"England, my poor Anna, is at war! England has
declared war on Germany! But I have come to tell
you, also, that the fact that our countries are at war
will make no difference to you and to me, Anna --
will it?"

Anna had looked up, and for a moment she had
seemed bewildered, stunned by the news. Then all
the colour had receded from her round face; it became
discomposed, covered with red streaks. She broke
into convulsive sobs as, shaking her head violently,
she exclaimed, "Nein! Nein!"

If only poor old Anna had left it there! But
she had gone on, amid her sobs, to speak wildly,
disconnectedly, and yes -- yes, rather arrogantly too, of
the old war with France in 1870 -- of her father, and
of her long-dead brother; how both of them had
fought, how gloriously they had conquered!

Mrs. Otway had begun by listening in silence to this
uncalled-for outburst. But at last, with a touch of
impatience, she broke across these ill-timed reminiscences
with the words, "But now, Anna? _Now_
there is surely no one belonging to your family likely
to fight? No one, I mean, likely to fight against
England?"

The old woman stared at her stupidly, as if scarcely
understanding the sense of what was being said to
her; and Mrs. Otway, with a touch of decision in
her voice, had gone on -- "How fortunate it is that
your Louisa married an Englishman!"

But on that Anna had again shaken her head
violently. "No, no!" she cried. "Would that
a German married she had -- an honest, heart-good
German, not a man like that bad, worthless George!"

[[19]]

p018 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p019w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p020

v?