d I
behave unjustly to a faithful old German woman who has been with me--let
me see--why, who has been with me exactly eighteen years? With the
exception of a married niece with whom she went and stayed in Berlin
three autumns ago, my poor old Anna hasn't a relation left in Germany.
Her whole life is centred in me--or perhaps I ought to say in Rose. She
was the only nurse Rose ever had."

"And yet she has remained typically German," observed Miss Forsyth
irrelevantly.

"Of course she has!" cried Mrs. Otway quickly. "And that is why we are
both so much attached to her. Anna has all the virtues of the German
woman; she is faithful, kindly, industrious, and thrifty."

"But, Mary, has it not occurred to you that you will find it very
awkward sometimes?" Again without waiting for an answer, Miss Forsyth
went on: "Our working people have long felt it very hard that there
should be so many Germans in England, taking away their jobs."

"They have only themselves to thank for that," said Mrs. Otway, with
more sharpness than was usual with an exceptionally kindly and amiable
nature. "Germans are much more industrious than our people are, and
they are content with less wages. Also you must forgive me if I say,
dear Miss Forsyth, that I don't quite see what the jealousy of the
average working-man, or, for the matter of that, of the average
mechanic, has to do with my good old Anna, especially at such a time as
this."

"Don't you really?" Miss Forsyth looked curiously into the other's
flushed and still fair, delicately tinted face. She had always thought
Mary Otway a rather foolish, if also a lovable, generous-hearted woman.
But this was one of the few opinions Miss Forsyth always managed to keep
to herself.

"I suppose you mean," said the other reluctantly, "that if I had not had
Anna as a servant all these years I should have been compelled to have
an Englishwoman?"

"Yes, Mary, that is exactly what I do mean! But of course I should never
have spoken to you about the matter were it not for to-day's news. My
maid, Pusey, you know, spoke to me about it this morning, and said that
if you should be thinking of parting with her--if your good old Anna
should be thinking, for instance, of going back to Germany--she knew
some one who she thought would suit you admirably. It's a woman who was
cook in a very good London place, and whose health has rather given
way."

Miss Forsyth spoke with what was for her unusual animation.