"A baron?" asked Amy, who was decidedly a young lady of one idea just then.
"No, mademoiselle, but of a noble family, as the 'ski' denotes, for that is to Polish and Russian names what 'von' is to German and 'de' to French."
"I was rather interested in him. Where did you pick him up, Hoffman?" said the major.
"In Paris, where he was with fellow-exiles."
"He is what he seems, is he?—no impostor, or anything of that sort?
One is often deceived, you know."
"On my honor, sir, he is a gentleman, and as brave as he is accomplished and excellent."
"Will he die?" asked Amy, pathetically.
"With care he would recover, I think; but there is no one to nurse him, so the poor lad must take his chance and trust in heaven for help."
"How sad! I wish we were going his way, so that we might do something for him—at least give him the society of his friend."
Helen glanced at Hoffman, feeling that if he were not already engaged by them, he would devote himself to the invalid without any thought of payment.