ved about love
and mercy and universal brotherhood; he was too young, too easily
impressed, too soft of heart. He had agreed that victory must be won at
any price, but Pachmann very well knew that he had no idea of how
terrible that price was almost certain to be. No; the Prince must be
kept as much as possible on the borders of this affair! So, having
finished dressing, the Admiral went forward alone to the Captain's
cabin.

He found the Captain sitting at his desk, and his face was so grave that
it gave Pachmann a little start.

He rose and greeted the Admiral, and then glanced over the latter's
shoulder, as though expecting to see some one else.

"You did not bring the Prince?" he asked.

"Do you think it necessary?" retorted Pachmann, tartly.

Hausmann hesitated.

"I am not, of course, aware of your relative positions in this affair,"
he said, finally.

"The paper I showed you yesterday should have told you that," said
Pachmann quickly. "The affair has been in my hands from the first. The
Prince was sent along because his father wished to separate him from a
Berlin bar-maid."

"Ah, so," said the Captain, without smiling. "I understand. Be seated."
He did not like Pachmann, and also, perhaps, he found the jesting
reference to the royal love affairs in bad taste. "A very strange thing
has occurred," he continued. "I stationed one of my men outside the
door, last night, in order that you might not be interrupted."

"Yes," agreed the Admiral, "and he did his duty very well. We were not
interrupted."

"He was found this morning, unconscious, in one of the boats on the
upper deck."

Pachmann looked at the speaker in some surprise.

"Well," he asked, "what of it? Some sailor's row."

"I thought so too, at first. But he became conscious, just now, and
declares that he was struck down from behind."

Pachmann shrugged his shoulders.

"He is probably lying. In any event, it is of no concern to me. He was
on duty at the door when the conference closed."

The Captain stared at him as though not understanding.

"What is it you say?" he asked.

"I say," repeated Pachmann, impatiently, "that he was on duty when we
left your cabin. What happened to him after that is of no importance."

"At what hour did you leave?" asked the Captain, still staring.

"About midnight. Why do you look at me like that?"

"The man swears," said Hausmann, slowly, "that he was struck down soon
after you entered the cabin."

Pa