The adventures of Heine
His car was waiting, and we drove through the city to a large
building, which I recognized, passed under a vaulted archway, and the
car stopped in a courtyard.
There was a solemn hush on the world. We heard nothing but the sound
of birds singing. The old trees were dressed in the vivid green of
spring and in my heart was a greater solemnity than I had ever felt.
Major Haynes looked at his watch and led me to a large bare room.
There were eight soldiers there, standing in a line, their rifles at
the rest. At the other end of the room was a chair. We took our place
behind the soldiers, and a little to the side, and presently we heard
steps, and two soldiers entered and between them, dressed in his shirt
and trousers, was Captain Baron von Hazfeld, his face grey, his eyes
downcast.
They sat him on the chair and strapped his hands, and the eight rifles
came up together as if by machinery. I shut my eyes and closed my
ears.
Five seconds later I was in the open air again. I had seen the figure
in the chair limp and bloody and I wanted to see no more.
The Major drove me back to the hotel and, standing on the pavement, he
shook hands with me.
“War,” said he sadly, “is a pitiful business, Heine. Do you think you
will catch your train?”
“Major Haynes,” I said, “if you will be kind enough to drive me to the
station now I shall be glad to wait on the platform until it comes
in.”
THE END
ENDNOTES
[1] The Prussian Ministry of War.
[2] As a matter of fact, it was invented by the American Secret
Service.--Ed.
[3] This is not an extravagant story of German credulity, but is based
upon the fact. The more improbable a story was at the beginning of
war, particularly in regard to the British Navy, the more eagerly did
the German Admiralty swallow it.--E.W.
[4] Heine apparently describes as Highlands any hill country in
Scotland.--E.W.
[5] The inconsistency between Heine’s views of his own countrymen and
the opinions he expressed to Mr. Craigmair may be noted as being a
typical example of German mentality.--E.W.
[6] The London Stock Exchange was closed between August and December,
1914, so probably Heine’s explanation is not as convincing as it might
be.--E.W.
[7] This tragedy actually happened to a local branch of a certain
seditious organization in Ireland.--E.W.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
The 1919 edition by the same publisher was consulted for the changes
listed below.
Minor spelling inconsistencies (e.g. air-raid/air raid, Chili/Chile,
taxicab/taxi-cab, etc.) have been preserved.
Alterations to the text:
Convert footnotes to endnotes.
Abandon the use of drop-caps.
Punctuation: fix some quotation mark pairings/nestings, missing
periods, etc.
[Chapter II]
Change “I looked at our good _Von_ Kahn, with his big red face” to
_von_.
“informing the _Kreigsministerium_ that he was evidently well” to
_Kriegsministerium_.
“I should not set on foot independent _inquries_ as to their” to
_inquiries_.
“been seen leaving the Central Station at _Glagow_” to _Glasgow_.
[Chapter III]
“Almost as he spoke we _hard_ a quick rustle and swish” to _heard_.
[Chapter IV]
“the place of your birth and the state of your banking _acccount_” to
_account_.
[Chapter V]
(“Your Excellency will discover that I have spoken _noting_ but the
truth,”) to _nothing_.
[Chapter VI]
“I myself am working night and day to _obatin_ results” to _obtain_.
[Chapter VII]
“Miss O’Mara and I met in the _halycon_ days at a ball.” to _halcyon_.
“outside the principal _entrace_ to an exhibition ground?” to
_entrance_.
“on the ground floor and had the _advanage_ of having no porter” to
_advantage_.
“attention to men _with_ have fought and bled for one’s country” to
_who_.
“by any who have the _entreé_ to the archives in Wilhelmstrasse” to
_entrée_.
[Chapter VIII]
(There is a saying in my country; “Trust an Englishman,) change the
semicolon to a colon.
(“That is an _enoromous_ amount. Who asks for it?”) to _enormous_.
“sheet of note-paper, which bore at the top the inscription.” change
the period to a colon.
“The letter was brief and peremptory?” change the question mark to a
colon.
[Chapter IX]
“in tones of gentle but amused _tolerence_ I hinted at my client’s
vanity.” to _tolerance_.
“two or three days later he produced two _maunscripts_ dealing with”
to _manuscripts_.
[Chapter X]
“meet that I should _perface_ the story with a short introduction” to
_preface_.
“that moment that my quick German brain _grapsed_ the situation.” to
_grasped_.
“Two or three _gentleman_ with whom you have had dealings” to
_gentlemen_.
[Chapter XI]
“If there were any _burntofferings_ required, it were better for” to
_burnt offerings_.
(“Do you know them,” asked Wilhelm Peters.) change the comma to a
question mark.
(“I have met them?” I said, and somehow at that) change the question
mark to a comma.
[Chapter XII]
“been opened and my razors and shaving apparatus _was_ neatly laid
out.” to _were_.
[Chapter XIV]
“If you will insert an _adertisement_ in the Daily Megaphone” to
_advertisement_.
[Chapter XV]
“I pondered this letter for some considerable time _ann_ before I
went out” to _and_.
[Chapter XVII]
“We Germans are _wideawake_.” to _wide-awake_.
[Chapter XVIII]
“_dresssed_ in his shirt and trousers” to _dressed_.
[End of text]