gangway for the sentry."

"If we talk too loud," said Fanny, "we shall wake them."

"They must soon wake in any case. It must be near the time for the
train. You know who they are?"

"Who?"

"Germans. Expelled from Metz. They leave in batches for Germany every
night--by a train that comes in and goes out at some horrible hour."

Passing through more glass doors they came to an inner room where,
behind a buffet, a lady in black silk served them with beer and slices
of raw ham and bread.

The four sat down for a moment at a little table--Denis talking of the
system by which the outgoing Germans were nightly weeded from those who
had permission to remain behind in Metz. Julien Chatel joined in the
conversation. He spoke with the others but he glanced at Fanny. For the
briefest of seconds he thought as he looked at her face that he saw a
new interest smile upon it. He did not know that his own face wore the
same look. His look said as he looked at her: "You, you, you!" At one
moment she thought: "Am I pretty?" At the next she was content only to
breathe, and thought no more of herself. She took in now his eyes which
seldom rested on her, now a movement of his lips which made her feel
both happy and miserable, and suddenly she learnt how often his finger
traced some letter upon his cheek.

These things were important. They were like the opening sentences of a