come, or my wife and the boys will never believe me."

We found Madame Gautron and her two splendid sons waiting rather
impatiently. We told our news.

"Come, come now. You can't make us take that as an excuse!"

We protested our sincerity, and went in to luncheon which began rather
silently.

I questioned the boys as to their military duties. Both were
under-officers in an infantry regiment--bound to join their barracks
within twenty-four hours after the call to arms.

We did not linger over our coffee. Each one seemed anxious to go about
his affairs. I left the Gautron boys at the comer of their street, each
carrying his army shoes under his arm.

"To be greased--in case of accident," they laughingly explained.

That was the last time I ever saw them. They fell "on the Field of
Honour" both the same day, and hardly a month later.

But to return to my affairs.

A trifle upset by what Mr. Mortier had told me, I hurried to the nearest
telephone station and asked for Villiers. When after what seemed an
interminable time I got the connection, I explained to H. what had
happened.