ope you've not been cold, my boy. My
business took a little longer than I thought it would." And the shrill,
piping answer, "Oh no, sir! I have been quite all right, sir!" And then
the motor gave a kind of snort, and off they went, at a sharp pace,
towards the Southampton road.

Anna smiled to herself. Manfred Hegner was a very secretive person--she
had always known that. But why tell her such a silly lie? Hegner was
getting quite a big business man; he had many irons in the fire--some
one had once observed to Anna that he would probably end by becoming a
millionaire. It is always well to be in with such lucky folk.

As she opened the gate of the Trellis House, she saw that her mistress's
sitting-room was lit up, and before she could put the key in the lock of
the front door, it opened, and Rose exclaimed in an anxious tone, "Oh,
Anna! Where have you been? Where is my letter? I looked all over the
kitchen, but I couldn't find it."

Old Anna smilingly drew it out from the inside pocket of her jacket.
"There, there!" she said soothingly. "Here it is, dearest child. I
thought it safer to take it along with me than to leave it in the
house."

"Oh, thank you--yes, that was quite right!" the girl looked greatly
relieved. "Mr. Robey said he would very much like to read it, so I came
back for it. And Anna?"

"Yes, my gracious miss."

"I am going to stay there to supper after all. Mr. and Mrs. Robey, and
even Sir Jacques, seem anxious that I should do so."

"And I have gone out and got you such a nice supper," said the old woman
regretfully.

"I'll have it for lunch to-morrow!" Rose looked very happy and excited.
There was a bright colour in her cheeks. "Mr. Robey thinks that Mr.
Blake will soon be getting ninety hours' leave." Her heart was so full
of joy she felt she must tell the delightful news.

"That is good--very good!" said Anna cordially. "And then, my darling
little one, there will be a proper betrothal, will there not?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, I suppose there will," she said in German.

"And perhaps a war wedding," went on Anna, her face beaming. "There are
many such just now in Witanbury. In my country they began the first day
of the War."

"I know." Rose smiled. "One of the Kaiser's sons was married in that
way. Don't you remember my bringing you an account of it, Anna?" She did
not wait for an answer. "Well, I must hurry back now."

The old woman went off into her kitchen, and so through the scullery
i