to try and get yet another foreigner, even if only this
time an American, into the neighbourhood of the barracks.

The owner of the Witanbury Stores went over to
the place where Anna Bauer was sitting talking to
the mother of one of Mr. Hegner's German employees.
To call that young man German is, however, wrong,
for some six weeks ago he had become naturalised.
Well for him that he had done so, otherwise he
would have had now to go back to the Fatherland
and fight. His mother was the one really happy person
in the gathering tonight, for the poor woman
kept thanking God and Mr. Hegner in her heart for
having saved her son from an awful fate. Treating
the mother of his shopman as if she had not been
there, Mr. Hegner bent towards the other woman.

"Frau Bauer," he said graciously, "come into our
parlour for a few moments. I should like a little
chat with you."

Anna got up and followed him through the crowd.
What was it Mr. Hegner wanted to say to her? She
felt slightly apprehensive. Surely he was going to
tell her that now, owing to the war, he would have
to stop the half-commission he was still giving her on
Mrs. Otway's modest orders? Her heart rose in revolt.
An Englishman belonging to the type and class
of Anna Bauer would have determined "to have it
out" with him, but she knew well that she would not
have the courage to say anything at all if he did
this mean thing.

To her great surprise, after she had followed him

[[78]]

p077 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p078w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p079

v?