GOOD OLD ANNA
Author of
“The Chink in the Armour,” “The Lodger,”
“The End of Her Honeymoon,” etc., etc.
NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
GOOD OLD ANNA
CHAPTER I
“And now,” asked Miss Forsyth thoughtfully, “and now, my dear Mary,what, may I ask, are you going to do about your good old Anna?”
“Do about Anna?” repeated the other. “I don’t quite understand what youmean.”
In her heart Mrs. Otway thought she understood very well what her oldfriend, Miss Forsyth, meant by the question. For it was Wednesday, the5th of August, 1914. England had just declared war on Germany, and Annawas Mrs. Otway’s faithful, highly valued German servant.
Miss Forsyth was one of those rare people who always require an answerto a question, and who also (which is rarer still) seldom speak withouthaving first thought out what they are about to say. It was this qualityof mind, far more than the fact that she had been born, sixty years ago,in the Palace at Witanbury, which gave her the position she held in thesociety of the cathedral town.
But this time she herself went on speaking: “In your place I shouldthink very seriously of sending Anna back to Germany.” There was anunusual[Page 8] note of hesitation and of doubt in her voice. As a rule MissForsyth knew exactly what she thought about everything, and what sheherself would be minded to do in any particular case.
But the other lady, incensed at what she considered uncalled-for, evenrather impertinent advice, replied sharply, “I shouldn’t think of doinganything so unkind and so unjust! Why, because the powers of evil haveconquered—I mean by that the dreadful German military party—should Ibehave unjustly to a faithful old German woman who has been with me—letme see—why, who has been with me exactly eighteen years? With theexception of a married niece with whom she went and stayed in Berlinthree autumns ago, my poor old Anna hasn’t a relation left in Germany.Her whole life is centred in me—or perhaps I ought to say in Rose. Shewas the only nurse Rose ever had.”
“And yet she has remained typically German,” observed Miss Forsythirrelevantly.
“Of course she has!” cried Mrs. Otway quickly. “And that is why we areboth so much attached to her. Anna has all the virtues of the Germanwoman; she is faithful, kindly, industrious, and thrifty.”
“But, Mary, has it not occurred to you that you will find it veryawkward sometimes?” Again without waiting for an answer, Miss Forsythwent on: “Our working people have long felt it very hard that thereshould be so many Germans in England, taking away their jobs.”
“They have only themselves to thank for that,” said Mrs. Otway, withmore sharpness than was usual with an exceptionally kindly and amiablenature.[Page 9] “Germans are much more industrious than our people are, andthey are content with less wages. Also you must forgive me if I say,dear Miss Forsyth, that I don’t quite see what the jealousy of theaverage working-man, or, for the matter of that, of the averagemechanic, has to do with my good old Anna, especially at such a time asthis.”
“Don’t you really?” Miss Forsyth looked curiously