in
Brussels. They are going to occupy the various governmental departments,
and it is quite possible that for some time we shall have to deal
exclusively with them. The Government to which we are accredited has
faded away, and we are left here with a condition and not a theory. We
shall have to deal with the condition, and I am not at all sure that the
condition will not require some pretty active dealing with.
Functionaries are to be brought from Berlin to administer the various
departments, so that it is evidently expected that the occupation is not
to be of a temporary character.

* * * * *

_Later._--After writing the foregoing, I went upstairs and listened to
some of the tales of the four people who were tied up at Louvain. Now
that they are safely out of it, they can see the funny side of it, but
it was certainly pretty dangerous while it lasted. Monsieur de Leval is
overcome with admiration for their _sang-froid_, and marvels at the race
of men we breed.

They seem to have made themselves solid with the Germans before they had
been there long; it would be hard for anybody to resist that crowd any
length of time. Of course they never saw their taxi again after getting
out to scout for the battle, and whenever the Major who had the duty of
keeping them under surveillance came to take a look at them, Cobb would
work up a sob-shaken voice and plead for liberty and permission to
return to Brussels. He was always at some pains to explain that it was
not his life he was worrying about, but the haunting thought of that
taxi running up at the rate of fifty centimes every three minutes. After
a while he got the Major's funny bone located, and then all was well. He
so completely got into the officer's good graces that he promised to
send us word that they were safe and well,--and then failed to do so.

While the Germans occupied the city, all inhabitants were required to be
indoors by eight o'clock; a light had to be kept in every window, and
the blinds left open, so that any one moving could be clearly seen from
the street. The windows themselves were to be closed. Dosch said he woke
up about four o'clock one morning with his head splitting; the lamp was
smoking and the air vile with smoke and smell. He decided he would
prefer to be shot than die of headache, so deliberately got up and
opened his window. The story loses its point by the fact that after
violating this