nearly half past seven
Bernd came to lunch , but also unfortunately so did his chief . They both arrived together after we had begun , -- there 's a tremendous _ aller et venir _ all day in the house , and sometimes the traffic on the stairs to the drawingroom gets so congested that nothing but a London policeman could deal with it . I could only say ordinary things to Bernd , and he went away , swept off by his Colonel , directly afterwards . He did manage to whisper he would try to come in to dinner tonight and get here early , but he has n'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 ca n't think why they did n'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 had n't imagined ever could be ; but this idea of a _ junges Madchen _ -- -LRB- `` 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 -- -RRB- -- 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 .