The official scrutinised me closely.  Bidding me to follow him he again plunged into the darkness.  After taking me to the address of K——­, which I had produced, and finding no one there, he led me to a restaurant.  The proprietor was roused and ordered to take me in for the night.  When he learned that I was an Englishman on “pass” he commenced to swear and curse in a fearful manner, finally declaring he would not shelter any such swine in his house.  The official had a short way with this individual.  He drew his sword, drove the awakened and enraged German into his restaurant, and in a tone which could not be misconstrued demanded that accommodation and meals should be found for me.  The threatening attitude of the officer completely cowed the proprietor, but I, fearing that the latter would round on me once I was at his mercy, intimated to the guard that I was not going to spend the night in this hotel.

There was a brief altercation, but at last we returned to the Prasidium.  Here I intimated that I was perfectly willing to sleep upon the floor of the guard-room, but the official explained that this was a flagrant breach of the rules and the idea could not be entertained for a moment.  We haggled for a few minutes and then a solution of the distracting problem occurred to the officer.  He would lodge me for the night in a cell!  I accepted the suggestion with alacrity and thereupon passed below where I made myself comfortable, the official assisting me as much as he could.

It seemed as if I had only just dropped off to sleep when I was rudely awakened.  It was six o’clock when prisoners had to be roused, and although I was not a prisoner, but had slept in the cell from my own choice, I had to conform with the regulations.  I was turned out into the street, without a bite of food, needless to say, to kick my heels about for some two hours until the business offices opened.  I seized the opportunity to have a shave and hair-cut as well as a thorough wash and brush up.

About 8.30 I presented myself at my friend’s office.  To my surprise he responded to my ring himself and at once introduced me to his wife, who had come into the city with him that morning.  I was warmly greeted but my thin and wan appearance affected them, especially Mrs. K——.  I then discovered why I had failed to rouse him in the early hours of the morning when accompanied by the officer from the police station.  He did not live in Cologne but in a pretty and quiet little residential village overlooking the Rhine some three miles out.

Taking pity upon me they insisted that I should at once proceed to their home, but before this could be done certain formalities demanded attention.  My “pass” was only applicable to the city of Cologne and did not embrace the outlying places.  We had to return to the police headquarters, corresponding to our Scotland Yard, for this purpose.  Here my papers were turned out and subjected to the usual severe scrutiny, while I myself was riddled with questions.  At last, through the good offices of K——­, who was well-known to the officials, I received permission to proceed to his residence.  This necessitated our being accompanied to his home by two detectives who furthermore were to see that I received the necessary local “pass” for the villa in question.