es one's clients; and
that is quite permissible."

Albina entirely agreed with him.

Here was at least a man with whom one could have some rational
conversation.

During the exercises one morning the captain came riding up to the
sergeant-major.

"You must go back home at once, Heimert," he cried. "The major wants
the regulations that were in force at the last man[oe]uvres. Look them
out, and send them over to the division at once, will you?"

"Now, at once?" asked Heimert.

"Yes, yes! Make haste and get them!"

The sergeant-major hastened back to the barracks. With helmet on head
and sword by his side he set off at once on the quest. He gave Kaeppchen
the regulations to carry over to the orderly-room of the division, and
he himself returned home.

In the bedroom he found Albina and the barber together.

The shameless woman had felt so secure that she had not even troubled
to bolt the door.

Her gallant lover disappeared through the window like a shot.

Albina was not so quick. Heimert seized hold of her and dragged her
through the doorway just as she was, clad only in a dressing-jacket and
a thin petticoat.

The jacket tore in his hands. Then he seized her by her thick hair. She
screamed, but he pushed her before him down the passage.

A heavy riding-whip was hanging on a nail; as he passed he tore it
down, and the leathern thong descended in furious blows on the woman's
head, and on her bare shoulders and bosom.

She gave a loud yell of pain. The few men who had remained away from
the exercises came running, and stared open-mouthed. The whip made deep
red marks on the smooth skin, and the shrieks of the woman became more
and more piercing. But Heimert drove her down the steps into the
barrack-yard. She stumbled, and lost a shoe. No matter! on she must go!

If she stopped for a moment the whip lashed round her feet, her ankles,
her knees. She cowered, shrieking. With outstretched arms she tried to
parry the blows. Her husband pulled her upright; she staggered, but was
again dragged along by her hair under the pressure of that remorseless
hand. The blood ran from her shoulders, but the blows still rained down
like hail.

At last, on reaching the back gate the iron grip was loosened. One last
furious stroke tore her garments and dyed the white linen red. She
stood there for a moment, with bleeding hands pressed to her head, with
shut eyes and trembling knees.

Suddenly she realised that she was f