"Why not? It is a work of mercy," she said coolly.
"Ah, I see. You could not get to Germany."
"I was not sure that I wished to help Germany," she said quietly. "This work was thrust upon me," and she motioned to the wounded men on the cots, "because I could speak their language."
"What do I hear you say?" cried Carl Baum. "Your heart does not bleed for your country——?"
Her head came up and her eyes flashed as she interrupted him:
"No more my country than France is my country!"
"Ach! these accursed Americans! Are all Germans in those States outlaws?" cried the young man, his wrath rekindled. "Well? What is it?" for Jacob stood at his elbow.
"The Fräulein is German," the old man said with confidence. "She has been the angel of the ward. Some of us would have died without her care and would never have struck another blow for the Fatherland. Think of this, sir. She remained when all the others deserted us and the shells began to fall."
He turned swiftly to the listening ward:
"Ist es nicht wahr, meine Kinder?" and the answering cry was chorused from every cot: "Yah! Yah!"