He lowered at me. His brow was furrowed and his eyes flashed malice. In
the brief instant in which I gazed at him I thought of a phrase a friend
had used after seeing the Kaiser in one of his angry moods--"His icy,
black look."

I was so taken aback at finding myself in the Emperor's presence that I
forgot my part and remained staring in stupefaction at the apparition.
The other was seemingly too busy with his thoughts to notice my
forgetfulness, for he spoke at once, imperiously, in the harsh staccato
of a command.

"What is this I hear?" he said. "Why has not Grundt come? What are you
doing here?"

By this time I had elaborated the fable I had begun to tell in the
corridor without. I had it ready now: it was thin, but it must suffice.

"If your Majesty will allow me, I will explain," I said. The Emperor was
rocking himself to and fro, in nervous irritability, on his feet. His
eyes were never steady for an instant: now they searched my face, now
they fell to the floor, now they scanned the ceiling.

"Dr. Grundt and I succeeded in our quest, dangerous though it was. As
your Majesty is aware, the ... the ... the object had been divided...."

"Yes, yes, I know! Go on!" the other said, pausing for a moment in his
rocking.

"I was to have left England first with my portion. I could not get away.