Meanwhile those who lived at S—— watched and waited for news of returning prisoners. By the end of November a million and a half had been released and were finding their way back to France. It was not to be supposed that the friends of Captain Du Bois would overlook him, or that they would fail to see, providing he were still alive, that he reached home safely. The Y.M.C.A., the Salvation Army, the Knights of Columbus, helped the army in their task of feeding and directing these returned prisoners. Many of them were in a pitiable condition; others were not in so bad a state as it was feared they would be. All were underfed, many were ill.
It was just before Christmas. The little house of the Du Bois’s was warm and snug, cold though it was outside. Madame Du Bois and Lucie occupied one of the upstairs rooms; Paulette and Odette the other. The fowls, the rabbits, the goat were safely and comfortably housed in the shed. From the kitchen issued savory odors. Mousse, in his usual Sybaritic way, sought out the warmest spot near the stove there. In the next room Madame Du Bois was sewing. She had regained some of her charming air of distinction. Her soft hair, though showing streaks of gray, was shining and prettily arranged. Her dress, simple enough, sat well upon her graceful figure. Lucie, too, since her mother’s return had more the appearance of one delicately bred. Pom Pom was curled up at her feet. There was silver on the table and a bit of green in a tall vase gave an attempt at Christmas decoration. The room held a few chairs, a table, a set of shelves, a divan cot covered with a homespun quilt, found back in the country where Miss Lowndes had taken Madame Du Bois and Lucie one day on a foraging expedition. On the same day they had been able to get some crude mats for the floor, which added to the room’s look of comfort.
“Mamma,” said Lucie, suddenly raising her head, “do you know that Jean and Odette have decided to be married at Easter. Paulette has said so and that settles it. She made up her mind long ago that those two should marry, and had Jean all in a state of mind to agree, though I must say that it wasn’t hard to persuade him, for he loves Odette and she loves him, which is very fortunate. Mamma, is that the way you are going to do?”
“What way, dear daughter?”
“Pick out some one and say to me: here’s your husband.”
Madame Du Bois smiled. “Isn’t it rather early to begin to worry about that?”
“Why, I don’t know. Look at Annette, engaged, married, widowed by the time she was nineteen. Of course, dearest mother, I love you too much to marry any one against your wishes, but I do want to choose my own husband just as you did.”
“Have you any one in mind?” Madame Du Bois was still smiling.
“I haven’t quite decided, though I think perhaps I shall marry an American, they are so nice and polite and kind. I love to see the way they make friends with the children. The only trouble is that he would want to take me home to his own country. Some of those who come to the canteen are very good looking. Uncle Phil has promised to bring some of those he knows over here to see us, though he hasn’t done it yet. I think maybe he wants to keep them from seeing Miss Lowndes. Don’t you think he likes Miss Lowndes very much?”
“Very much, and she is a lovely girl. Well, dear daughter, so long as you are still casting about in your mind for a proper person to fall in love with I do not think we may have any uneasiness about the state of your heart.”