waiting for the end of a
pointless story, said, "What did they do that for?" (Oh, ye gods, have
pity on men and women who suffer from fatty degeneration of the soul!)

Still, in spite of it all, the Voice comes, and has to be obeyed.

_30 October._--We lunched at the Embassy yesterday to meet the Grand
Duchess Victoria. She is a striking-looking woman, tall and strong, and
she wore a plain dark blue cloth dress and a funny little blue silk cap,
and one splendid string of pearls. At the front she does very fine work,
and we offered our services to her. I have begun to write a little, but
after my crowded life the days feel curiously empty. Lady Heron Maxwell
came to call.

We were telling each other spy stories the other night. Some of them
were very interesting. The Germans have lately adopted the plan of
writing letters in English to English prisoners of war in Germany.
These, of course, are quite simple, and pass the Censor in England, but,
once on the other side, they go straight to Government officials, and
whereas "Dear Bill" may mean nothing to us, it is part of a German code
and conveys some important information. Mr. Philpotts at Stockholm
discovered this trick.

On the Russian front a soldier was found with his jaw tied up,
speechless and bleeding. A doctor tried to persuade him to take cover
and get attention; but he shook his head, and signified by actions that
he was unable to speak owing to his damaged jaw. The doctor shoved him
into a dug-out, and said kindly, "Just let me have a look at you." On
stripping the bandages off there was no wound at all, and the German in
Russian uniform was given a cigarette and shot through the head.

In Flanders we used to see companies of spies led out to be shot--first
a party of soldiers, then the spies, after them the burying-party, and
then the firing-party--marching stolidly to some place of execution.

How awful shell-fire must be for those who really can't stand it! I
heard of a Colonel the other day--a man who rode to hounds, and seemed
quite a sound sort of fellow--and when the first shell came over, he
leapt from his horse and lay on the ground shrieking with fear, and with
every shell that came over he yelled and screamed. He had to be sent
home, of course. Some people say this sort of thing is purely physical.
That is never my view of the matter.

[Page Heading: MISS CAVELL]

Miss Cavell's execution has stirred us all to the bottom of our hearts.
The m