, but now I have Odette.” “Tell me about Odette.” “She is also my next door neighbor. Like myself she is a refugee, but it is much worse for her. I have Paulette who loves me and would work her fingers off for me, but Odette has lost her father and mother. She has no one at all but a cross old great-aunt who wishes her off her hands. You understand then, miss, I mean Miss Lowndes, that it is not very happy for Odette, though since we have become friends it is better. She is so bright, so full of courage, this Odette, that I admire her much.” “I must make her acquaintance, and Paulette’s, too. I know I shall love Paulette. Now to business. In this envelope is a sum of money which your father sends. I am sure you must need it, for I really don’t see how you have managed all this time.” “Paulette had her savings, you see, and then for a time she had good work in two families as _femme de ménage_. They have left the city, unfortunately, and now poor Paulette works in a laundry where she gets small pay, but it is much better than nothing.” “Dear Paulette, what a treasure she must be. Now, then, this is not your allotment to which, as the daughter of a captain, you are entitled. I shall see to your getting that, but your father wishes that you have this, too, every month, and I shall see that you receive it, that is, so long as I am in the city and you are here, too.” “Paulette is always talking of going to the country where she can work in the fields, which she would like much better than what she is doing.”