THE GERMANS IN BRUSSELS: 1915-1916 In the early spring of 1915, Vivie, anxious not to see her mother in utter penury, and despairing of any effective assistance from the Americans (very much prejudiced against her for the reasons already mentioned), took her mother's German and Belgian securities of a face value amounting to about L18,000 and sold them at her Belgian bank for a hundred thousand francs (L4,000) in Belgian or German bank notes.

She consulted no one, except her mother.

Who was there to consult?
She did not like to confide too much to Colonel von Giesselin, a little too prone in any case to "protect" them.

But as she argued with Mrs.Warren, what else were they to do in their cruel situation?
If the Allies were eventually victorious, Mrs.
Warren could return to England.

There at least she had in safe investments L40,000, ample for the remainder of their lives.