Jack faced the two old people, for the woman had also managed to gain her feet, looking as white as chalk, and with a drawn expression about her eyes, as though she anticipated receiving a terrible blow.
“W-w-what does this mean, young messieurs; does not the bed suit you?” stammered the peasant, trying to appear natural though the attempt was a farce.
“It was better than we had any right to expect,” said Jack. “But by chance we found you had entertained a visitor down here, and we have come to ask a few questions of you. It is suspicious that he should come in the night, and also while it storms. You did not want any eye to see him, so you covered the windows and fastened the door. We may be Americans, but the cause of the Allies is more to our liking than that of the Kaiser; and we can’t stand idly by if there is any treacherous work going on.”
The man raised his arms and let them fall again, while his wife hid her face in her hands and seemed to be weeping, for her shoulders heaved convulsively.
“M’sieu, I do not understand!” muttered the peasant, helplessly.
“Then I will try to explain better,” continued the boy, firmly. “A stranger comes to your door and you let him in secretly. You hold a conversation with him. We overhear a few words spoken, and they are in German. That looks bad, Monsieur. It makes us believe you are in league with the enemy of your country, the same Germany that has made Belgium a wilderness because her sons dared oppose the passage of the Kaiser’s great army to strike a mortal blow at France. Are you following what I say?”
Amos could see that the old man, greatly moved, had to wet his lips before he was able to speak. It was as though his emotions almost overpowered him; and when he did manage to find his voice his words came as from a distance.
“Yes, but, M’sieu, I do not understand. Do you mean that I, François Bart, would inform the enemy of things that must cause the death of Belgian soldiers?”
“Do you deny it then?” demanded Jack, frowning so as to impress the other with the fact that he and his companion were serious in all they said and did.
“But, M’sieu, that would make me a traitor, you see, and surely I would sooner have my right hand burned off than lift it against my king, whom we madly worship. You cannot mean that, young M’sieu?”