eutenant of police began by asking their names. When they told
him--"Dr. Schrotter, M. D. one of the members for Berlin and Professor
Emeritus," and "Dr. Eynhardt, Doctor of Philosophy, householder," he
offered them chairs. The informer introduced himself as
"non-commissioned officer Patke, retired, member of a military
association, and candidate for the private constabulary."

"What have you to bring forward against the gentlemen?"

"I walked behind the two gentlemen from the Linden to the
Mittelstrasse. They were conversing loudly about the attempted
assassination, and I naturally listened."

"It does not appear to me so very natural," commented the lieutenant
dryly.

The informer was a trifle disconcerted, but he soon recovered himself,
and proceeded in a declamatory manner:

"The younger gentleman--the dark one--expressed himself in very
unbecoming terms with regard to his majesty the emperor, and said among
other things, that the outrage was of no real importance. I am a
patriot, I have served his august majesty; if his majesty--"

"That will do," the lieutenant broke in, ruthlessly interrupting the
retired non-commissioned officer's flow of language, which he
accompanied with a dramatic waving of the right arm. "Can you repeat
the 'unbecoming terms' of which, according to your account, this
gentleman made use?"

"I cannot remember the exact words. I was too excited. So much,
however, I remember distinctly--he declared the attempt upon his
majesty's life to be an occurrence of no importance."

Wilhelm now broke in.

"Not a word of that is true," he said quietly. "Neither of us said one
word which could justify this inconceivable charge."

"The remark which this informer seems to have taken hold of," Schrotter
observed, "was not made by my friend, Dr. Eynhardt, but by me. I did
not say either that the occurrence was unimportant, but that it had no
general significance--that it was not a proof of the prevailing feeling
at large."

"It comes to the same thing whether you say it has no importance or no
significance," interrupted the informer. "That gentleman may have made
the remark, but I certainly heard it, and as a loyal servant of his
majesty--"

"That is quite enough," said the lieutenant of police authoritatively.
Then turning to the two friends--"I am very sorry, but as things stand
at present, I must let the law take its course. Do you persist in your
charge?" he asked the informer.

"Yes, Her