16 Commander von Brüning

TO RESUME my story in narrative form.

I was awakened at ten o'clock on the 19th, after a long and delicious
sleep, by Davies's voice outside, talking his unmistakable German.
Looking out, in my pyjamas, I saw him on the quay above in
conversation with a man in a long mackintosh coat and a gold-laced
navy cap. He had a close-trimmed auburn beard, a keen, handsome face,
and an animated manner. It was raining in a raw air.

They saw me, and Davies said: 'Hullo, Carruthers! Here's Commander
von Brüning from the Blitz--that's "meiner Freund" Carruthers.'
(Davies was deplorably weak in terminations.)

The commander smiled broadly at me, and I inclined an uncombed head,
while, for a moment, the quest was a dream, and I myself felt
unutterably squalid and foolish. I ducked down, heard them parting,
and Davies came aboard.

'We're to meet him at the inn for a talk at twelve,' he said.

His news was that the Blitz's steam-cutter had come in on the morning
tide, and he had met von Brüning when marketing at the inn. Secondly,
the Kormoran had also come in, and was moored close by. It was as
clear as possible, therefore, that the latter had watched us, and was
in touch with the Blitz, and that both had seized the opportunity of