Minna von Stachelberg made haste to reply that there were some things better not discussed in writing: if Vivie could come and see her at six one evening, when she had a slight remission from work-- Vivie went.

Out of hearing, Graefin von Stachelberg--who, however, to facilitate intercourse, begged Vivie to call her "Minna,"-- "We may all be dead, my dear, before long of blood-poisoning, bombs from your aeroplanes, a rising against us in the Marolles quarter--" said very plainly what she thought of Edith Cavell's execution.

"It makes me think of Talleyrand--was it not ?--who said 'It is a blunder; worse than a crime' ...

these terrible old generals, they know nothing of the world outside Germany." As to her cousin, Gottlieb von Giesselin--"Really dear, if in this time of horrors one _dare_ laugh at anything, I feel--oh it is too funny, but also, too 'schokking,' as we suppose all English women say.

Yet of course I am sad about him, because he is a good, kind man, and I know his wife will be very very unhappy when she hears--And it means he will die, for certain.