were offered. But
the only pledge _you_ offer me for punctual return of the
money is your word of honor, and I am sorry to say I cannot
look upon that as such an absolute security, since you as
well as First Lieutenant Borgert have not yet refunded the
divers amounts which I loaned you months ago, although you
at the time passed your word to me to see that the debt was
paid promptly within ten days. Besides, it seems to me, that
your financial condition, as far as I understand it, is not
of a description to guarantee the keeping of a promise of
that kind made to me."

Borgert rose from his chair and flung the letter aside in a rage. Then
he stepped to the window and looked down into the street.

Neither of the two spoke a word; but as their glances met, Leimann
remarked:

"Well, what do you say to this?"

"A piece of insolence, a vulgar bit of presumption it is on his part!"
Borgert broke out. "How the devil does this fellow dare, anyway, to
concern himself with our private affairs? It would have been merely an
unfriendly act and would have shown a deficient spirit of comradeship
to send us a reply refusing our request, but to do so in this
offensive manner! We cannot quietly submit to this."

"But what are you going to do about it?" retorted Leimann with a
shrug. "If you openly take a stand against him, he has us by the
throat if he merely states that we did not keep our pledged word, and
we could not dispute that, for he can show it in black and white.
Therefore it will be best for us to pocket his rudeness and to cut the
fellow; he will not fail to notice that."

"Apparently he has entirely forgotten that it would be an easy matter
for us to break his neck. Did he not say himself at the time that he
was going to take the amount in question from the squadron fund? I
think we could make it very unpleasant for him if we were to use this
fact against him."

"True," said Leimann, "but you could not in decency bring up the
matter, since his touching those funds was done in our interest."

"I don't care. If he at present takes the liberty to throw impudent
remarks in our faces, I will certainly show him that I'm in a
condition to pay him back in the same coin."

"But you cannot possibly sign a formal accusation stating that Koenig
had lent you money obtained from the squadron fund. Do you not see
that that would throw a curious light upon yourself?"

"Oh, I wou