m
to reach an enemy country, and especially England, was the last offense
in the eyes of the German military court.

[Sidenote: Rumor that death sentence is asked.]

The trial was concluded on Saturday, and on Sunday one of the nurses in
Miss Cavell's school came to tell me that there was a rumor about town
that the prosecuting officer had asked the court to pronounce a sentence
of death in the cases of the Princess de Croy, the Countess de
Belleville, and of Miss Cavell, and of several others. I remember to
have said to Maitre de Leval, when he came up to my room to report the
astounding news:

"That's only the usual exaggeration of the prosecutor; they all ask for
the extreme penalty, everywhere, when they sum up their cases."

[Sidenote: Leval's opinion of German courts.]

"Yes," said Maitre de Leval, "and in German courts they always get it."

Maitre de Leval sent a note to Maitre Kirschen, asking him to come on
Monday, at eight-thirty o'clock, to the Legation or to send a word
regarding Miss Cavell. Maitre Kirschen did not send Maitre de Leval the
word he had requested, and on that Sunday, de Leval saw another lawyer
who had been on the case and could tell him what had taken place at the
trial. The lawyer thought that the court martial would not condemn Miss
Cavell to death. At any rate, no judgment had been pronounced, and the
judges themselves did not appear to be in agreement.

[Sidenote: Leval asks to see Miss Cavell.]

On Monday, the eleventh of October, at eight-thirty in the morning,
Maitre de Leval went to the _Politische Abteilung_ in the Rue
Lambermont, and found Conrad. He spoke to him of the case of Miss Cavell
and asked that, now that the trial had taken place, he and the Reverend
Mr. Gahan, the rector of the English church, be allowed to see Miss
Cavell. Conrad said he would make inquiries and inform de Leval by
telephone, and by one of the messengers of the Legation who that morning
happened to deliver some papers to the _Politische Abteilung_, Conrad
sent word that neither the Reverend Mr. Gahan nor Maitre de Leval could
see Miss Cavell at that time, but that Maitre de Leval could see her as
soon as the judgment had been pronounced.

[Sidenote: Waiting for judgment to be pronounced.]

[Sidenote: Promise to inform the Legation.]

At eleven-thirty o'clock on the Monday morning, Maitre de Leval himself
telephoned to Conrad, who repeated this statement. The judgment had not
yet been rendere