"Is that true?" said the policeman, straightening up and suddenly
opening his nostrils as far as he could ...

"Quite true," answered Tonio Kroeger.

"And what are you?"

Tonio Kroeger swallowed and named his calling with firm voice.--Mr.
Seehaase raised his head and looked curiously up into his face.

"Hm," said the policeman. "And you claim not to be identical with an
individial named----" He said "individial" and then spelled from the
curiously bescribbled piece of paper a most puzzling and romantic name,
which seemed to have been freakishly composed of the sounds of various
languages and which Tonio Kroeger had forgotten the next moment.
"--Who," he continued, "of unknown parentage and uncertain competence,
is being sought by the Munich police on account of various swindles and
other crimes, and is probably trying to flee to Denmark?"

"I do more than claim," said Tonio Kroeger, making a nervous movement
with his shoulders.--This created a certain impression.

"What? Oh yes, quite so," said the officer. "But that you shouldn't be
able to show any papers at all."

Now Mr. Seehaase interposed conciliatingly.

"The whole thing is only a formality," he said, "nothing more. You must
reflect that the official is only doing his duty. If you can identify
yourself in any way ... Any document ..."

All were silent. Should he put an end to the affair by making himself
known, by revealing to Mr. Seehaase that he was no swindler of
uncertain competence, by birth no gipsy in a green wagon, but the son
of Consul Kroeger, of the Kroeger family? No, he had no desire for that.
And did not these men of the civic order really have a little right on
their side? To a certain extent he was quite in agreement with them ...
He shrugged his shoulders and remained silent.

"What is that you have there?" asked the officer. "There in that
portfoly?"

"Here? Nothing. Proof-sheets," answered Tonio Kroeger.

"Proof-sheets? How so? Let me see a minute."

And Tonio Kroeger handed them over to him. The policeman spread them out
on the desk and began to read them. Mr. Seehaase also stepped closer
and participated in the reading. Tonio Kroeger looked over their
shoulders to see where they were reading. It was a good passage, a
point and effect which he had worked out superbly. He was content with
himself.

"You see," he said. "There stands my name. I wrote this, and now it is
being published, you understand."

"Well, that is suffi