said. "Whatever am I to do?"

"I wish you wouldn't make these mistakes," said Mrs. Y., moving to enter
the room herself.

Mrs. X. stopped her. "And it isn't your husband either."

"Nonsense," said Mrs. Y.

"It isn't really," persisted Mrs. X. "I know, because I have just left
him, asleep on Percy's bed."

"What's he doing there?" thundered Mrs. Y.

"They brought him there, and put him there," explained Mrs. X., beginning
to cry. "That's what made me think Percy must be here."

The two women stood and looked at one another; and there was silence for
awhile, broken only by the snoring of the gentleman the other side of the
half-open door.

"Then who is that, in there?" demanded Mrs. Y., who was the first to
recover herself.

"I don't know," answered Mrs. X., "I have never seen him before. Do you
think it is anybody you know?"

But Mrs. Y. only banged to the door.

"What are we to do?" said Mrs. X.

"I know what _I_ am going to do," said Mrs. Y. "I'm coming back with you
to fetch my husband."

"He's very sleepy," explained Mrs. X.

"I've known him to be that before," replied Mrs. Y., as she fastened on
her cloak.

"But where's Percy?" sobbed poor little Mrs. X., as they descended the
stairs together.

"That my dear," said Mrs. Y., "will be a question for you to ask _him_."

"If they go about making mistakes like this," said Mrs. X., "it is
impossible to say what they may not have done with him."

"We will make enquiries in the morning, my dear," said Mrs. Y.,
consolingly.

"I think these Kneipes are disgraceful affairs," said Mrs. X. "I shall
never let Percy go to another, never--so long as I live."

"My dear," remarked Mrs. Y., "if you know your duty, he will never want
to." And rumour has it that he never did.

But, as I have said, the mistake was in pinning the card to the
tablecloth instead of to the coat. And error in this world is always
severely punished.

CHAPTER XIV

Which is serious: as becomes a parting chapter--The German from the Anglo-
Saxon's point of view--Providence in buttons and a helmet--Paradise of
the helpless idiot--German conscience: its aggressiveness--How they hang
in Germany, very possibly--What happens to good Germans when they
die?--The military instinct: is it all-sufficient?--The German as a
shopkeeper--How he supports life--The New Woman, here as everywhere--What
can be said against the Germans, as a people--The Bummel is over and
done.

"An