"No, no. He has nothing to do with the garrison!" exclaimed Anna. "But you must have very often seen him, for he is constantly in the town. And he speaks German, Mr. Hegner. I should have thought he would have been in to see you." "You mean the son of the old lady who lives at Dorycote? They have never dealt at my Stores"--there was a tone of disappointment, of contempt, in Mr. Hegner's voice. "But that gentleman has retired from the Army, Frau Bauer; it is not he, surely, whom they would call out to fight?" "Still, all the same, he is going to Belgium. To France first, and then to Belgium." She spoke very positively, annoyed at being doubted. Mr. Hegner hesitated for a moment. He stroked his moustache. "I daresay this Major has gone back to his old regiment, for the English have mobilised their army--such as it is. But that does not mean that they are sending troops to the Continent." "But I even know where the Major is going to land in France." Mr. Hegner drew in his breath. "Ach!" he said. "That is _really_ interesting! Do you indeed? And what is the name of the place?" "Boulogne," she said readily. "But how do you know all this?" he asked slowly. "Mrs. Otway told me. This Major is a great friend of my ladies. But though it was she who told me about Boulogne, I heard the good-byes said in the hall. Everything can be heard from my kitchen, you see." "Try and remember exactly what it was that this Major said. It may be of special interest to me." "He said"--she hesitated a moment, and then, in English, quoted the words: "He said, 'I shall be very busy seeing about my kit before I leave England.'" _"Before I leave England?"_ he repeated meditatively. "Yes, if you did indeed hear him say those words they are proof positive, Frau Bauer." "Of course they are!" she said triumphantly. They had a long and pleasant meal, and old Anna enjoyed every moment of it. Not since she had spent that delightful holiday in Berlin had she drunk so much beer at one sitting. And it was such nice light beer, too! Mrs. Otway, so understanding as to most things connected with Germany, had sometimes expressed her astonishment at the Germans' love of beer; she thought it, strange to say, unhealthy, as well as unpalatable. To this day Anna could remember the resentful pain with which she had learnt, some time after she had arrived at the Trellis House, that many English ladies allowed their servants "beer money." Had she made a stand at the first, she too might have had "beer money." But, alas! Mrs. Otway, when engaging her, had observed that in her household coffee and milk took the place of alcohol. Poor Anna, at that time in deep trouble, finding her eight-year-old child an almost insuperable bar to employment, would have accepted any conditions, however hard, to find a respectable roof once more over her head and that of her little Louisa.