“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 therefore easily pass for one just leaving the Castle.  Without hesitation, I turned to the left, the way I had come, and plunged once more into the labyrinth of galleries and corridors and landings by which the man in green had led me.  I very soon lost myself, so I decided to descend the next staircase I should come to.  I followed this plan and went down a broad flight of stairs, at the foot of which I found a night porter, clad in a vast overcoat bedizened with eagles and seated on a stool, reading a newspaper.

He stopped me and asked me my business.  I told him I was coming from the Emperor’s private apartments, whereupon he demanded my pass.  I showed him my badge which entirely satisfied him, though he muttered something about “new faces” and not having seen me before.  I asked him for the way out.  He said that at the end of the gallery I should come to the west entrance.  I felt I had had a narrow squeak of running into my mentor outside.  I told the man I wanted the other entrance ...  I had my car there.