Then a curious thing happened.  The sunlight, which was so bright it was making the others squint and draw the curtains, suddenly seemed to Sahwah to be darkened, while a nameless fear stole into her heart and oppressed her with a sense of lurking danger, of hovering calamity.  Only for a minute it lasted, and then she was herself again and the sunshine struck into her eyes with intolerable splendor.

She shook herself slightly and turned her attention to Hinpoha, who was speaking.

“Wouldn’t it be dreadful if Veronica were to be interned?” Hinpoha was saying.

“Veronica won’t be interned,” said Sahwah with an air of authority.  “It’s only the Germans who are being watched so carefully, and have to register with the police, and all that.  Veronica isn’t a German citizen, she’s a Hungarian.  She will be perfectly safe.  Her uncle is an American citizen and is very patriotic; he was on the last Liberty Loan committee.”

“I wonder how she feels about things?” said Gladys musingly.  “Her father was in the Austrian army, you remember, and died fighting, and her mother died when their town was taken by the Russians, and Veronica just barely escaped with her own life.  Their home was burned and they lost everything they had.  Veronica would be very wealthy if it hadn’t been for the war.  It would be only natural for her to feel bitter toward the side that had brought suffering to her family.”

“But that was in the early days of the war, before so many things had happened,” said Sahwah, “and before Veronica had ever seen America.  She’s crazy about America.  She certainly wouldn’t feel bitter toward the Americans because the Russians burned their town and killed her father, would she?”

“Poor Veronica,” said Gladys softly.  “She’s in a hard position and I don’t envy her.  I love her dearly, even if her country is our enemy.”

“Shucks!” exclaimed Sahwah.  “Veronica isn’t to blame because her country is at war. She isn’t our enemy.  Anyway,” she added, “I don’t believe that the Hungarians are as bad as the Germans.  They aren’t spies like the Germans are.  Why, lots of Hungarians are fighting right in our own army!  Probably if Veronica’s father had come to America years ago he would be doing the same thing now.  Anyway, Veronica’s here now, and she’s glad she is here, and I don’t think it’s right to treat her coldly just because she’s an ‘alien enemy.’”

“Maybe she’s still loyal to her own country, though,” said Hinpoha, “and if the chance ever came to help Hungary’s cause she’d feel in duty, bound to do it.  She has such intense feelings about things, you know.  She’d be quite willing to die for any cause she believed in.”

“Shucks!” said Sahwah again.  “Your romantic notions make me tired sometimes, Hinpoha.  Veronica’s not going to die for Hungary’s cause, and she isn’t likely to die for any other cause either, any more than we are.”