She assented without any demur to all her son's proposals, and shook hands very heartily with Jim, giving him what was evidently warm welcome, in a tongue he did not understand. Then the door opened again, and a girl rushed in and flung her arms round the lieutenant's neck, and kissed him, between broken ejaculations of joy, as one come back from the dead, while two long plaits of black hair gyrated wildly at her back. When the tails had settled down, Greski laughingly swung her round facing Jim, and introduced her as his sister Tatia, and Tatia blushed charmingly, and said, in very passable English: "You must excuse us, sir. You see, when he goes out we are never quite certain that we shall ever see him again. And when he does return our hearts are joyful. Those terrible pointed shells you send us--ah, _mon Dieu!_ one came through the side of the cathedral this morning when I was there praying for Louis, and we all ran and ran." "They are not supposed to fire at the cathedral," said Jim. "Ah, when one plays with monsters you never know what may happen." Then they all three spoke together for a minute or two in Polish, since madame knew no tongue but that and Russian, and a little French, and then the ladies went off on household duties. "I hope I shall not put you to any trouble," said Jim, "and--and"--he stumbled--"you will please let me pay my way. I have heaps of money----" "We can discuss that later. We shall be glad to be of service to you. Our hearts go out to Englishmen." But it was a little later, when they sat down to breakfast, that a new and very surprising development took place. Madame Greski's eye suddenly lighted on Jim's ring--the one pressed upon him by the young officer whose life he had saved on the heights of Alma. She stared hard at it, and then said a quick word to the others, and, to Jim's surprise, Greski caught hold of his hand, held it for the others to see, and they all stood up in great excitement, and all spoke at once as they stared down at the ring. "Where did you get it?" asked Greski quickly. "It was given me by a Russian officer at the Alma. He was wounded and I gave him a hand, and he made me take this in return." And madame came round and put her trembling white hands on his shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks, and her eyes were full of tears. Tatia looked as if she would have liked to do the same, and Jim would not have minded very much if she had. "It was my brother John," said Greski. "He wrote to us from Odessa telling us all about it. You saved his life." "I am very glad I was able to be of service to him." "And now we will repay you as far as we can," said Tatia joyously. "Oh, I am glad! But the marvel that you should fall into Louis's hands!" Madame spoke quickly to her son, and he translated. "My mother says your brother must come here too and they will nurse him." "I am very grateful. Can we go and see him after breakfast? Are you on duty?"