The Man with the Clubfoot

, planted firmly on the ground, one hand behind his back, the other, withered

he was bare-headed, rendered him so unlike his conventional portraits in the full panoply of war that I doubt if I should hav

onsibility slowly crushing one of the most vigorous and resilient personalities in Europe. His figure, erstwhile erect and well-knit, seemed to have shrunk

sed, and the flesh hung flabbily, bulging in deep pouches under the eyes and in loose folds at the corners of the mouth. His head was grizzled an iron-grey but the hair at the temples

brief instant in which I gazed at him I thought of a phrase a friend had u

ed staring in stupefaction at the apparition. The other was seemingly too busy with his thoughts

aid. "Why has not Grundt co

begun to tell in the corridor without. I had i

to and fro, in nervous irritability, on his feet. His eyes were never steady for an ins

rous though it was. As your Majesty is aware, t

the other said, pausing f

ot get away. Everyone is searched for letters and papers at

iled?" the

the success of our m

hat was you

shipping agent in Rotterdam. I then pasted the fragment of the lining back in its place in the bottom of the bag. Gr

mperor's manner, banishing his ill-tempe

?" he

r man was fined twenty pounds at the police court.

h you?" the other

ringing it away. Dr. Grundt, on the other hand .

egular guffaw. I knew His Majesty's weakness for jokes at the expense of the physical deformities of others, but I had scarcely dared to hope that my subtle reference to Grundt's

!" he cried. "Plessen, come and hear h

in the shape of a T. From the big writing-desk with its litter of photographs in heavy silver frames, the little bronz

cer emerged from the further end of the ro

t his hand on

sen!" he said, chuc

it a

r. Grundt, fat and massive and podgy, hobbling on board the steamer at Tilbury,

guffaws, and emphasized the fun of the dén

ly, as indeed he was expect

atagem succeeded

it his brow an

ng man, di

if so, Grundt must be in Holland.

ntenance. The least sign of embarrassment and I was lost. Yet I felt

he elderly chamberlain who

e ... General Baron von Fis

he answer in an irritable ton

paused irresolu

t is it; w

ers, Your Majesty! The General aske

wakened in

added in a voice from which all mir

If things have again g

s arm. The Kaiser walked the length of the room to his desk and sat down. Plessen and th

ivering his report. Then the Kaiser seemed to qu

lery fire ..." were words that reached me. The Kaiser's voice rose on a high note

another man shall he have if I must g

and came to me. His old face was

ill see you later!" Still, from the desk, resounded that harsh, strident voic

the Kaiser was said to suffer of recent years, but never in m

or the repose of the quiet corridor. Its perfect tranquillity was as balm to my quivering ner

I had come, and plunged once more into the labyrinth of galleries and corridors and landings by which the man in green had led me. I very soon lost myself, so I decided to descend the next staircase I shou

ely satisfied him, though he muttered something about "new faces" and not having seen me before. I asked him for the way out. He said that at the end of the gallery I

ctions which brought me, without further difficulty, out upon the open

ed stifling in comparison with the keen night air. A new confidence filled my veins as I strode along, though the perils to which I was advancing were not a whit less than those I had just escaped. For I had burnt my b

ld instantly come into contact with the police with all kinds of unwelcome consequences. No, I must get out of Berlin at all costs. Well awa

d to tell me that it was a message from my brother. It was dated from Berlin, a

ith a blue cloud of tobacco smoke. A noisy band was crashing out popular tunes and there was a loud buzz of conversation

ours in Germany, but already I was conscious that, for anyone acting a part, let anything go wrong with his identit

me was the case) what course would he adopt? He would try and smuggle out a message ann

as a message from Francis.

olz! O Ei

sind dein

les in d

ie sic

sich der

g of a phrase. The first phrase might certainly b

how empty ar

of the other

ained a report of Francis' mission to Germany, whatever it had been. Indeed, it was not conceivable that my brother would s

s welfare. What would he desire to say? That he was arrested, that he was going to be shot? Possibly,

final phrase: "When two people fa

ight not in these two phrases be hidden an address at which

ran my eye down the columns of the "A's." I did not find what I was looking

e Berlin suburb called West-End, but that was all. I tried for a

paper again. The only other word likely to serv

les in de

ed the directo

face, I found the stree

ck the tra

occupied the site which faces the northern side of the Tiergarten. It was not a long street. The directory showed but fifty-six houses, several of which, I noticed, were still beer-

er to the number of the house: third to the number of the floor, since

"Achiles,"

entures that had befallen me since I left London had driven all thought of weariness from my mind. But now came the reaction and I felt myself yearning for a hot bath and for a nice comfortable bed. To go to an hotel at that hour of night, without luggage and with an

k coffee, and I raised my eyes to find the waiter. They fell upon the pale face and elegant figure of

sudden pang of uneasiness at the sight of him, for I remembered his cross-examination o

nd fears by walking st

is an unexpected pleasure! So you are seeing how we poor Germans are amusing ourselv

y, he sat down at my table

a tone as I could muster, "for I am just going. I have had

spoken I real

or have I! As you are a stranger in Berlin, you must allow me to ap

er was so friendly, his offer seemed so sincere, that I felt my resolution waverin

reluctance but a

in Berlin. Suppose we go to the Esplanade. It's a fine hotel ... the Hamburg American line run it, you know. I am very well known there, quite the Hauskind ... my uncle was a captain

as drunk with sleep heaviness and I snatched at this chance of getting a good night's rest, for I felt that, under the aegis of this young officer, I could

ed Schmalz'

ag got mislaid somehow at the station and I do

American fashion. By the by," he added, lowering his voice, "I thought i

, to change the subject, which I d

ick in coming down from the fr

ion ... it belonged to the gentleman who came to meet you, you know ... was

But for a moment I regretted my decision to go to the Espla

he suspicion

are getting jumpy. Besides, it

paying. Then, after a long wait, we managed to get a cab, an antique-looking "grow

in, with servants in gaudy liveries. The reception clerk overwhelmed me with the cordiality of his welcome to my companion and "the American gentleman," and after a certain amount of c

leman's papers? There was no hurry: the Herr Leutnant would explain to his friend the forms that had to be filled in: they could be given to the waiter in the morning

re sitting in the lounge, attended by a platoon of waiters. The whole place gave an impression of wealth and luxury altogether out of keeping with British ideas of

a gorgeous individual who looked like one of the Pope's Swiss Guards. We reached the

or. "This is my room, this the bathroom, and this

s in the room were full on. In an arm-ch

square face a