“In the meantime Marie had gone out, unmindful of the danger, to fetch her uncle home.  The Padre was in his church, but Marie made him come home.  Reaching there, she said: 

“’My uncle, the Germans may come and we shall be in their power.  Is it your wish to remain here or to go to the rear where you will be safe?’

“’I shall remain here, my child.  Perhaps it would be well for you to go to the rear and be under the protection of the French, for the Prussians are beasts!’

“’With your permission, my uncle, I shall stay here with you.  I shall not leave you.’

“It is well.  If the Prussians come I shall speak with them, and perhaps they will leave the Padre and his niece to themselves.  But they shall not make us Prussians; we shall still be loyal to our beloved France.’

“’Yes, uncle, but it will be well that you have a care as to what you say and do.  Please heed what Marie says, for she knows whereof she speaks.’

“All that day the battle raged and the Padre and Marie remained in their home, except now and then when the child went out to watch the progress of the battle, for their house was on high ground commanding an excellent view of the battlefield.  The field, however, was so covered with smoke that few of the details of what was going on out there were observable.

“With darkness the battle still continued.  Later on there was rifle fire in the street, and, acting upon the Padre’s suggestion, uncle and niece took refuge in their cellar, for the bullets were beginning to spatter on the walls within the house.

“It was near daylight when the firing died down, whereupon the Padre and Marie came upstairs and went to bed for a few hours’ sleep.

“They were rudely awakened by a violent pounding on the door.  It was Marie who sprang up at the sound and who opened the door.  Confronting her was a German soldier, armed with a rifle.  The girl did not quail.

“‘Is this the Padre’s home?’ he demanded gruffly.

“‘It is.’

“’The Prussians are now in control of this village and the inhabitants will govern themselves accordingly.  We shall search your house.  Then, if you behave yourselves, you will be permitted to remain here and to go out in the daytime, as usual.  All food that is asked for by the soldiers shall be given to them without question, but any attempt to communicate with the enemy, the slightest disobedience of the orders of the commander, will be punished by death.’

“The soldier beckoned to several other soldiers who were in the background and ordered them to search the house.  This they did with thoroughness.  Marie had forgotten about the equipment of Captain Grivelet in the cellar, but it was brought home to her with a shock when the searchers came up bearing the stuff the French officer had left.  The soldier in charge eyed the Padre and his niece sternly.  He demanded to know to whom this equipment belonged.