lost. Yet I felt
the blood fleeing from my face and I was glad I stood in the shadow.

A knock came to the door. The elderly chamberlain who had met me outside
appeared.

"Your Majesty will excuse me ... General Baron von Fischer is there to
report...."

"Presently, presently," was the answer in an irritable tone. "I am
engaged just now...."

The old courtier paused irresolutely for a moment.

"Well, what is it; what is it?"

"Despatches from General Head-quarters, Your Majesty! The General asked
me to say the matter was urgent!"

The Kaiser wakened in an instant.

"Bring him in!" Then, to Plessen, he added in a voice from which all
mirth had vanished, in accents of gloom:

"At this hour, Plessen? If things have again gone wrong on the Somme!"

An officer came in quickly, rigid with a frozen face, helmet on head,
portfolio under his arm. The Kaiser walked the length of the room to his
desk and sat down. Plessen and the other followed him. I remained where
I was. They seemed to have forgotten all about me.

A murmur rose from the desk. The officer was delivering his report. Then
the Kaiser seemed to question him, for I heard his hard, metallic
voice:

"Contalmaison ... Trones Wood ... heavy losses ... forced
back ... terrific artillery fire ..." were words that reached me.
The Kaiser's voice rose on a high note of irritability. Suddenly he
dashed the papers on the desk from him and exclaimed:

"It is outrageous! I'll break him! Not another man shall he have if I
must go myself and teach his men their duty!"

Plessen hurriedly left the desk and came to me. His old face was white
and his hands were shaking.

"Get out of here!" he said to me in a fierce undertone. "Wait outside
and I will see you later!" Still, from the desk, resounded that harsh,
strident voice, running on in an ascending scale, pouring forth a
foaming torrent of menace.

I had often heard of the sudden paroxysms of fury from which the Kaiser
was said to suffer of recent years, but never in my wildest daydreams
did I ever imagine I should assist at one.

Gladly enough did I exchange the highly charged electrical atmosphere of
the Imperial study for the repose of the quiet corridor. Its perfect
tranquillity was as balm to my quivering nerves. Of the man in green
nothing was to be seen. Only the trooper continued his silent vigil.

Again I acted on impulse. I was wearing my grass-green raincoat, my hat
I carried in my hand. I might t