crafty lot down there. Be careful and take your time. You know
nothing can be done in a hurry down in that country,"--he paused as if
waiting for questions from me. We discussed a few minor points then
he said:

"Your official number with us from now on will be 1734. You will
always use 17 to sign personal cipher messages sent to me. You will
use 34 in signing official reports and communications."

The necessary arrangements for my preliminary expenses were discussed
with one of his secretaries and I then went back to my quarters to
think over a plan of campaign and prepare myself for the mission. The
transfer from Captain Tappken's department pleased me for I knew that
at the Wilhelmstrasse I would be in closer touch with the bigger
affairs of diplomacy. Tappken had hinted at my finding favor with the
Wilhelmstrasse and I guessed that coming on top of my Port Arthur
success a delicate private mission was responsible for it. To cite
the case:

Germany keeps a watch on all her officers. When one of them is
spending more money than his income, he is promptly investigated. I
recalled how they had sent me to the Spandau Garrison to inquire into
the affairs of an officer who was too lavish with his money to suit
the Intelligence Department. He was an ordnance officer in a small
arms factory at Spandau and it was the natural conclusion that he was
obtaining this extra money by selling state secrets.

I encountered, however, an entirely different situation. I learned
that he was absolutely innocent on that score but that he was
receiving money from a certain princess who had become infatuated with