three things. Many delightful German thinkers,
theologians and professors, came and went to the
Deanery, and Mrs. Otway was always asked to meet
these distinguished folk, partly because of her excellent
knowledge of German, and also because the
Dean knew that, like himself, she loved Germany.

And now she turned sick at heart, as she suddenly
realised that for a time, at any rate, these pleasant
meetings would take place no more. But soon -- or so
she hoped with all her soul -- this strange unnatural
war would be over. Even now the bubble of Prussian
militarism was pricked, for the German Army was
not doing well at Liege. During the last two or
three days she had read the news with increasing
amazement and -- but she hardly admitted it to herself
-- with dismay. She did not like to think of Germans
breaking and running away! It had hurt her,
made her angry, to hear the exultation with which
some of her neighbours had spoken of the news. It
was all very well to praise the gallant little Belgians,
but why should that be done at the expense of the
Germans?

Mrs. Otway suddenly told herself that she hoped
Major Guthrie would not be at the cathedral this
morning. Considering that they disagreed about almost
everything, it was odd what friends he and she were!
But about Germany they had never agreed, and that
was the more strange inasmuch as Major Guthrie had
spent quite a long time in Stuttgart. He thought the
Germans of today entirely unlike the Germans of the
past. He honestly believed them to be unprincipled,
untrustworthy, and unscrupulous; and, strangest thing
of all -- or so Mrs. Otway had thought till within the

[[22]]

p021 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p022w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p023

v?