Sylvia had been alone all day with her mother; but, before Michael arrived, Mrs. Falbe (after a few more encouraging remarks about war in general, to the effect that Germany would soon beat France, and what a blessing it was that England was an island) had taken her book up to her room, and Sylvia was sitting alone in the deep dusk of the evening.  She did not even trouble to turn on the light, for she felt unable to apply herself to any practical task, and she could think and take hold of herself better in the dark.  All day she had longed for Michael to come to her, though she had not cared to see anybody else, and several times she had rung him up, only to find that he was still out, supposedly with his mother, for he had been summoned to her early that morning, and since then no news had come of him.  Just before dinner had arrived the announcement of the declaration of war, and Sylvia sat now trying to find some escape from the encompassing nightmare.  She felt confused and distracted with it; she could not think consecutively, but only contemplate shudderingly the series of pictures that presented themselves to her mind.  Somewhere now, in the hosts of the Fatherland, which was hers also, was Hermann, the brother who was part of herself.  When she thought of him, she seemed to be with him, to see the glint of his rifle, to feel her heart on his heart, big with passionate patriotism.  She had no doubt that patriotism formed the essence of his consciousness, and yet by now probably he knew that the land beloved by him, where he had made his home, was at war with his own.  She could not but know how often his thoughts dwelled here in the dark quiet studio where she sat, and where so many days of happiness had been passed.  She knew what she was to him, she and her mother and Michael, and the hosts of friends in this land which had become his foe.  Would he have gone, she asked herself, if he had guessed that there would be war between the two?  She thought he would, though she knew that for herself she would have made it as hard as possible for him to do so.  She would have used every argument she could think of to dissuade him, and yet she felt that her entreaties would have beaten in vain against the granite of his and her nationality.  Dimly she had foreseen this contingency when, a few days ago, she had asked Michael what he would do if England went to war, and now that contingency was realised, and Hermann was even now perhaps on his way to violate the neutrality of the country for the sake of which England had gone to war.  On the other side was Michael, into whose keeping she had given herself and her love, and on which side was she?  It was then that the nightmare came close to her; she could not tell, she was utterly unable to decide.  Her heart was Michael’s; her heart was her brother’s also.  The one personified Germany for her, the other England.  It was as if she saw Hermann and Michael with bayonet and rifle stalking each other across some land of sand-dunes and hollows, creeping closer to each other, always closer.  She felt as if she would have gladly given herself over to an eternity of torment, if only they could have had one hour more, all three of them, together here, as on that night of stars and peace when first there came the news which for the moment had disquieted Hermann.