They did see. Chet scratched his head in perplexed thought and Patricia stared at them both helplessly. It seemed an almost impossible tangle. It was Chet who presently shrugged his shoulders and addressed them in words of firmness and determination, thus:
"Say, this here does certainly seem some little puzzle, but you want to think ahead of things a bit, an' reason out how things are likely to go on if they keep runnin' in the same groove. Have you thought of this, miss—er—mam'selle? If you keep on like this, just knucklin' down to 'em all the time, are things ever goin' to get any better? Ain't they goin' to force you to do worse an' worse all the time just as long as they can keep you under? That's the Hun of it. They believe in terrorizing, they do! They think they got you cold as long as they can scare the livin' wits out of you. An' that's where America put it all over 'em. They didn't scare for a cent. All the Yanks ever thought of was, 'Lead me to 'em! Just let me get my hands on one of them 'ere Huns. I'll give 'em a little dose of "frightfulness." An' they did, too; an' the Huns are turnin' tail an' beatin' it this very minute at Château Thierry an' thereabouts."
"That's the spirit to have. Don't let 'em put it over you. An' another thing maybe you haven't thought of, miss—mam'selle. Do you really believe everything they're tellin' you? I bet they'd as soon fool you as eat their dinner! How do you know this is all true about your father? He may be well an' safe this very minute—"
"Oh, no, no!" interrupted Virginie. "If that were so I would have heard from him in some way. I have heard nothing in all these three years. No, he is not safe. He is surely in their power."
"Well, that may be so," insisted Chet, "but still I say, you can't trust 'em. An' there's one thing you can trust an' it's the most powerful thing in the world to-day, an' that's this little old U. S. Government. If anything on earth can help you, that can, an' you'd a great sight better put your trust in that than to knuckle down any longer to this beastly bunch of Hun spies. Ain't I talkin' sensible, Miss Patricia?"
"Indeed you are!" Patricia echoed enthusiastically. "Why, Chet is right, Virginie, absolutely. Can't you see it? I only wonder we didn't think of it before! Your choice lies between these horrible, unscrupulous creatures, and the finest, most powerful Government in all the world. How can you even hesitate? You can't go on forever this way with Madame Vanderpoel. Some day they might put an end to your father's life for some reason of their own, and you couldn't do a thing to stop it, mightn't even know it. You'd be perfectly helpless. Whereas, if you get yourself out of their power, you stand some chance, at least, of rescuing your father too. Take the chance, Virginie. These people are not so powerful as they seem to you because you have been so shut up with them. They have let you know nothing. Take the chance. I believe it is your only chance to help your father and yourself!"
And Virginie, very much impressed, visibly wavered. She had, indeed, taken no thought for the future, hopelessly supposing her bondage would go on indefinitely, as at present, only serving to prolong her father's existence by her acquiescence. To her it was, indeed, a terrible chance, yet not quite so uncertain as it had once seemed. Perhaps the United States was more powerful than she realized. Perhaps—but suddenly she threw all hesitation to the winds.
"Yes, yes, you are right!" she exclaimed. "I will go with you. Perhaps I can serve him best—so."
"Hooray! Good for you!" cried Chet, overjoyed. "An' now about this here Crimson Patch. Do you think there's any chance of our gettin' hold of it? Where d'you suppose the Madame keeps it salted down?"
Patricia, too happy for expression at Virginie's decision, could only press her hand warmly. "Yes, Virginie, we must, if possible, get the Crimson Patch. Have you any idea where it is?"