CHAPTER SEVEN.
MADALEINE.
"I am glad you are better," said a soft voice in liquid accents, so close to his ear that he felt the perfumed breath of the speaker wafted across his face.
Fritz stared with wide-opened eyes.

"I'm glad you're better," repeated the voice; "you are better, are you not; you feel conscious, don't you, and in your right senses ?" "Where am I ?" at last said Fritz faintly.
"Here," answered the girl, "with friends, who are attending to you.

Do not fear, you shall be watched over with every care until you are quite well again." "Where is `here' ?" whispered Fritz feebly again, smiling at his own quaint question.
The girl laughed gently in response to his smile.

"You are at Mezieres, not far from the battlefield where you fell.

I discovered you there early yesterday morning." "You ?" inquired Fritz, his eyes expressing his astonishment.
"Yes, I," said the girl kindly; "and I was only too happy to be the means of finding you, and getting you removed to a place of safety; for, I'm afraid that if you had lain there much longer on the damp ground you would have died." "Oh!" interrupted Fritz as eagerly as his exhausted condition would allow; "I remember all now! I was wounded and lay there close to the battery; and then I saw the stars come out and thought--" "Hush!" said the girl, "you must not speak any more now.