little English wife. Glad indeed am I now that I
did so!"

"I am very glad too," said Mrs. Otway. And yet --
and yet she felt a slight quiver of discomfort. The
man standing there was so _very_ German after all --
German not only in his appearance, but in all his
little ways! If nothing else had proved it, his rather
absurd nickname was clear proof that so he was even
now regarded in Witanbury.

"And how about your son, Mr. Hegner?" she
asked. "I suppose he is in Germany now? You
must feel rather anxious about him."

He hesitated oddly, and looked round him before
he spoke. Then, vanquished, maybe, by the obvious
sincerity and kindness of the speaker, he answered,
in German, and almost in a whisper. "He is, I fear,
by now on his way to the frontier. But may I ask
a favour of the gracious lady? Do not speak of my
son to the people of Witanbury."

"Then _he_ was never naturalised?" Mrs. Otway
also spoke in a low voice -- a voice full of pity and
concern.

"No, no," said Mr. Hegner hastily. "There was
no necessity for him to be. His work was mostly,
you see, over there."

"Still he was educated here, surely?"

"That is so, gracious lady. He talks English better
even than I do. He and I did consider the question
of his taking out a certificate. Then we decided that,
as he would be so much in Germany, it was better
he should remain German. But his wife is an English
girl."

[[41]]

p040 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p041w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p042

v?