sentence; there had always been
time at least to prepare and present a plea for mercy. To condemn a
woman in the evening and then to hurry her out to be shot before another
dawn! Impossible! It could not be!

[Sidenote: Judgment read in the afternoon.]

[Sidenote: Plea for mercy had been prepared.]

But no; Maitre de Leval was certain. That evening he had gone home and
was writing at his table when about eight o'clock two nurses were
introduced. One was Miss Wilkinson, little and nervous, all in tears;
the other, taller and more calm. Miss Wilkinson said that she had just
learned that the judgment of the court condemned Miss Cavell to death,
that the judgment had been read to her in her cell at four-thirty that
afternoon, and that the Germans were going to shoot her that night at
two o'clock. Maitre de Leval told her that it was difficult to believe
such news, since twice he had been told that the judgment had not been
rendered and that it would not be rendered before the following day, but
on her reiteration that she had this news from a source that was
absolutely certain, de Leval left at once with her and her friends and
came to the Legation. And there he stood, pale and shaken. Even then I
could not believe; it was too preposterous; surely a stay of execution
would be granted. Already in the afternoon, in some premonition, Maitre
de Leval had prepared a plea for mercy, to be submitted to the
Governor-General, and a letter of transmittal to present to the Baron
von der Lancken. I asked Maitre de Leval to bring me these documents and
I signed them, and then, at the last minute, on the letter addressed to
von der Lancken, I wrote these words:

[Sidenote: Mr. Whitlock's personal appeal.]

"MY DEAR BARON:

"I am too sick to present my request to you in
person, but I appeal to your generosity of
heart to support it, and save this unfortunate
woman from death. Have pity on her."

[Sidenote: Search for the Spanish ambassador.]

I told Maitre de Leval to send Joseph at once to hunt up Gibson to
present my plea and, if possible, to find the Marquis de Villalobar and
to ask him to support it with the Baron von der Lancken. Gibson was
dining somewhere; we did not know where Villalobar was. The _Politische
Abteilung_, in the Ministry of Industry, where Baron von der Lancken
lived, was only half a dozen blocks away. The Governor-General was in
his chateau at Trois Fontaines, ten