But
you didn't come here alone, did you, Mademoiselle Julie?"
"Antoine Picard--you remember him--and his daughter Suzanne, are with
me. My mother would have come too, but she is ill. She will come later."
"How long have I been here?"
"Four days."
John thought a little. Many and mighty events had happened in four days
before he was wounded and many and mighty events may have occurred
since.
"Would you mind telling me where we are, Mademoiselle Julie?" he asked.
"I do not know exactly myself, but we are somewhere near the river,
Aisne. The German army has turned and is fortifying against us. When the
wind blows this way you can hear the rumble of the guns. Ah, there it is
now, Mr. Scott!"
John distinctly heard that low, sinister menace, coming from the east,
and he knew what it was. Why should he not? He had listened to it for
days and days. It was easy enough now to tell the thunder of the
artillery from real thunder. He was quite sure that it had never ceased
while he was unconscious. It had been going on so long now, as steady as
the flowing of a river.
"I've been asking you a lot of questions, Mademoiselle Julie, but I want
to ask you one more."
"What is it, Mr. Scott?"
"What happened to me?"
"They say that you were knocked down by a horse, and that when you were
falling his knee struck your head. There was a concussion but the
surgeon says that when you come out of it you will recover very fast.
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