And he went off after looking back at me in a queer way.

The day went on in that fashion. When I came out to go to lunch,
the stairs down led upward and I found myself, therefore, stepping
out of the roof on to the sidewalk--the house upside down. Smith
looked puzzled. "Home, Sir?"

"No. Go the other way." After he had driven two or three blocks, I
told him to turn again and go the other way--home!

Your mother said almost as soon as I got into the door--"What was
the matter with you this morning?"

"Oh, nothing. You forget that I am the German Ambassador."

Now this whole narrative is a lie. Nothing in it occurred. If it
were otherwise it wouldn't be German.

Affectionately,

W.H.P.

_To Mrs. Charles G. Loring_

London, 6 Grosvenor Square.
Sunday, September 19, 1915.

DEAR KITTY:

You never had a finer autumnal day in the land of the free than
this day has been in this old kingdom--fresh and fair; and so your
mother said to herself and me: "Let's go out to the Laughlins' to
lunch," and we went. There never was a prettier drive. We found out
among other things that you pleased Mrs. Laughlin very much by your
letter. Her garden changes every week or so, and it never was
lovelier than it is now.--Then we came back home and dined alone.
Well, since we can't have you and Chud and Frank, I don't care if
we do dine alone sometimes for some time to come. Your mother's
monstrous good company, and sometimes three is a crowd. And now is
a good time to be alone. London never was so dull or deserted since
I've known it, nor ever so depressed. The military (land)
operations are not cheerful; the hospitals are all full; I see more
wounded soldiers by far than at any previous time; the Zeppelins
came somewhere to this island every night for a week--one of them,
on the night of the big raid, was visible from our square for
fifteen or twenty minutes--in general it is a dull and depressing
time. I have thought that since you were determined to run off with
a young fellow, you chose a pretty good time to go away. I'm afraid
there'll be no more of what we call "fun" in this town as long as
we stay here.

Worse yet: in spite of the Coalition Government and everybody's
wish to get on smoothly and to do nothing but to push