I ENCOUNTER AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE WHO LEADS ME TO A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE
He in the centre of the room, the door, his legs, apart, planted on the ground, one hand his back, the other, and like the of the arm, into the pocket of his tunic. He a perfectly plain of field-grey, and the of his dress, with the that he was bare-headed, him so his portraits in the full of that I if I should have him—paradoxical as it may seem—but for the in every of those once so familiar features.
Only one man in the world to-day look like that. Only one man in the world to-day show, by the in his face, the weight of slowly one of the most and in Europe. His figure, and well-knit, to have shrunk, and his arm, away into his pocket, a that something to that and face.
His was on his breast. His face, always sallow, almost Italian in its tint, was livid. All its was gone; the to have collapsed, and the flabbily, in under the and in at the of the mouth. His was an iron-grey but the at the temples was white as snow. Only his were unchanged. They were the same grey, eyes, restless, shifting, unreliable, of the man's impulsive, and mind.
He at me. His was and his malice. In the in which I at him I of a phrase a friend had used after the Kaiser in one of his angry moods—"His icy, black look."
I was so taken at myself in the Emperor's presence that I my part and in at the apparition. The other was too with his to notice my forgetfulness, for he spoke at once, imperiously, in the of a command.
"What is this I hear?" he said. "Why has not Grundt come? What are you doing here?"
By this time I had the I had to tell in the without. I had it now: it was thin, but it must suffice.
"If your Majesty will allow me, I will explain," I said. The Emperor was himself to and fro, in irritability, on his feet. His were for an instant: now they my face, now they to the floor, now they the ceiling.
"Dr. Grundt and I succeeded in our quest, though it was. As your Majesty is aware, the ... the ... the object had been divided...."
"Yes, yes, I know! Go on!" the other said, for a moment in his rocking.
"I was to have left England with my portion. I not away. Everyone is for and papers at Tilbury. I a and we it, but it failed."
"How? It failed?" the other cried.
"With no to the success of our mission, Your Majesty."
"Explain! What was your stratagem?"
"I cut a piece of the from a handbag and in this I a perfectly to an English agent in Rotterdam. I then the of the in its place in the of the bag. Grundt gave the to one of our number as an to see if it would the of the English police."
A light of was in the Emperor's manner, his ill-temper. Anything always to him.
"Well?" he said.
"The was detected, the was and our man was twenty at the police court. It was then that Dr. Grundt to send me...."
"You've got it with you?" the other eagerly.
"No, Your Majesty," I said. "I had no means of it away. Dr. Grundt, on the other hand ..." And I up my leg and touched my foot.
The Emperor at me and the his eyes. Then a out on his face, a warm, smile, like after rain, and he into a regular guffaw. I His Majesty's for at the of the physical of others, but I had to that my to Grundt's as a hiding-place for papers would have had such a success. For the Kaiser in the idea and laughed loud and long, his shaking.
"Ach, Stelze! Excellent! Excellent!" he cried. "Plessen, come and how we've the Englander again!"
We were in a long room, lofty, with a great window at the end, where the room to to the right and left in the shape of a T. From the big writing-desk with its of in frames, the little of the Empress, the water-colour sea-scapes and other little touches, I this to be the Emperor's study.
At the monarch's call, a white-haired officer from the end of the room, that part which was from my view.
The Kaiser put his hand on his shoulder.
"A great joke, Plessen!" he said, chuckling. Then, to me:
"Tell it again!"
I had to my work now. I gave as an account as I of Dr. Grundt, and and podgy, on the at Tilbury, under the of the British police, with the document away in his boot.
The Kaiser my with guffaws, and the fun of the dénouement by the General in the ribs.
Plessen laughed very heartily, as he was to. Then he said suavely:
"But has the succeeded, Your Majesty?"
The his and looked at me.
"Well, man, did it work?"
"... Because," Plessen on, "if so, Grundt must be in Holland. In that case, why is he not here?"
My me. Above all things, I I must keep my countenance. The least of and I was lost. Yet I the blood from my and I was I in the shadow.
A came to the door. The who had met me appeared.
"Your Majesty will me ... General Baron Fischer is there to report...."
"Presently, presently," was the answer in an tone. "I am just now...."
The old paused for a moment.
"Well, what is it; what is it?"
"Despatches from General Head-quarters, Your Majesty! The General asked me to say the was urgent!"
The Kaiser in an instant.
"Bring him in!" Then, to Plessen, he added in a voice from which all had vanished, in of gloom:
"At this hour, Plessen? If have again gone on the Somme!"
An officer came in quickly, with a face, on head, portfolio under his arm. The Kaiser walked the length of the room to his and sat down. Plessen and the other him. I where I was. They to have all about me.
A rose from the desk. The officer was his report. Then the Kaiser to question him, for I his hard, voice:
"Contalmaison ... Trones Wood ... ... ... fire ..." were that me. The Kaiser's voice rose on a high note of irritability. Suddenly he the papers on the from him and exclaimed:
"It is outrageous! I'll him! Not another man shall he have if I must go myself and teach his men their duty!"
Plessen left the and came to me. His old was white and his hands were shaking.
"Get out of here!" he said to me in a undertone. "Wait and I will see you later!" Still, from the desk, that harsh, voice, on in an scale, a of menace.
I had often of the of from which the Kaiser was said to of years, but in my did I I should at one.
Gladly did I the of the Imperial study for the of the corridor. Its perfect was as to my nerves. Of the man in green nothing was to be seen. Only the his vigil.
Again I on impulse. I was my grass-green raincoat, my I in my hand. I might therefore easily pass for one just the Castle. Without hesitation, I to the left, the way I had come, and once more into the of and and by which the man in green had me. I very soon myself, so I to the next I should come to. I this plan and a of stairs, at the of which I a night porter, in a overcoat with and seated on a stool, reading a newspaper.
He stopped me and asked me my business. I told him I was from the Emperor's private apartments, he my pass. I him my which satisfied him, though he something about "new faces" and not having me before. I asked him for the way out. He said that at the end of the I should come to the west entrance. I I had had a narrow of into my outside. I told the man I wanted the other entrance ... I had my car there.
"You the south entrance?" he asked, and to give me which me, without difficulty, out upon the open space in of the great of the Emperor William I.
It was a clear, night and I a of as I saw the Schloss-Platz in the cold light of the lamps. So pressing had been the me that the of the Castle in with the night air. A new my as I along, though the to which I was were not a less than those I had just escaped. For I had my boats. My from the Castle must surely and it was only a of hours for the and to be after me. At best it might be until Clubfoot presented himself at the Castle.
I not in Berlin, that was clear. My American was not in order, and if I were to upon my badge, I should come into with the police with all of consequences. No, I must out of Berlin at all costs. Well away from the capital, I might possibly my or by its help identity papers that would give me a of some kind.
But Francis? Baffled as I was by that of German, something to tell me that it was a message from my brother. It was from Berlin, and I that the of the riddle, if it were, must be here.
I had Unter Linden. I entered a café and ordered a of beer. The place was a of light and with a cloud of tobacco smoke. A noisy was out popular and there was a loud of from every table. It was all very and the noise and the did me good after the of the night.
I from my pocket the of paper I had had from Dicky and to it again. I had not been twelve hours in Germany, but already I was that, for anyone acting a part, let anything go with his identity papers and he the country. If he were lucky, he might doggo; but there was no other course.
Supposing, then, that this had to Francis (as, indeed, Red Tabs had to me was the case) what would he adopt? He would try and out a message announcing his plight. Yes, I think that is what I myself would do in circumstances.
Well, I would accept this as a message from Francis. Now to study it once more.
O Eichenholz! O Eichenholz!
Wie Blätter.
Wie Achiles in Zelte.
Wo zanken
Erfreut Dritte.
The message into three parts, each of a phrase. The phrase might be a that Francis had failed in his mission.
"O Okewood! how empty are leaves!"
What, then, of the other two phrases?
They were and simple. Whatever message they conveyed, it not be a one. Nor was it likely that they a report of Francis' mission to Germany, it had been. Indeed, it was not that my would send any such report to a Dutchman like Urutius, a fellow, yet a and an at that.
The message in those two phrases must be, I sure, a personal one, to my brother's welfare. What would he to say? That he was arrested, that he was going to be shot? Possibly, but more his idea in sending out word was to his and also to obtain assistance.
My to the final phrase: "When two people out, the third party rejoices."
Might not these to the number of a street? Might not in these two phrases be an address at which one might Francis, or at the worst, news of him?
I sent for the Berlin Directory. I up the and ran my the of the "A's." I did not what I was looking for, and that was an "Achilles-Strasse," either with two "l's" or with one.
Then I "Eichenholz." There was an "Eichenbaum-Allee" in the Berlin called West-End, but that was all. I for a "Blätter" or a "Blatt-Strasse" with an negative result.
It was work, but I to the paper again. The only other word likely to as a in the puzzle was "Zelt."
"Wie Achiles in Zelte."
Wearily I opened the at the "Z's."
There, me in the face, I the called "In Zelten."
I had the at last.
In Zelten, I discovered, on to the again, its name "In the Tents," from the that in days a number of open-air beer-gardens and had the site which the northern of the Tiergarten. It was not a long street. The but fifty-six houses, of which, I noticed, were still beer-gardens. It appeared to be a thoroughfare, for most of the were people. No. 3, I was to see, was still noted as the Berlin office of The Times.
The last phrase in the message gave the number. Two must to the number of the house: third to the number of the floor, since all dwelling-houses in Berlin are off into flats.
As for the "Achiles," I gave it up.
I looked at my watch. It was twenty past eleven: too late to my search that night. Then I how I was. I had been two nights out of without sleep, for I had sat up on over to Holland, and the of that had me since I left London had all of from my mind. But now came the and I myself for a and for a bed. To go to an hotel at that hour of night, without and with an American not in order, would be to disaster. It looked as though I should have to about the cafés and night restaurants until morning, the of the called In Zelten, and then away from Berlin as fast as I could.
But my was with drowsiness. I must myself together. I I would have some black coffee, and I my to the waiter. They upon the and of the one-armed officer I had met at the Casino at Goch ... the they had called Schmalz.
He had just entered the café and was at the door, looking about him. I a of at the of him, for I his cross-examination of me at Goch. But I not without paying my bill; besides, he the way.
He settled my and by walking over to my table.
"Good evening, Herr Doktor," he said in German, with his smile. "This is an pleasure! So you are how we Germans are ourselves in war-time. You must admit that we do not take our sadly. You permit me?"
Without waiting for my reply, he sat at my table and ordered a of beer.
"I wish you had appeared sooner," I in as a as I muster, "for I am just going. I have had a long and and am to go to an hotel."
Directly I had spoken I my blunder.
"You have not got an hotel yet?" said Schmalz. "Why, how curious! Nor have I! As you are a in Berlin, you must allow me to myself your guide. Let us go to an hotel together, shall we?"
I wanted to demur, difficult as it was to any excuse, but his manner was so friendly, his offer so sincere, that I my wavering. He had a personality, this frank, boy. And I was so dog-tired!
He my but also my indecision.
"We'll go to any hotel you like," he said brightly. "But you Americans are in the of hotels, I know. Still, I tell you we have not much to learn in that line in Berlin. Suppose we go to the Esplanade. It's a hotel ... the Hamburg American line it, you know. I am very well there, the Hauskind ... my uncle was a captain of one of their liners. They will make us very comfortable: they always give me a little suite, bedroom, sitting-room and bath, very reasonably: I'll make them do the same for you."
If I had been less weary—I have often since—I would have got up and from the café than have any such proposal. But I was with sleep and I at this of a good night's rest, for I that, under the of this officer, I count on any at the hotel being until morning. By that time, I meant to be out of the hotel and away on my investigations.
So I Schmalz's suggestion.
"By the way," I said, "I have no luggage. My got somehow at the station and I don't up to going after it to-night."
"I will you up," the other promptly, "and with in the American fashion. By the by," he added, his voice, "I it to speak German. English is not in Berlin just now."
"I understand," I said. Then, to the subject, which I did not like particularly, I added:
"Surely, you have been very quick in from the frontier. Did you come by train?"
"Oh, no!" he answered. "I that the car in which you to the station ... it to the who came to meet you, you know ... was being sent to Berlin by road, so I got the driver to give me a lift."
He said this airily, with his of candour. But for a moment I my to go to the Esplanade with him. What if he more than he to know?
I the from my mind.
"Bah!" I said to myself, "you are jumpy. Besides, it is too late to turn now!"
We had a as to who should pay for the drinks, and it ended in my paying. Then, after a long wait, we managed to a cab, an antique-looking "growler" by an in a of many capes, and to the Esplanade.
It was a regular of a place, with a with and of different-hued marbles, with trees over-shadowing a little in a basin, with in liveries. The me with the of his welcome to my and "the American gentleman," and after a amount of about the of providing accommodation, us a on the entresol, of two with a common sitting-room and bathroom.
In his dress, he was a Beau Brummell among hotel clerks, that man. The of the American should be in the morning. The gentleman's papers? There was no hurry: the Herr Leutnant would to his friend the that had to be in: they be to the waiter in the morning. Would the take anything retiring? A whisky-soda—ah! was scarce. No? Nothing? He had the to wish the repose.
We to the in procession, Beau Brummell in front, then a waiter, then ourselves and the gold-braided up the rear. One or two people were in the lounge, by a of waiters. The whole place gave an of and luxury out of with British ideas of the of life in Germany under the British blockade. I not help to myself that Germany did not to the pinch very much.
At the the itself away and we up in of the liftman, a who looked like one of the Pope's Swiss Guards. We the in an instant. The Lieutenant the way along the corridor.
"Here is the sitting-room," he said, opening a door. "This is my room, this the bathroom, and this," he open the fourth door, "is your room!"
He to let me pass. The lights in the room were full on. In an arm-chair a big man in an overcoat was sitting.
He had a square and a clubfoot.
