persuaded
me and I liked Herr Eichenholz, a noble gentleman and free with his
money--see here, the papers of a waiter, Julius Zimmermann, called up
with the Landwehr but discharged medically unfit, military pay-book and
_permis de sejour_ for fifteen days. These papers are only a guarantee
in case you come across the police: no questions will be asked where I
shall send you."

"But a fifteen days' permit!" I said. "What am I to do at the end of
that time?"

"Leave it to me," Kore said craftily. "I will get it renewed for you. It
will be all right!"

"But in the meantime...." I objected.

"I place you as waiter with a friend of mine who is kind to poor fellows
like yourself. Your brother was with him."

"But I want to be free to move around."

"Impossible," the Jew answered firmly. "You must get into your part and
live quietly in seclusion until the enquiries after you have abated.
Then we may see as to what is next to be done. There you are, a fine set
of papers and a safe, comfortable life far away from the trenches--all
snug and secure--cheap (in spite of the danger to me), because you are a
lad of spirit and I liked your brother ... ten thousand marks!"

I breathed again. Once we had reached the haggling stage, I knew the
papers would be mine all right. With Semlin's money and my own I found I
had about L550, but I had no intention of paying out L500 straight away.
So I beat the fellow down unmercifully and finally secured the lot for
3600 marks--L180.

But, even after I had paid the fellow his money, I was not done with
him. He had his eye on his perquisites.

"Your clothes will never do," he said; "such richness of apparel, such
fine stuff--we must give you others." He rang the bell.

The old man-servant appeared.

"A waiter's suit--for the Linien-Strasse!" he said.

Then he led me into a bedroom where a worn suit of German shoddy was
spread out on a sofa. He made me change into it, and then handed me a
threadbare green overcoat and a greasy green felt hat.

"So!" he said. "Now, if you don't shave for a day or two, you will look
the part to the life!"--a remark which, while encouraging, was hardly
complimentary.

He gave me a muffler to tie round my neck and lower part of my face and,
with that greasy hat pulled down over my eyes and in those worn and
shrunken clothes, I must say I looked a pretty villainous person, the
very antithesis of the sleek, well-dressed young fellow that had entered
the