d out. And in December, 1914, Mrs. Warren had
some brief flicker of happiness once more, and even Vivie felt the
nightmare had lifted a little. It was life again. Residence at the
Villa Beau-sejour had almost seemed an entombment of the living.
Here, in the heart of Brussels, at any rate, you got some news every
day, even if much of it was false. The food supply was more certain,
there were 700,000 people all about you. True, the streets were very
badly lit at night and fuel was scarce and dear. But you were in
contact with people.

In January, Vivie tried to get into touch with the American
Legation, not only to send news of their condition to England but to
ascertain whether permission might not be obtained for them to leave
Belgium for Holland. But this last plea was said by the American
representative to be unsustainable. For various reasons, the German
Government would not permit it, and he was afraid neither Vivie nor
her mother would get enough backing from the British authorities to
strengthen the American demand. She must stop on in Brussels till
the War came to an end.

"But how are we to live?" asked Vivie, with a catch in her throat.
"Our supply of Belgian money is coming to an end. My mother has
considerable funds invested in England. These she can't touch. She
has other sums in German securities, but soon after the War they
stopped sending her the interest on the plea that she was an
'enemy.' As to the money we have in Belgium, the bank in Brussels
can tell me nothing. What are we to do?" The rather cold-mannered
American diplomatist--it was one of the Secretaries of Legation and
he knew all about Mrs. Warren's past, and regarded Vivie as an
outlaw--said he would try to communicate with her friends in England
and see if through the American Relief organization, funds could be
transmitted for their maintenance. She gave him the addresses of
Rossiter, Praed, and her mother's London bankers.

Vivie now tried to settle down to a life of usefulness. To increase
their resources she gave lessons in English to Belgians and even to
German officers. She offered herself to various groups of Belgian
ladies who had taken up such charities as the Germans permitted. She
also asked to be taken on as a Red Cross helper. But in all these
directions she had many snubs to meet and little encouragement.
Scandal had been busy with her name--the unhappy reputation of her
mother, the peculiar circumstances under which she had