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They wheeled around, boldly passing the front of the Marchand house where the general and his staff lived and where Tom had been an unwilling guest for three days, and so reached the main entrance of the estate. Here their papers were scrutinized, but superficially. Captain von Brenner's name was already known. Leutnant Gilder and Sub-Leutnant Louden were remembered from the previous evening.
"Take that woman's hand off your arm, Herr Leutnant," said the Colonel sharply. Bernd gently put my hand off, and I put it back again. "We are going to be married," I said to the Colonel, "and perhaps I may not see Bernd for a long while after tonight." "No German officer marries an alien enemy," snapped out the Colonel. "Remove the woman's hand, Herr Leutnant."
Another voice answered: "Very good, Herr Leutnant, but in that case the patrols to right and left need not cross the plank each time; they can turn when they come to the ravine guard." The voices died away in a murmur. I craned my neck aloft. It was so dark, I could see nothing save the fretwork of branches against the night sky.
"Oh, a blend of Beardsley and Bakst as far as get-up and costume, and of course his own personality counted for a good deal. Quite one of the successes of the evening was Leutnant von Gabelroth, as George Washington, with Joan Mardle as his shadow, typifying Inconvenient Candour. He put her down officially as Truthfulness, but every one had heard the other version."
Again Bernd gently took my hand, but I held on. "This is good-bye, then?" I said, looking up at him and clinging to him. He was facing the Colonel, rigid, his profile to me; but he did at that turn his head and look at me. "Remember " he breathed. "I forbid all talking, Herr Leutnant," snapped the Colonel. "Never mind him," I whispered. "What does he matter?
That was the last we saw of our guests. August 18th, Tuesday. This morning one of them came back for some personal things, principally his watch, which, in the true, novel style, could not be found anywhere. So the Herr leutnant ordered a thorough search and said, with a grand air, to the housekeeper that if it could not be found he would be obliged to take one of the servant's as a forfeit.
"Tonight if he can; tomorrow if he can't. He's dead, he is. I know 'em, Herr Leutnant. Dozens of 'em already, for a flogging or even for a kick; they call it 'escaping by the back door. And now she knows. It's spreading, I tell you." "Good Lord!" said Jovannic slowly.
"I informed the camp commander he was a simple sort of leutnant that I was going to overtake the column, the column, by the bye, having been sent by me on a fool's errand to capture an imaginary laager on Gwelba kopje. According to previous arrangements I fell in with Hauptmann Schmidt's company, and he obligingly set a squad of his Askaris to work to stage the last stand of Scout MacGregor.
"Hey!" cried the sergeant suddenly, and flapped loose the blanket, letting it fall to cover the body again. "See, Herr Leutnant the young lady!" "Eh?" Jovannic started and turned to look. She was yet a hundred yards off, coming through the wind-wrenched old trees of the orchard towards them. In her hand and lying along the curve of her arm she bore what seemed to be the green bough of a tree.
Remember what, my Bernd, my own beloved?" "Remember courage patience " he murmured quickly, under his breath. "Silence!" shouted the Colonel. "Take that woman's hand off your arm, Herr Leutnant. Kreutzhimmeldonnerwetter nochmal. Instantly." Bernd took my hand, and raising it to his face kissed it slowly and looked at me. I shall not forget that look.
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