engaged just now...."

The old courtier paused irresolutely for a moment.

"Well, what is it; what is it?"

"Despatches from General Head-quarters, Your Majesty! The General asked
me to say the matter was urgent!"

The Kaiser wakened in an instant.

"Bring him in!" Then, to Plessen, he added in a voice from which all
mirth had vanished, in accents of gloom:

"At this hour, Plessen? If things have again gone wrong on the Somme!"

An officer came in quickly, rigid with a frozen face, helmet on head,
portfolio under his arm. The Kaiser walked the length of the room to his
desk and sat down. Plessen and the other followed him. I remained where
I was. They seemed to have forgotten all about me.

A murmur rose from the desk. The officer was delivering his report. Then
the Kaiser seemed to question him, for I heard his hard, metallic
voice:

"Contalmaison ... Trones Wood ... heavy losses ... forced
back ... terrific artillery fire ..." were words that reached me.
The Kaiser's voice rose on a high note of irritability. Suddenly he
dashed the papers on the desk from him and exclaimed: