The peasant turned to the woman, as though he dared not take the responsibility of disclosing their great secret on his own shoulders.
“Shall I tell them?” he asked, hoarsely.
She nodded her head, and at that he burst out with a torrent of words:
“He is our only son, young M’sieu, who has been given a faint heart. Deserting from the brave army of the king, he has come secretly to us to hide. That is our shame, our grief.”
CHAPTER XX.
AROUSING A COWARD.
“Oh! what do you think of that?” Amos was heard to exclaim.
He looked as though he could hardly realize he understood the correct meaning of the poor old distracted peasant’s lament. François was standing there with his head bent; his wife still on her knees rocked to and fro with many groanings, as though her heart might be nearly broken.
Indeed, it was a strange spectacle for those two American lads, and one that gave them a thrill. They had felt wonderfully shaken when witnessing the rush of Teuton files on the British lines, and watched scores, yes even hundreds of furiously fighting men fall in heaps; but this was entirely different. Now pity filled their boyish hearts. They believed they could fully comprehend the measure of shame that must wring the hearts of this honest couple.
They had but one child, and he a young man who should be at the front standing bravely up in defense of his beloved country. Instead of that he had deserted from his regiment, and made his way secretly home, possibly sending his parents word in some way that he was coming in order to have them hide him.