undergrowth--and one gun which had dipped forward and, fallen upon its
knees, howled silenced imprecations at the devil in the centre of
the earth.

When they had passed the shattered staging of the past they came out
upon the country which had been occupied by Germans but not by warfare.
Here the fields, uncultivated, had grown wild, but round the sparse
villages little patches of ground had been dug and sown. Not a cow
grazed anywhere, not a sheep or a goat. No hens raced wildly across
village streets. Far ahead on the white ribbon of road a black figure
toiled in the gutter, and Fanny debated with herself: "Might I offer
a lift?"

Looking ahead she saw no village or cottage within sight, and with a
murmured apology to the Russian she pulled up beside the old woman whom
she had overtaken.

"Where are you going?"

"To Briey."

"We, too. Get in, madame."

The Russian made no comment. The old crone, knuckled, hard-breathing,
climbed in, holding uncertainly to the windscreen and pulling after her
her basket and umbrella.

"Cover yourself, madame," ordered Fanny, as to a child, and handed her
a rug.