d, he said, and Maitre de Leval asked him to let him
know as soon as the judgment had been pronounced, so that he might go to
see Miss Cavell. Conrad promised this, but added that even then the
Reverend Mr. Gahan could not see her, because there were German
Protestant pastors at the prison, and that if Miss Cavell needed
spiritual advice or consolation she could call on them. Conrad concluded
this conversation by saying that the judgment would be rendered on the
morrow, that is, on Tuesday, or the day after, and that even when it had
been pronounced it would have to be signed by the Military Governor, and
that the Legation would be kept informed.

At twelve-ten on the Monday, not having received any news from Maitre
Kirschen, Maitre de Leval went to his house, but did not find him there,
and left his card.

[Sidenote: Leval makes repeated inquiries.]

At twelve-twenty o'clock, Maitre de Leval went to the house of the
lawyer to whom reference has already been made, and left word for him to
go to his home.

At four o'clock that afternoon the lawyer arrived at the Legation and
said that he had been to see the Germans at eleven o'clock, and that
there he had been told no judgment would be pronounced before the
following day. Before leaving the Legation to go home, Maitre de Leval
told to Gibson all that had happened, and asked him to telephone again
to Conrad before going home himself. Then at intervals all day long the
inquiry had been repeated, and the same response was made.

[Sidenote: The chancellerie was closed for the night.]

Monday evening at six-twenty o'clock, Belgian time, Topping, one of the
clerks of the Legation, with Gibson standing by, again called Conrad on
the telephone, again was told that the judgment had not been pronounced,
and that the Political Department would not fail to inform the Legation
the moment the judgment was confirmed. And the _chancellerie_ was closed
for the night.

[Sidenote: A nurse informs Leval of the death sentence.]

At nine o'clock that Monday evening, Maitre de Leval appeared suddenly
at the door of my chamber; his face was deadly pallid; he said that he
had just heard from the nurse who kept him informed, that the judgment
had been confirmed and that the sentence of death had been pronounced on
Miss Cavell at half-past four o'clock that afternoon, and that she was
to be shot at two o'clock the next morning. It seemed preposterous,
especially the immediate execution of