It suffered from that extraordinary misplacement and exchange in the upper and lower consonants which has distinguished the German people--that nation of great philologists--since the death of the Roman Empire.

German officers still said "Barton, die fous brie," instead of "Pardon, je vous prie" (if they were polite), but they were quite able to contribute _articles de fond_ to a pretended national Belgian press.

Besides there was a sufficiency of Belgian "Sans-Patries" ready to come to their assistance: Belgian nationals of German-Jewish or Dutch-Jewish descent, who in the present generation had become Catholic Christians as it ranged them with the best people.

They were worthy and wealthy Belgian citizens, but presumably would not have deeply regretted a change in the political destinies of Belgium, provided international finance was not adversely affected.

There were also a few Belgian Socialists--a few, but enough--who took posts under the German provisional government, on the plea that until you could be purely socialistic it did not matter under what flag you drew your salary.
Von Giesselin was most benevolently intentioned, in reality a kind-hearted man, a sentimentalist.