“Hush!” said Lucy, laughing, but glancing apprehensively around. “You mustn’t talk about Boches so loud, Tyler.”
At the end of another hour she went off duty in the hall to help Elizabeth bring in the nurses’ supper. At the first opportunity she explained the promise made Michelle.
“You’ll take me with you, won’t you, Elizabeth?” she asked anxiously.
“Oh, yes, Miss Lucy, I think so. In the morning I stop to bring you back after I get the basket full from the little farm. Only,” Elizabeth added, looking earnestly into Lucy’s face, “promise me you don’t by yourself to the old prison go.”
“I promise—if you’ll take me there soon again,” said Lucy, thinking sadly that the little stock of provisions she had left Captain Beattie must be already gone. “I hope you can leave early, Elizabeth,” she said, returning to the evening’s plan. “If you can’t Miss Pearse will make such a fuss.”
She was happy at the chance of doing Michelle a service, as well as at the prospect of seeing her friend for longer than a hurried hour. Elizabeth was more sympathetic this time, too, than when Lucy had proposed the other expedition. Elizabeth did not encourage patriotism or daring on Lucy’s part, and, if she had had her way, would have kept her in safe seclusion.
She did her best to get through her long day’s work early, and it was not yet ten o’clock when she left Lucy at the side door of Michelle’s house. Lucy was instantly admitted, and her hostess gave her a warm welcome.
“I thought perhaps you do not come, and I feel so sorry,” said Michelle, smiling with pleasure as she took Lucy’s cape from her shoulders. “Maman is asleep, and Clemence working in the kitchen, because she stayed with Maman to-day while I was at the hospital. You know we give the breakfast every morning to the German sentinel on this street.”
“You do!” cried Lucy, indignantly.
“Yes, we must. Come and sit here by the candle,” said Michelle, leading the way into the little parlor, “and show me what gave you the English capitaine. You said that I should see it.”