She was very clever, this charming Mlle. Soubise, and her little speech had the desired effect. To see the child again was my aim and object. I calmed down and vowed that I would not allow myself to get angry during this journey, which promised to be fertile in incidents, and I almost kept my word. I left the station master’s office and found the poor Alsatian waiting at the door. I gave him a couple of louis which he hid away quickly, and then shook my hand as though he would break it off. “You ought not to have that so visible, madame,” he said, pointing to the little bag I had hanging at my side. “It is very dangerous.” I thanked him, but did not pay any attention to his advice. Just as the train was about to start we entered the only first-class compartment. There were two young German officers in it. They saluted, and I took this as a good omen. The train whistled, and I thought what good luck we had had, as no one else would get in! Well, the wheels had not turned round ten times when the door opened violently, and five German officers leaped into our carriage. We were nine then, and I thought, What torture! The station master waved a farewell to one of the officers, and both of them burst out laughing as they looked at us. I glanced at the station master’s friend. He was a surgeon major and was wearing the _ambulance_ badge on his sleeve. His wide face was congested, and a ring of sandy, bushy beard surrounded the lower part of it. Two little bright, light-colored eyes in perpetual movement lit up this ruddy face and gave him a sly look. He was broad shouldered and thick-set, and gave one the idea of having strength without nerves. The horrid man was still laughing when the station and its station master were far away from us, but what the other one had said was evidently very droll. I was in a corner seat, with Soubise opposite me, and the two young German officers on the other side of each of us. They were both very gentle and polite, and one of them was quite delightful in his youthful charm. The surgeon major took off his helmet. He was very bald and had a very small, stubborn-looking forehead. He began to talk in a loud voice to the other officers. Our two young bodyguards took very little part in the conversation. Among the others was a tall, affected young man whom they addressed as Baron. He was slender, very elegant, and very strong. When he saw that we did not understand German, he spoke to us in English. But Soubise was too timid to answer, and I speak English very badly. He therefore resigned himself regretfully to talking French. He was agreeable, too agreeable; he certainly had not bad manners, but he was deficient in tact. I made him understand this by turning my face toward the scenery we were passing.