More wounded came streaming back from the battle and Lady Agnes returned to duty immediately. “That Miss Gail, who was on the Ribot with us, was in Compiègne the other day,” Agnes told him when he was saying good-bye. “She’s doing marvels in sorting out refugees, I hear.” Gerry had been wondering often during the last days about what might have happened to Cynthia; and he had inquired of several people. But he had not thought that Lady Agnes might know. “She was working at a relief headquarters on Rue Solférino, near the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.” Gerry wandered into Compiègne, finding the Rue Solférino, which was the main street of the city, more crowded and congested than ever before. From the throng before the doors, Gerry quickly located the quarters near the Hôtel de Ville where Cynthia Gail had been working and, forcing a way in, he spied a yellow head bent over a little boy and he heard a gentle, sweet voice speaking, in newly learned French, interrogations about where the child last had seen his mother, whether he had aunt or uncle and so on. Gerry went farther in and made himself known; and when the girl looked up and saw him, an older American woman--Mrs. Mayhew--looked up, and she observed not only Gerry but the girl also. “Hello,” Ruth said. It was a poor word to encompass all she was feeling at that moment, which was, first, joy and relief that he was safe; next, that he had come there to seek her. But the word did, as it many, many times had done before; and he used the same to encompass what he felt. “Have you had anything to eat tonight?” he added after his greeting. He suspected not. “I’ll have supper later, thanks,” Ruth said. “You will not,” Mrs. Mayhew put in. “You can come back after supper, if you must; but you go out now. Take her with you, Gerry.” Which was a command which Gerry obeyed. So they sat together at a little table in a café, much crowded, and very noisy, and where they supped in haste; for there was a great multitude to be served. But they were very light-hearted. “You’ve heard the great news about our army?” Ruth asked. “That we’re going to be under the command of General Foch like the English?” “Better than that,” Ruth said. “General Pershing has offered all our forces to the French to use in any way they wish. He’s offered to break up our brigades, or even our regiments and companies, and let the French and English brigade our regiments with them, or take our men as individuals into their ranks, or use us any way they want, which will help to win. They’re not to think about us--our pride--at all. They’re just to take us--in any way to help.” “No,” said Gerry. “I hadn’t heard that.” “It’s just announced,” Ruth told him. “I’d just heard. He did it under the instructions and with the approval of our government. I think--I think it’s the finest, most unselfish offer a nation ever made! All we have in any way that’s best for the cause!”