My colleague here"-- he indicated the French doctor--"stands ready to make you the same promise.

If you won't believe a German, surely you will take your own countryman's professional word for it," and he smiled a little smile under his gray mustache.

"Between us we are going to make you well and send you, when this war is over, back to your mother.

But you must help us; you must help us by being brave and confident.

Is it not so, doctor ?" he added, again addressing the French physician, and the Frenchman nodded to show it was so and sat down alongside the youngster to comfort him further.
As we left the room the German surgeon turned, and looking round I saw that once again he saluted the patrician French lady, and this time as she bowed the ice was all melted from her bearing.