Lucy’s heart eagerly responded to this wish, but a queer discomfort at the baffling look in Michelle’s eyes kept her a moment silent. Suddenly she realized that while she had told this almost stranger her dearest secrets, Michelle, on the other hand, had not opened her lips on the subject of her brother, or of her hopes for the success of the Allies. Lucy was too candid and impulsive to bear this state of things unquestioningly. She looked into Michelle’s troubled face and asked, “Why won’t you tell me anything about yourself and your family, Michelle? I’ve trusted you in speaking of Bob’s coming. Don’t you trust me?”
The French girl started, hesitated, looked again into Lucy’s wondering eyes, and burst into a flood of speech.
“Oh, Lucy, I know you are with us—like all America! But some Americans are not enough on guard against our enemies. For what you are a friend with that German woman, who has the husband in the fight against us?”
“Of course! What a donkey I am!” exclaimed Lucy, relieved beyond words as things were thus made plain to her. “I forgot all about Elizabeth, Michelle, or I should have guessed what you might think from seeing me always with her. You see, Elizabeth was our old nurse in America—and I’ve known her since I was four years old. But that would not be enough to make us real friends now. She is just as pro-ally as we are. She does not wish to see the Kaiser win.”
As Michelle still looked utterly unconvinced, Lucy went back to tell of Elizabeth’s rescue of Bob from German hands the year before. She did not stop until Michelle knew of Bob’s confidence in the German woman’s sincerity, of the message dropped from the airplane, and of Elizabeth’s repudiation of her country’s war aims and her promise to help in all Lucy’s efforts.
Michelle sat silent and astonished, her blue eyes fixed upon Lucy’s face.
“Does she hate Germany?” she asked at last.
“Oh, no, but she hates the Junkers ruling her. It is for Germany’s own sake that she is pro-ally. Do you see what I mean? Besides, she loves America, where she lived so long. It was the lies that they told her about America that first taught her the truth.”
Michelle reflected for a long moment. Then she said slowly, “Lucy, I know your brother would not be deceived, and I believe what you tell me. But it is hard to think the wife of a Boche soldier to be pro-ally.”
“Karl isn’t a soldier—he’s too old. He’s only a cook. He was our cook for nearly ten years at home. Anyway, Michelle, you know that I’m all right, and you will soon see that Elizabeth is too. I know how you feel, for I wouldn’t have believed her myself, though I’ve known and trusted her so long, if she had not brought the message from Bob.”