The Riddle of the Sands

by Erskine Childers

  XXIV. Finesse

  THE door of a room on the ground floor was opened to us by aman-servant. As we entered the rattle of a piano stopped, and a hotwave of mingled scent and cigar-smoke struck my nostrils. The firstthing I noticed over Davies's shoulder, as he preceded me into theroom, was a woman--the source of the perfume I decided--turninground from the piano as he passed it and staring him up and down witha disdainful familiarity that I at once hotly resented. She was inevening dress, pronounced in cut and colour; had a certain exuberantbeauty, not wholly ascribable to nature, and a notable lack ofbreeding. Another glance showed me Dollmann putting down a liqueurglass of brandy, and rising from a low chair with something of astart; and another, von Br?ning, lying back in a corner of a sofa,smoking; on the same sofa, _vis-?-vis_ to him, was--yes, of course itwas--Clara Dollmann; but how their surroundings alter people, Icaught myself thinking. For the rest, I was aware that the room wasfurnished with ostentation, and was stuffy with stove-engenderedwarmth. Davies steered a straight course for Dollmann, and shook hishand with businesslike resolution. Then he tacked across to the sofa,abandoning me in the face of the enemy.

  'Mr----?' said Dollmann.

  'Carruthers,' I answered, distinctly. 'I was with Davies in the boatjust now, but I don't think he introduced me. And now he hasforgotten again,' I added, dryly, turning towards Davies, who, havingpresented himself to Fr?ulein Dollmann, was looking feebly from herto von Br?ning, the picture of tongue-tied awkwardness. (TheCommander nodded to me and stretched himself with a yawn.)

  'Von Br?ning told me about you,' said Dollmann, ignoring my allusion,'but I was not quite sure of the name. No; it was not an occasion forformalities, was it?' He gave a sudden, mirthless laugh. I thoughthim flushed and excitable; yet, seen in a normal light, he was insome respects a pleasant surprise, the remarkable conformation of thehead giving an impression of intellectual power and restless, almostinsanely restless, energy.

  'What need?' I said. 'I have heard so much about you from Davies--andCommander von Br?ning--that we seem to be old friends already.'

  He shot a doubtful look at me, and a diversion came from the piano.

  'And now, for Heaven's sake,' cried the lady of the perfume, 'let usjoin Herr B?hme at supper!'

  'Let me present you to my wife,' said Dollmann.

  So this was the stepmother; unmistakably German, I may add. I made mybow, and underwent much the same sort of frank scrutiny as Davies,only that it was rather more favourable to me, and ended in a carminesmile.

  There was a general movement and further introductions. Davies wasled to the stepmother, and I found myself confronting the daughterwith quickened pulses, and a sudden sense of added complexity in theissues. I had, of course, made up my mind to ignore our meeting ofyesterday, and had assumed that she would do the same. And she didignore it--we met as utter strangers; nor did I venture (for othereyes were upon us) to transmit any sign of intelligence to her. Butthe next moment I was wondering if I had not fallen into a trap. Shehad promised not to tell, but under what circumstances? I saw thescene again; the misty flats, the spruce little sail-boat and itssweet young mistress, fresh as a dewy flower, but blanched anddemoralized by a horrid fear, appealing to my honour so to act thatwe three should never meet again, promising to be silent, but as muchin her own interest as ours, and under that implied condition which Ihad only equivocally refused. The condition was violated, not by herfault or ours, but violated. She was free to help her father againstus, and was she helping him? What troubled me was the change in her;that she--how can I express it without offence?--was less in discordwith her surroundings than she should have been; that in dress, poseand manner (as we exchanged some trivialities) she was too nearreflecting the style of the other woman; that, in fact, she in somesort realized my original conception of her, so brutally avowed toDavies, so signally, as I had thought, falsified. In the sickperplexity that this discovery caused me I dare say I looked asfoolish as Davies had done, and more so, for the close heat of theroom and its tainted atmosphere, succeeding so abruptly to thewholesome nip of the outside air, were giving me a faintness whichthis moral check lessened my power to combat. Von Br?ning's face worea sneering smile that I winced under; and, turning, I found anotherpair of eyes fixed on me, those of Herr B?hme, whose squat figure hadappeared at a pair of folding doors leading to an adjoining room.Napkin in hand, he was taking in the scene before him with fatbenevolence, but exceeding shrewdness. I instantly noticed a faintred weal relieving the ivory of his bald head; and I had suffered toooften in the same quarter myself to mistake its origin, namely, ourcabin doorway.

  'This is the other young explorer, B?hme,' said von Br?ning. 'HerrDavies kidnapped him a month ago, and bullied and starved him intosubmission; they'll drown together yet. I believe his sufferings havebeen terrible.'

  'His sufferings are over,' I retorted. 'I'vemutinied--deserted--haven't I, Davies?' I caught Davies gazing withsolemn _gaucherie_ at Miss Dollmann.

  'Oh, what?' he stammered. I explained in English. 'Oh, yes,Carruthers has to go home,' he said, in his vile lingo.

  No one spoke for a moment, and even von Br?ning had no persiflageready.

  'Well, are we never going to have supper?' said Madame impatiently;and with that we all moved towards the folding doors. There had beenlittle formality in the proceedings so far, and there was less stillin the supper-room. B?hme resumed his repast with appetite, and therest of us sat down apparently at random, though an underlying methodwas discernible. As it worked out, Dollmann was at one end of thesmall table, with Davies on his right and B?hme on his left; FrauDollmann at the other, with me on her right and von Br?ning on herleft. The seventh personage, Fr?ulein Dollmann, was between theCommander and Davies on the side opposite to me. No servantsappeared, and we waited on ourselves. I have a vague recollection ofvarious excellent dishes, and a distinct one of abundance of wine.Someone filled me a glass of champagne, and I confess that I drainedit with honest avidity, blessing the craftsman who coaxed forth theessence, the fruit that harboured it, the sun that warmed it.

  'Why are you going so suddenly?' said von Br?ning to me across thetable.

  'Didn't I tell you we had to call here for letters? I got mine thismorning, and among others a summons back to work. Of course I mustobey.' (I found myself speaking in a frigid silence.) 'The annoyingthing was that there were two letters, and if I had only come heretwo days sooner I should have only got the first, which gave me anextension.'

  'You are very conscientious. How will they know?'

  'Ah, but the second's rather urgent.' There was another uncomfortablesilence, broken by Dollmann.

  'By the way, Herr Davies,' he began, 'I ought to apologize to youfor----'

  This was no business of mine, and the less interest I took in it thebetter; so I turned to Frau Dollmann and abused the fog.

  'Have you been in the harbour all day?' she asked, 'then how was ityou did not visit us? Was Herr Davies so shy?' (Curiosity or malice?)

  'Quite the contrary; but I was,' I answered coldly; 'you see, we knewHerr Dollmann was away, and we really only called here to get myletters; besides, we did not know your address.' I looked at Claraand found her talking gaily to von Br?ning, deaf seemingly to ourlittle dialogue.

  'Anyone would have told you it,' said Madame, raising her eyebrows.

  'I dare say; but directly after breakfast the fog came on, and--well,one cannot leave a yacht alone in a fog,' I said, with professionalsolidity.

  Von Br?ning pricked up his ears at this. 'I'll be hanged if that was_your_ maxim,' he laughed; 'you're too fond of the shore!'

  I sent him a glance of protest, as though to say: 'What's the use ofyour warning if you won't let me act on it?'

  For, of course, my excuses were meant chiefly for his consumption,and Fr?ulein Dollmann's. That the lady I addressed them to found themunpalatable was not my fault.

  'Then you sat in your wretched little cabin all day?' she persisted.

  'All day,' I said, brazenly; 'i
t was the safest thing to do.' And Ilooked again at Fr?ulein Dollmann, frankly and squarely. Our eyesmet, and she dropped hers instantly, but not before I had learntsomething; for if ever I saw misery under a mask it was on her face.No; she had not told.

  I think I puzzled the stepmother, who shrugged her white shoulders,and said in that case she wondered we had dared to leave our preciousboat and come to supper. If we knew Frisian fogs as well as shedid----

  Oh, I explained, we were not so nervous as that; and as forsupper on shore, if she only knew what a Spartan life we led----

  'Oh, for mercy's sake, don't tell me about it!' she cried, with agrimace; 'I hate the mention of yachts. When I think of that dreadful'Medusa' coming from Hamburg----' I sympathized with half my attention,keeping one strained ear open for developments on my right. Davies, Iknew, was in the thick of it, and none too happy under B?hme's eye,but working manfully. 'My fault'--'sudden squall'--'quite safe', weresome of the phrases I caught; while I was aware, to my alarm, that hewas actually drawing a diagram of something with bread-crumbs andtable-knives. The subject seemed to gutter out to an awkward end, andsuddenly B?hme, who was my right-hand neighbour, turned to me. 'Youare starting for England to-morrow morning?' he said.

  'Yes,' I answered; 'there is a steamer at 8.15, I believe.'

  'That is good. We shall be companions.'

  'Are you going to England, too, sir?' I asked, with hot misgivings.

  'No, no! I am going to Bremen; but we shall travel together as faras--you go by Amsterdam, I suppose?--as far as Leer, then. That willbe very pleasant.' I fancied there was a ghoulish gusto in his tone.

  'Very,' I assented. 'You are making a short stay here, then?'

  'As long as usual. I visit the work at Memmert once a month or so,spend a night with my friend Dollmann and his charming family' (heleered round him), 'and return.'

  Whether I was right or wrong in my next step I shall never know, butobeying a strong instinct, 'Memmert,' I said; 'do tell me more aboutMemmert. We heard a good deal about it from Commander von Br?ning;but----'

  'He was discreet, I expect,' said B?hme.

  'He left off at the most interesting part.'

  'What's that about me?' joined in von Br?ning.

  'I was saying that we're dying to know more about Memmert, aren't we,Davies?'

  'Oh, I don't know,' said Davies, evidently aghast at my temerity; butI did not mind that. If he roughed my suit, so much the better; Iintended to rough his.

  'You gave us plenty of history, Commander, but you did not bring itup to date.' The triple alliance laughed, Dollmann boisterously.

  'Well,' said von Br?ning; 'I gave you very good reasons, and youacquiesced.'

  'And now he is trying to pump _me_,' said B?hme, with his raspingchuckle.

  'Wait a bit, sir; I have an excuse. The Commander was not onlymysterious but inaccurate. I appeal to you, Herr Dollmann, for it was_? propos_ of you. When we fell in with him at Bensersiel, Daviesasked him if you were at home, and he said "No." When would you beback? Probably soon; _but he did not know when_.'

  'Oh, he said that?' said Dollmann.

  'Well, only three days later we arrive at Norderney, and find youhave returned that very day, but have gone to Memmert. Again (by theway) the mysterious Memmert! But more than ever mysterious now, forin the evening, not only you and Herr B?hme----'

  'What penetration!' laughed von Br?ning.

  'But also Commander von Br?ning, pay us a visit in _his_ launch, allcoming from Memmert!'

  'And you infer?' said von Br?ning.

  'Why, that you must have known at Bensersiel--only three daysago--exactly when Herr Dollmann was coming back, having anappointment at Memmert with him for to-day.'

  'Which I wished to conceal from you?'

  'Yes, and that's why I'm so inquisitive; it's entirely your ownfault.'

  'So it seems,' said he, with mock humility; 'but fill your glass andgo on, young man. Why should I want to deceive you?'

  'That's just what I want to know. Come, confess now; wasn't theresomething important afoot to-day at Memmert? Something to do with thegold? You were inspecting it, sorting it, weighing it? Or _I_ know! Youwere transporting it secretly to the mainland?'

  'Not a very good day for that! But softly, Herr Carruthers; nofishing for admissions. Who said we had found any gold?'

  'Well, have you? There!'

  'That's better! Nothing like candour, my young investigator. But I amafraid, having no authority, I cannot assist you at all. Better tryHerr B?hme again. I'm only a casual onlooker.'

  'With shares.'

  'Ah! you remember that? (He remembers everything!) With a few shares,then; but with no expert knowledge. Now, B?hme is the consultingengineer. Rescue me, B?hme.'

  'I cannot disclaim expert knowledge,' said B?hme, with humorousgravity; 'but I disclaim responsibility. Now, Herr Dollmann ischairman of the company.'

  'And I,' said Dollmann, with a noisy laugh, 'must fall back on theshareholders, whose interests I have to guard. One can't be toocareful in these confidential matters.'

  'Here's one who gives his consent,' I said. 'Can't he represent therest?'

  'Extorted by torture,' said von Br?ning. 'I retract.'

  'Don't mind them, Herr Carruthers,' cried Frau Dollmann, 'they aremaking fun of you; but I will give you a hint; no woman can keep asecret----'

  'Ah!' I cried, triumphantly, 'you have been there?'

  'I? Not I; I detest the sea! But Clara has.' Everyone looked atClara, who in her turn looked in na?ve bewilderment from me to herfather.

  'Indeed?' I said, more soberly, 'but perhaps she is not a freeagent.'

  'Perfectly free!' said Dollmann.

  'I have only been there once, some time ago,' said she, 'and I saw nogold at all.'

  'Guarded,' I observed. 'I beg your pardon; I mean that perhaps youonly saw what you were allowed to see. And, in any case, the Fr?uleinhas no expert knowledge and no responsibility, and, perhaps, noshares. Her province is to be charming, not to hold financialsecrets.'

  'I have done my best to help you,' said the stepmother.

  'They're all against us, Davies.'

  'Oh, chuck it, Carruthers!' said Davies, in English.

  'He's insatiable,' said von Br?ning, and there was a pause; clearly,they meant to elicit more.

  'Well, I shall draw my own conclusions,' I said.

  'This is interesting,' said von Br?ning, 'in what sense?'

  'It begins to dawn on me that you made fools of us at Bensersiel.Don't you remember, Davies, what an interest he took in all ourdoings? I wonder if he feared our exploring propensities mightpossibly lead us to Memmert?'

  'Upon my word, this is the blackest ingratitude. I thought I mademyself particularly agreeable to you.'

  'Yes, indeed; especially about the duck shooting! How useful yourlocal man would have been--both to us and to you!'

  'Go on,' said the Commander, imperturbably.

  'Wait a moment; I'm thinking it out.' And thinking it out I was indeadly earnest, for all my levity, as I pressed my hand on my burningforehead and asked myself where I was to stop in this seductive butperilous fraud. To carry it too far was to court complete exposure;to stop too soon was equally compromising.

  'What is he talking about, and why go on with this ridiculousmystery?' said Frau Dollmann.

  'I was thinking about this supper party, and the way it came about,'I pursued, slowly.

  'Nothing to complain of, I hope?' said Dollmann.

  'Of course not! Impromptu parties are always the pleasantest, andthis one was delightfully impromptu. Now I bet you I know its origin!Didn't you discuss us at Memmert? And didn't one of you suggest----?

  'One would almost think you had been there,' said Dollmann.

  'You may thank your vile climate that we weren't,' I retorted, laughing.'But, as I was saying, didn't one of you suggest--which of you? Well,I'm sure it wasn't the Commander----'

  'Why not?' said B?hme.

  'It's difficult to expl
ain--an intuition, say--I am sure he stood upfor us; and I don't think it was Herr Dollmann, because he knowsDavies already, and he's always on the spot; and, in short I'll swearit was Herr B?hme, who is leaving early to-morrow, and had never seeneither of us. It was you, sir, who proposed that we should be askedto supper to-night--for inspection?'

  'Inspection?' said B?hme; 'what an extraordinary idea!'

  'You can't deny it, though! And one thing more; in the harbour justnow--no--this is going too far; I shall mortally offend you.' I gaveway to hearty laughter.

  'Come, let's have it. Your hallucinations are diverting.'

  'If you insist; but this is rather a delicate matter. You know wewere a little surprised to find you _all_ on board; and you, HerrB?hme, did you always take such a deep interest in small yachts? I amafraid that it was at a certain sacrifice of comfort that you_inspected_ ours!' And I glanced at the token he bore of hisencounter with our lintel. There was a burst of pent-up merriment, inwhich Dollmann took the loudest share.

  'I warned you, B?hme,' he said.

  The engineer took the joke in the best possible part.

  'We owe you apologies,' he conceded.

  'Don't mention it,' said Davies.

  '_He_ doesn't mind,' I said; 'I'm the injured one. I'm sure you neversuspected Davies, who could?' (Who indeed? I was on firm groundthere.)

  'The point is, what did you take _me_ for?'

  'Perhaps we take you for it still,' said von Br?ning.

  'Oho! Still suspicious? Don't drive me to extremities.'

  'What extremities?'

  'When I get back to London I shall go to Lloyd's! I haven't forgottenthat flaw in the title.' There was an impressive silence.

  'Gentlemen,' said Dollmann, with exaggerated solemnity, 'we must cometo terms with this formidable young man. What do you say?'

  'Take me to Memmert,' I exclaimed. 'Those are my terms!'

  'Take you to Memmert? But I thought you were starting for Englandto-morrow?'

  'I ought to; but I'll stay for that.'

  'You said it was urgent. Your conscience is very elastic.'

  'That's my affair. Will you take me to Memmert?'

  'What do you say, gentlemen?' B?hme nodded. 'I think we owe somereparation. Under promise of absolute secrecy, then?'

  'Of course, now that you trust me. But you'll show meeverything--honour bright--wreck, dep?t, and all?'

  'Everything; if you don't object to a diver's dress.'

  'Victory!' I cried, in triumph. 'We've won our point, Davies. Andnow, gentlemen, I don't mind saying that as far as I am concerned thejoke's at an end; and, in spite of your kind offer, I must start forEngland to-morrow' under the good Herr B?hme's wing. And in case myelastic conscience troubles you (for I see you think me aweather-cock) here are the letters received this morning,establishing my identity as a humble but respectable clerk in theBritish Civil Service, summoned away from his holiday by a tyrannicalsuperior.' (I pulled out my letters and tossed them to Dollmann.)'Ah, you don't read English easily, perhaps? I dare say Herr B?hmedoes.'

  Leaving B?hme to study dates, postmarks, and contents to his heart'scontent, and unobserved, I turned to sympathize with my fairneighbour, who complained that her head was going round; and nowonder. But at this juncture, and very much to my surprise, Daviesstruck in.

  '_I_ should like to go to Memmert,' he said.

  'You?' said von Br?ning. 'Now I'm surprised at that.'

  'But you won't be staying here either, Davies,' I objected.

  'Yes, I shall,' said Davies. 'Why, I told you I should. If you leaveme in the lurch like this I must have time to look round.'

  'You needn't pretend that you cannot sail alone,' said von Br?ning.

  'It's much more fun with two; I think I shall wire for anotherfriend. Meanwhile, I should like to see Memmert.'

  'That's only an excuse, I'm afraid,' said I.

  'I want to shoot ducks too,' pursued Davies, reddening. 'I alwayshave wanted to; and you promised to help in that, Commander.'

  'You can't get out of it now,' I laughed.

  'Certainly not,' said he, unmoved; 'but, honestly, I should adviseHerr Davies, if he is ever going to get home this season, to make thebest of this fine weather.'

  'It's too fine,' said Davies; 'I prefer wind. If I cannot get afriend I think I shall stop cruising, leave the yacht here, and comeback for her next year.

  There was some mute telegraphy between the allies.

  'You can leave her in my charge,' said Dollmann, 'and start with yourfriend to-morrow.'

  'Thanks; but there is no hurry,' said Davies, growing redder thanever. 'I like Norderney--and we might have another sail in yourdinghy, Fr?ulein,' he blurted out.

  'Thank you,' she said, in that low dry voice I had heard yesterday;'but I think I shall not be sailing again--it is getting too cold.'

  'Oh, no!' said Davies, 'it's splendid.' But she had turned to vonBr?ning, and took no notice.

  'Well, send me a report about Memmert, Davies,' I laughed, with theidea of drawing attention from his rebuff. But Davies, having oncedelivered his soul, seemed to have lost his shyness, and only gazedat his neighbour with the placid, dogged expression that I knew sowell. That was the end of those delicate topics; and convivialitygrew apace.

  I am not indifferent at any time to good wine and good cheer, nor wasit for lack of pressing that I drank as sparingly as I was able, andpretended to a greater elation than I felt. Nor certainly was it fromany fine scruples as to the character of the gentleman whosehospitality we were receiving--scruples which I knew affected Davies,who ate little and drank nothing. In any case he was adamant in suchmatters, and I verily believe would at any time have preferred ourown little paraffin-flavoured messes to the best dinner in the world.It was a very wholesome caution that warned me not to abuse thefinest brain tonic ever invented by the wit of man. I had finessedMemmert, as one finesses a low card when holding a higher; but I hadtoo much respect for our adversaries to trade on any fancied securitywe had won thereby. They had allowed me to win the trick, but Icredited them with a better knowledge of my hand than they chose toshow. On the other hand I hugged the axiom that in all conflicts itis just as fatal to underrate the difficulties of your enemy as tooverrate your own. Their chief one--and it multiplied a thousandfoldthe excitement of the contest--was, I felt sure, the fear of strikingin error; of using a sledge-hammer to break a nut. In breaking itthey risked publicity, and publicity, I felt convinced, was death totheir secret. So, even supposing they had detected the finesse, andguessed that we had in fact got wind of imperial designs; yet, evenso, I counted on immunity so long as they thought we were on thewrong scent, with Memmert, and Memmert alone, as the source of oursuspicions.

  Had it been necessary I was prepared to encourage such a view,admitting that the cloth von Br?ning wore had made his connexion withMemmert curious, and had suggested to Davies, for I should have putit on him, with his naval enthusiasms, that the wreck-works werereally naval-defence works. If they went farther, and suspected thatwe had tried to go to Memmert that very day, the position was worse,but not desperate; for the fear that they would take the final stepand suppose that we had actually got there and overheard their talk, Iflatly refused to entertain, until I should find myself under arrest.

  Precisely how near we came to it I shall never rightly know; but Ihave good reason to believe that we trembled on the verge. The mainissue was fully enough for me, and it was only in passing flashesthat I followed the play of the warring under-currents. And yet,looking back on the scene, I would warrant there was no party ofseven in Europe that evening where a student of human documents wouldhave found so rich a field, such noble and ignoble ambitions, suchbase and holy fears, aye, and such pitiful agonies of the spirit.Roughly divided though we were into separate camps, no two of us werewholly at one. Each wore a mask in the grand imposture; excepting, Iam inclined to think, the lady on my left, who, outside her ownwell-being, which she cultivated without reserve, had, as far as Icould s
ee, but one axe to grind--the intimacy of von Br?ning and herstepdaughter--and ground it openly.

  Not even B?hme and von Br?ning were wholly at one; and as moraldistances are reckoned, Davies and I were leagues apart. Sittingbetween Dollmann and Dollmann's daughter, the living and breathingsymbols of the two polar passions he had sworn to harmonize, he keptan equilibrium which, though his aims were nominally mine, I couldnot attain to. For me the man was the central figure; if I hadattention to spare it was on him that I bestowed it; gropingdisgustfully after his hidden springs of action, noting the evidencesof great gifts squandered and prostituted; questioning where he wasmost vulnerable; whom he feared most, us or his colleagues; whetherhe was open to remorse or shame; or whether he meditated furthercrime. The girl was incidental. After the first shock of surprise Ihad soon enough discovered that she, like the rest, had assumed adisguise; for she was far too innocent to sustain the deception; andyesterday was fresh in my memory. I was forced to continue turningher assumed character to account; but it would be pharisaical in meto say that I rose to any moral heights in her regard--wine andexcitement had deadened my better nature to that extent. I thoughtshe looked prettier than ever, and, as time passed, I fell into acynical carelessness about her. This glimpse of her home life, andthe desperate expedients to which she was driven (whether bycompulsion or from her own regard for Davies) to repel and dismisshim, did not strike me as they might have done as the crowningargument in favour of the course we had adopted the night before,that of compassing our end without noise and scandal, disarmingDollmann, but aiding him to escape from the allies he had betrayed.To Davies, the man, if not a pure abstraction, was at most a noxiousvermin to be trampled on for the public good; while the girl, in herblackguardly surroundings, and with her sinister future, had becomethe very source of his impulse.

  And the other players? B?hme was _my_ abstraction, the fortress whosefoundations we were sapping, the embodiment of that systematizedforce which is congenital to the German people. In von Br?ning, thepersonal factor was uppermost. Callous as I was this evening, I couldnot help wondering occasionally, as he talked and laughed with ClaraDollmann, what in his innermost thoughts, knowing her father, he feltand meant. It is a point I cannot and would not pursue, and, thankHeaven, it does not matter now; yet, with fuller knowledge of thefacts, and, I trust, a mellower judgement, I often return to the samedebate, and, by I know not what illogical bypaths, always arrive atthe same conclusion, that I liked the man and like him still.

  We behaved as sportsmen in the matter of time, giving them over twohours to make up their minds about us. It was only when tobacco-smokeand heat brought back my faintness, and a twinge of cramp warned methat human strength has limits, that I rose and said we must go; thatI had to make an early start to-morrow. I am hazy about thefarewells, but I think that Dollmann was the most cordial, to me atany rate, and I augured good therefrom. B?hme said he should see meagain. Von Br?ning, though bound for the harbour also, considered itwas far too early to be going yet, and said good-bye.

  'You want to talk us over,' I remember saying, with the last flickerof gaiety I could muster.

  We were in the streets again, under a silver, breathless night;dizzily footing the greasy ladder again; in the cabin again, where Icollapsed on a sofa just as I was, and slept such a deep andstringent sleep that the men of the _Blitz_'s launch might havehandcuffed and trussed and carried me away, without incommoding me inthe least.