The first part of the trial was taken up with a repetition of the numerous questions I had already answered times out of number, accompanied by a more searching cross-examination.  As the trial proceeded I saw that the authorities had collected every vestige of evidence from every official who had questioned me and with whom I had held any conversation.

There was one exciting moment.  An officer, evidently of high rank, entered the room.  He looked at me in a manner which I resented.  With a sneering grin he enquired,

“Englander?  Ha!  Ha!  Spion?  What are you doing here?”

“I have come at the pressing invitation of four gentlemen with four points!” I suavely replied.

This sly allusion to the four soldiers with their bayonets lashed the interrupting officer to fury.  The whole court indulged in a wild and loud conversation.  The chairman waved his arm wildly.  Before I grasped what had happened the soldiers closed round me, I was roughly turned round, and to the accompaniment of liberal buffeting was hustled down the steps to my cell.

A few minutes later my interpreter came to me.

“Listen to me, English friend.  You must not annoy the Court.  I am trying to do all I can for you.  I do not think you guilty.  But if you are—­what do you call it—­h’m——­” and he snapped his fingers perplexedly.

“Sarcastic?” I ventured.

“Yes!  That’s it.  If you are sarcastic you make my work very hard!”

“But that officer had nothing to do with the Court, had he?  Why did he interfere with a gratuitous insult?”

“Ah!  I see.  You don’t understand.  They will do that.  But you must remember the uniform!”

Further conversation was prevented by the reappearance of the soldiers.  I was to be taken back to the Court.  I decided to take my interpreter’s advice, and although I was frequently roused intentionally, I bit my lip at the insults and choked down sharp retorts.

“Do you realise the nature of the charge and the gravity of your position?” asked the chairman, after proceedings had been resumed.  There was no trace of resentment at the recent incident in his voice.

“I do perfectly.”

“Then do you not think it somewhat strange that a man like you should be travelling to Berlin, on the way to Warsaw, on the very day when war was declared against Russia?  Is it not strange also that you should be here after Great Britain has declared war?”

“When I set out for Berlin war had not been declared between Germany and Russia.  On Monday when I was arrested war had not been declared against Germany by Great Britain.  I was arrested on the flimsiest pretext and upon the word of a deliberately lying youth before war had been declared with my country!”

“Ah! we shall see.  You do not think it strange to be travelling through Germany at such a perilous time with so much photographic apparatus?”