"That was what I was thinking of, too. There was no trouble, you see,
until it seemed that we might want to live on the place from time to
time."

"Yes. My father has had something to do with the arrangements. Your
mother is well off, even without her own property, isn't she?"

"Yes. My father was not a millionaire, but he always had plenty,"
answered Fred, very frankly.

"Mikail did hate the idea of her marriage," said Boris, reflectively. "I
could understand this better if I thought that he was trying to keep her
inheritance from her to show his dislike. But it cannot be that. There
is something very mysterious. I wish my father were here! I think
perhaps he would understand."

"Where is he, Boris?"

"With the army by this time! He did not believe there would be war, to
the very last. That is the only reason I am still here. But he himself
was called back as soon as things began to look serious. I stayed here
with my tutor but he is gone now. He is a German, and has been called
out. It is fortunate that my father had gone, because the Germans would
have held him, of course, if he had been here. They have come here three
or four times to look for him, but now I think they have decided that we
have told the truth, and that he is not here."

"How did you happen to come to my aid in such a fashion? I was
beginning to think that I was in serious danger down there."