Gertrude was still pacing restlessly but Mrs. Blythe and Susan had
reacted from the shock, and Susan was already planning a new line of
defence for the channel ports.
"As long as we can hold them," she declared, "the situation is saved.
Paris has really no military significance."
"Don't," said Gertrude sharply, as if Susan had run something into her.
She thought the old worn phrase 'no military significance' nothing short
of ghastly mockery under the circumstances, and more terrible to endure
than the voice of despair would have been.
"I heard up at Marwood's of the line being broken," said the doctor,
"but this story of the Germans shelling Paris seems to be rather
incredible. Even if they broke through they were fifty miles from Paris
at the nearest point and how could they get their artillery close enough
to shell it in so short a time? Depend upon it, girls, that part of the
message can't be true. I'm going to try to try a long-distance call to
town myself."
The doctor was no more successful than Rilla had been, but his point of
view cheered them all a little, and helped them through the evening. And
at nine o'clock a long-distance message came through at last, that
helped them through the night.
"The line broke only in one place, before St. Quentin," said the doctor,
as he hung up the receiver, "and the British troops are retreating in
good order.
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