Something like a crisis happened, after a painful scene in the drawing-room downstairs, on a day when Brand had gone out to walk off a sense of deadly depression which prevented all literary effort. Several ladies had come to tea with Lady Brand and Ethel, and they gazed at Elsa as though she were a strange and dangerous animal. One of them, a thin and elderly schoolmistress, cross-questioned Elsa as to her nationality. “I suppose you are Swedish, my dear?” she said, sweetly. “No,” said Elsa. “Danish, then, no doubt?” continued Miss Clutter. “I am German,” said Elsa. That announcement had caused consternation among Lady Brand’s guests. Two of the ladies departed almost immediately. The others stayed to see how Miss Clutter would deal with this amazing situation. She dealt with it firmly, and with the cold intelligence of a High School mistress. “How _very_ interesting!” she said, turning to Lady Brand. “Perhaps your daughter-in-law will enlighten us a little about German psychology, which we have found so puzzling. I should be so glad if she could explain to us how the German people reconcile the sinking of merchant ships, the unspeakable crime of the _Lusitania_ with any belief in God, or even with the principles of our common humanity. It is a mystery to me how the drowning of babies could be regarded as legitimate warfare by a people proud of their civilisation.” “Perhaps it would be better to avoid controversy, dear Miss Clutter,” said Lady Brand, alarmed at the prospect of an “unpleasant” scene which would be described in other drawing-rooms next day. But Miss Clutter had adopted Ethel’s method of enquiry. She so much wanted to know the German point of view. Certainly they must have a point of view. “Yes, it would be so interesting to know!” said another lady. “Especially if we could believe it,” said another. Elsa had been twisting and re-twisting a little lace handkerchief in her lap. She was very pale, and tried to conceal a painful agitation from all these hostile and enquiring ladies. Then she spoke to them in a low, strained voice.