Part 18 (2/2)

After he had gotten all the information that he could pump, pull, and squeeze out of Edestone, he shook his head discouragingly.

”I am darn glad to see you, old chap,” he said, ”but I am sorry to hear that you have come over to try and reason with this bunch of nuts.

Don't you know they are so d.a.m.n conceited that if you were to tell them that every time you look at a German you see two men, they would believe you; and then as if they hated to lie to themselves, they would say perhaps it was an optical illusion. Tell them that G.o.d did not create anyone but the Germans and that he left the rest of the world to the students in his office, and they will give you a smile of a.s.sent.”

Edestone smiled indulgently. ”Tell them that when the Kaiser frowns every wheel in the United States stops and refuses to move until rea.s.sured by the German papers that it is but the frown of an indulgent father and not the thunder of their future War Lord, and they will give a knowing look. Tell them that only German is taught in our public schools, and that any child who does not double-cross himself at the mention of the name of any of the North German Lloyd steamers is taken out and shot, and they will say, 'Ach so?'

”But just you pull something about what a hit Brother Henry made in the United States, especially with the navy, and what a swell chance he would have of being elected Admiral when Dewey resigns, then look out!

Get under your umbrella and sit perfectly still until the storm pa.s.ses.

Keep well down in the trenches and don't expose anything that you do not want sent to the cleaners. For when one of these Dutchmen begins to splutter, there is nothing short of the U-29 that can stand the tidal wave of beer and sauerkraut which has been lying in wait for some unsuspecting neutral in their flabby jowls like nuts in a squirrel's cheek. They back-fire, skip, short-circuit, and finally blow up, and if you don't throw on a bucket or two of flattery quick, you've got a duel on your hands, which for an American in this country means that you get it going and coming.”

Edestone, knowing Lawrence well, took what he said largely as a joke; but from his own observations and from what Jones had told him he felt convinced that there did not exist the kindest feeling for Americans in Berlin. Brus.h.i.+ng all this aside, he turned to Lawrence with a businesslike air:

”Where are the trunks that I sent to the Emba.s.sy?” he asked. ”Have they got here yet?”

”Down in the bas.e.m.e.nt,” Lawrence nodded.

”I'd like to get something out of them.”

”Well, why look at me?” inquired Lawrence. ”I'm no baggage smasher.”

”It's a pity you're not,” rejoined Edestone. ”You would be better at that than you are at diplomacy. However, all I want is for you to have someone show me where they are.”

”Fred, show the King of America where his royal impedimenta await his royal pleasure,” Lawrence directed a young man with the manners of a Bowery boy, who appeared in answer to his summons.

With him Edestone went down to the trunks and took from one of them a small receiving instrument with a dial attachment similar to the one on top of the Deionizer, which he had dropped into the Channel. Then after a few words with his other friends in the Emba.s.sy, he went back to the hotel.

The next morning Count von Hemelstein called, and it was quite like meeting an old friend. Edestone was really sorry when, the Count leaving him at the door of General Headquarters said: ”This is where I turn you over to my superiors. These are times that try men's souls, and you are now dealing with men who must win.”

They had arrived on the stroke of the hour, and Edestone was quickly taken in charge and shown without a moment's delay into the presence of General von Lichtenstein. The General was a man whose age was impossible to tell. He was over sixty, but how much over one found it hard to estimate. He was erect and rather thin, and he wore his uniform with the care of a much younger man. The lines about his mouth and chin, which are such a sure index, were hidden by a full beard, white as snow and rather long. His high forehead was half covered by a huge shock of hair, also perfectly white, which was parted neatly on the side. His steel-blue eyes, looking out through a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles, were bright, but were set so far back under his heavy brows that they looked very old, very wise, and almost mysterious.

When Edestone was brought into the room without any form of introduction, the General rose and greeted him in the most kind and fatherly manner.

”Good-morning, Mr. Edestone,” he said in English with a marked accent.

”I am very glad to see you,” and, putting out his hand with an air of simple kindness as if to lead him to a chair, he said: ”Won't you sit down, sir?

”You must not mind if I treat you like a boy,” he went on with a gentle smile; ”you are about the age of my own son who was killed at Ypres. I am too old to fight any more, so they keep me here to entertain distinguished strangers like yourself,” and he laughed quietly to himself, looking at Edestone as he might at a little boy whom he had just told that he had on a very pretty suit of clothes.

He picked up from his desk, a box of very large cigars, selected two, and, after looking very carefully at one to see that it was absolutely perfect, handed it without a word to Edestone. After he had watched with great interest to see that Edestone had lighted his cigar properly, he lighted his own.

”I see by the way you smoke that you are a good judge of tobacco. I have always understood that you Americans like very fresh cigars and smoke them immediately after they are made. I like them old myself.”

”You are thinking of Cuba, perhaps,” suggested Edestone.

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