Queen Marie, I believe, belonged to the latter.

From the beginning of the war, she was always in favour of "fighting by the side of England," as she always looked upon herself as an Englishwoman, but, at the last moment at any rate, she appears to have thought the time for action premature.

A few days before the declaration of war she invited me to a farewell lunch, which was somewhat remarkable, as we both knew that in a very few days we should be enemies.

After lunch I took the opportunity of telling her that I _likewise_ was aware of the situation, but that "the Bulgarians would be in Bucharest before the Roumanians reached Budapest." She entered into the conversation very calmly, being of a very frank nature and not afraid of hearing the truth.

A few days later a letter was opened at the censor's office from a lady-in-waiting who had been present at the lunch.