olence in order to lull suspicion asleep. With this end in view I
made a practice of never rising till ten in the morning. I breakfasted
with great leisure, and contented myself with passing the morning in a
quiet stroll, taking care, however, to keep my ears open. After lunch I
generally feigned a light sleep, keeping my ears shut. A _table d'hote_
dinner, followed by a visit to the theatre, brought the strenuous day to
a close. Few Spies, I venture to say, worked harder than I did.

It was during the third year of the war that I received a peremptory
summons from the head of the Imperial Secret Service at Berlin, Baron
Fisch von Gestern. "I want to see you," it read. Nothing more. In the
life of a Spy one learns to think quickly, and to think is to act. I
gathered as soon as I received the despatch that for some reason or
other Fisch von Gestern was anxious to see me, having, as I instantly
inferred, something to say to me. This conjecture proved correct.

The Baron rose at my entrance with military correctness and shook hands.

"Are you willing," he inquired, "to undertake a mission to America?"

"I am," I answered.

"Very good. How soon can you start?"

"As soon as I have paid the few bills that I owe in Berlin," I replied.

"We can hardly wait for that," said my chief, "and in case it might
excite comment. You must start to-night!"

"Very good," I said.

"Such," said the Baron, "are the Kaiser's orders. Here is an American
passport and a photograph that will answer the purpose. The likeness is
not great, but it is sufficient."

"But," I objected, abashed for a moment, "this photograph is of a man
with whiskers and I am, unfortunately, clean-shaven."

"The orders are imperative," said Gestern, with official hauteur. "You
must start to-night. You can grow whiskers this afternoon."

"Very good," I replied.

"And now to the business of your mission," continued the Baron.
"The United States, as you have perhaps heard, is making war against
Germany."

"I have heard so," I replied.

"Yes," continued Gestern. "The fact has leaked out--how, we do not
know--and is being widely reported. His Imperial Majesty has decided to
stop the war with the United States."

I bowed.

"He intends to send over a secret treaty of the same nature as the one
recently made with his recent Highness the recent Czar of Russia. Under
this treaty Germany proposes to give to the United States the whole of
equatorial Africa and in