She had turned her country house into a hospital and had seen a good deal of the fighting.
"It would not do to tell the truth, or we should have our children growing up to hate war," she concluded.
She was as good as her word, and sent Joan round a message the next morning to come and see her in the afternoon.

Joan was introduced to a Monsieur de Chaumont.

He was a soldierly-looking gentleman, with a grey moustache, and a deep scar across his face.
"Hanged if I can see how we are going to get out of it," he answered Joan cheerfully.

"The moment there is any threat of war, it becomes a point of honour with every nation to do nothing to avoid it.

I remember my old duelling days.