The hotel keeper and his wife, alarmed by the arrival of the Soissonais, had taken their auto and started for that city in quest of news. They had returned an hour later, having been unable to pass Oulchy-le-Chateau, fifteen miles from Charly, where all the bridges were cut or blown up! They were making their preparations for departure. "And," continued George, in an excited tone, "as I came past the _Gendarmerie_ the _brigadier_ called to me and said good-bye. All the _gendarmes_ had received orders to leave at once for their depot at--." (The name of some town the other side of the Marne, which I cannot remember.) Instead of frightening me this information stimulated my nerves, which were beginning to be depressed by much work and little news. "Good," I said. "Now then, we can expect the soldiers at any minute. Poke up the fire, Julie, and we'll fall to work to have hot soup ready when our boys arrive." Then we were really going to be in the excitement. How glorious to be able to help--for in my mind ours was the only solution possible to the question. I set to work with renewed vigor and, as on the day before, we were constantly in demand by refugees requiring treatment and attention. How well I remember a group of four, two men and two women, who staggered into the court and timidly knocked at the window. Three of them were glad to accept soup and wine, but the fourth, a middle-aged woman, sank down on the steps and buried her head in her hands. "Why doesn't one of you men relieve her of that heavy parcel she has strapped to her shoulders?" I asked. "She won't let us touch it. She's never put it aside a minute since we left home six days ago!" "Is it as precious as all that?" I queried, eyeing the huge flat package which might have been the size of the double sheet of some daily paper. "It's her son's picture. He's gone to the army and she's alone in the world." "But why on earth is she carrying frame, glass, and all? It must be nearly killing her in this heat!" "Madame," said the woman's friend solemnly, "she worked six months and put all her savings into that frame! Do you wonder she did not wish to leave it behind!" I opened a side door and showed them a foot path across the hills, a short cut which carriages could not take, and was just turning the key in the lock when the telephone rang. That was the first time since the second of August! What could it mean? Probably the arrival of wounded. I literally flew to answer the call. I had some little difficulty recognizing Mademoiselle Mauxpoix' voice: it was trembling with emotion. She greeted me politely and then begging me not to be too alarmed, she announced that she had just received official orders to put all her telephones and telegraphic apparatus out of working order--to damage them so that repairs would be impossible.