this!" she drew a convulsive breath of relief, and lifted
her tear-stained, swollen face.

"I am innocent!" she cried wildly, in German. "Oh,
gracious lady, I am innocent! I have done no wrong.
I can accuse myself of no sin."

Mr. Reynolds brought in a chair. Then he went out,
and quietly closed the door.

Anna's mistress came and sat on the bench close to
her servant. It was almost as if an unconscious
woman, spent with the extremity of physical suffering,
crouched beside her.

"Anna, listen to me!" she said at last, and there was
a touch of salutary command in her voice -- a touch of
command that poor Anna knew, and always responded
to, though it was very seldom used towards her. "I
have left Major Guthrie on our marriage day in order
to try and help you in this awful disgrace and trouble
you have brought, not only on yourself, but on me.
All I ask you to do is to tell me the truth. Anna?" --
she touched the fat arm close to her -- "look up, and
talk to me like a reasonable woman. If you are innocent,
if you can accuse yourself of no sin -- then why
are you in such a state?"

Anna looked up eagerly. She was feeling much
better now.

"Every reason have I in a state to be! A respectable
woman to such a place brought! Roughly by two policemen
treated. I nothing did that ashamed of I am!"

"What is it you _did_ do?" said Mrs. Guthrie patiently.
"Try and collect your thoughts, Anna. Explain to
me where you got" -- she hesitated painfully --
"where you got the bombs."

[[332]]

p331 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p332w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p333

v?