asn't come yet and it's nearly half past seven.

The Graf was at lunch, and two other men who ate their food as if they
had to catch a train, and they talked so breathlessly while they ate
that I can't think why they didn't choke; and there was great triumph
and excitement because the Germans crossed into Luxembourg this morning
on their way to France, marching straight through the expostulations
and entreaties of the Grand Duchess, blowing her aside, I gather, like
so much rather amusing thistledown. It seemed to tickle the Graf, whom
I have not before seen tickled and hadn't imagined ever could be; but
this idea of a _junges Madchen_--("Sie soll ganz niedlich sein_," threw
in one of the gobbling men. "_Ja ganz appetitlich_," threw in the
other; "_Na, es geht_," said the Colonel with a shrug--)--motoring out
to bar the passage of a mighty army, trying to stop thousands of
bayonets by lifting up one little admonitory kitten's paw, shook him
out of his gravity into a weird, uncanny chuckling.

The Colonel, who was as genial and hilarious as ever, rather more so
than ever, said all the Luxembourg railways would be in German hands by
tonight. "It works out as easily and inevitably as a simple
arithmetical problem," he laughed; and I heard him tell the Graf German
cavalry was already in France at several points.

"_Ja, ja_" he said, apparently addressing me, for he looked at me and
smiled, "when we Germans make war we do not wait till the next day.
Everything thought of; everything ready; plenty of oil in the machine;
_und dann los_."

He raised his glass. "Delightful young English lady," he said, "I
drink to your charming eyes."

There's dinner. I must leave off.

_Eleven p. m_.

You'll never believe it, but Kloster has been given the Order of the
Red Eagle 1st Class, and made a privy councillor and an excellency by
the Kaiser this very day. And his most intimate friends, the cleverest
talkers among his set, two or three who used to hold forth particularly
brilliantly in his rooms on Socialism and the slavish stupidity of
Germans, have each had an order and an advancement of some sort.
Kloster was at the palace this afternoon. He knew about it yesterday
when I was having my lesson. _Kloster_. Of all men. I feel sick.

Bernd didn't come to dinner, but was able to be with me for half an
hour afterwards, half an hour of comfort I badly needed, for where can
one's feet be set firmly and safely in this