taching such importance
to the possession of Antwerp by Germany. The population was almost
exclusively Flemish, and Antwerp was thus in nationality a German town.

From the general political situation Heideck's thoughts returned to
Edith and her letter, and at last he decided to write to her that very
evening.

To carry out his intention, he went back to the restaurant where he
had met Penurot, and called for ink and paper. When he had finished his
letter, he looked over the words he had written, in which, contrary to
his usual practice, he had given utterance to his real feelings:--

"MY DEAR EDITH,--In the exercise of my duty, I accidentally came into
possession of your letter to Frau Amelungen. I was looking for something
quite different at the time, and you can imagine how great was my
surprise at the unexpected discovery.

"From the hour when we were obliged to separate and you, possibly not
without resentment and reproach, held out your hand at parting, I have
felt more and more how indispensable you are to me. I treasure every
word you have said to me, every look you have bestowed upon me, and
your image is before my mind, ever brighter, ever more beautiful. I have
never met a woman whose mind was so beautiful, so refined, so keen as
yours. I must confess that your ideas at first sometimes terrified me.
Your views are often so far removed from the commonplace, so far above
the ordinary, that it needs time to estimate them correctly. If I now
recall to mind what formerly seemed strange to me, it is only with
feelings of admiration. From day to day the impression you made upon
me at our first conversation has sunk deeper into my mind, and the
comforting certainty, that love for you will fill my entire life in the
future, grows more and more unshakable.

"Nevertheless, I may not regret that I had the strength to leave you
at Naples. The beautiful dream of our life together would have been
disturbed too soon by the rude reality. My duty calls me from one place
to another, and as long as this war lasts I am not my own master for an
hour. We must have patience, Edith. Even this campaign cannot last for
ever, and if Heaven has decreed that I shall come out of it alive, we
shall meet again, never more to part.

"You may not be able to answer this letter, for communication with
Frau Amelungen is interrupted. But I know you will answer me if it is
possible, and I am happy to think that, by letting you know I am ali