s. I must pull myself together. I
decided I would have some black coffee, and I raised my eyes to find the
waiter. They fell upon the pale face and elegant figure of the one-armed
officer I had met at the Casino at Goch ... the young lieutenant they
had called Schmalz.

He had just entered the cafe and was standing at the door, looking about
him. I felt a sudden pang of uneasiness at the sight of him, for I
remembered his cross-examination of me at Goch. But I could not escape
without paying my bill; besides, he blocked the way.

He settled my doubts and fears by walking straight over to my table.

"Good evening, Herr Doktor," he said in German, with his pleasant smile.
"This indeed is an unexpected pleasure! So you are seeing how we poor
Germans are amusing ourselves in war-time. You must admit that we do not
take our pleasures sadly. You permit me?"

Without waiting for my reply, he sat down at my table and ordered a
glass of beer.

"I wish you had appeared sooner," I exclaimed in as friendly a tone as I
could muster, "for I am just going. I have had a long and tiring journey
and am anxious to go to an hotel."

Directly I had spoken I realized my blunder.

"You have not got an hotel yet?" said Schmalz. "Why, how curious! Nor
have I? As you are a stranger in Berlin, you must allow me to appoint
myself your guide. Let us go to an hotel together, shall we?"

I wanted to demur, difficult as it was to find any acceptable excuse,
but his manner was so friendly, his offer seemed so sincere, that I felt
my resolution wavering. He had a winning personality, this frank,
handsome boy. And I was so dog-tired!

He perceived my reluctance but also my indecision.

"We'll go to any hotel you like," he said brightly. "But you Americans
are spoilt in the matter of luxurious hotels, I know. Still, I tell you
we have not much to learn in that line in Berlin. Suppose we go to the
Esplanade. It's a fine hotel ... the Hamburg American line run it, you
know. I am very well known there, quite the _Hauskind_ ... my uncle was
a captain of one of their liners. They will make us very comfortable:
they always give me a little suite, bedroom, sitting-room and bath, very
reasonably: I'll make them do the same for you."

If I had been less weary--I have often thought since--I would have got
up and fled from the cafe rather than have countenanced any such mad
proposal. But I was drunk with sleep heaviness and I snatched at this
chance of