has declared war; German regiments are marching
through the town; England has not yet spoken. The girl is in grievous
doubt as to whether she ought not, in the changed circumstances, to
return to her Prussian home. One could easily appreciate her attitude if
she had argued, "I am German by marriage; though I have lost my love for
my husband it is my duty, when he is risking his life for his country,
the country of my adoption, to go back and watch over his home for him."
But that was not her argument; her argument was that England--the
England that she had so stoutly defended against German ridicule and
contempt--had been false to her honour as the sworn friend of France,
and that it was her business to go back to Germany and eat humble pie.
Whatever the audience may have felt about these reflections on the
conduct of England, they must at least have been irritated by the
fantastic improbability of the girl's motive. Very fortunately at this
juncture the voice of the paper-boy is heard in the street conveying the
thrilling news of our tardy entry into the quarrel; and a glad
_Margaret_, having recovered her respect for her native land, consents
to return home to it.

Miss ROSALIE TOLLER played the part with great charm and sympathy, and
with a lightly-worn grace and dignity that were pure English. Serving as
a foil to her in taste and deportment and social tradition, the _Elsa
Kolbeck_ of Miss DOLLY HOLMES-GORE was extraordinarily German--a quite
remarkable performance.

Miss MARIANNE CALDWELL as _Frau Major Kolbeck_, the hostess of
_Margaret_, made a most lovable drudge; and Miss DORA GREGORY had no
difficulty in showing how the wife of a Prussian Colonel, though in her
husband's eyes her main purpose in life may be to minister to his inner
man, can wield an authority little less than that of the All-Highest
over the wives of the regiment. Female society in the little garrison
town was further represented by Miss MAY HAYSACK and Miss UNA VENNING,
who played, with more than enough vivacity, a brace of giggling
flappers, very curious about the more private portion of the bride's
trousseau.

Miss VANE FEATHERSTON, as _Lady Lushington_, had too little to do, and
did it most humanly; and Mr. OTHO STUART illustrated with a very natural
ease the kind of simple friendship, as between a man and a woman, which
it takes an Anglo-Saxon intelligence to understand.

The officers, though there might have been more of the blond b