The Man with the Clubfoot

a wave of anger that swept over me, anger with myself for letti

bow with a smile full

this little surprise for you? See, I have brought you to the one man you have crossed so many

heaved his unwieldy

s an unexpected pleasure. I never thought we should meet in Berlin. I had believed our rendezvous to

inform me that he was acquainted with you, as, indeed, he failed to

"to a purely fortuitous encounter at the Casino at Goch, as, indeed, it would appear, I am similarly

Schmalz as h

own room, sit down and try a glass of this excellent Brauneberger. Rhine wine m

his golden te

his bed. Doubtless, you have no secrets from him, but you will agr

am indeed truly sorry that we should be deprived of your company, but I cannot contest the prof

eutenant flu

ll means," he retorted gruffly, "but I think,

of the room, shutting the door with rathe

oot s

rmany a world empire amidst the nations in arms. A wonderful race, a race of giants, our German youth,

have infinitely preferred violent language and open threats to

y Council. You stare! Aha! I repeat, by a member of the English Privy Council, to me, the Boche, the barbarian, the Hun! No hole and corner work for the old doctor. Der Stelze may be lame, Clubfoot may be past his work, but when he trav

s fascinating, now the kindly philosopher, now the Teuton braggart, now the Hun incorporat

h. His arms particularly were out of all proportion to his stature, being so long that his hands hung down on either side of him when he stood erect, like the paws of some giant ape. Altogether, there was something decidedly simian about his appearance his squat nose with hairy, open nostrils, a

aid, was a good one, and, after a preli

tain letter to be recovered, I naturally expected that I, who am a past member in affairs of this order, notably, on behalf of the person concerned, would have been entrusted with the mission. It was I who discovered the auth

sprawling, upright handwriting. I should have known that hand. I had seen it often enough on certain photog

and of handing it back to the writer. But the gentleman was in a hurry; the gentleman always is; he could not wait for th

t has his private papers filched by a common sneak-thief in the underground railway and is fool enough to send home the most valuable documents by a jackass

ons, to do my work. You are chosen, and I will pay you the compliment of saying that you fulfilled your mission

The wily thief has sliced it in two so as to make sure of his money before parting with the goods. They didn't know, of course, that Clubfoot, the old slowcoach, who is past his work, was aware of this already, and had made his plans accordingly. But, in the end, they had to s

ing unusual determination in dealing with a prying Englander-whose fate should be a lesson to all who interfere in other people's business-and goes t

he man mean by his veiled allusions to "al

my throa

d a great hand

nd out that you had left Rotterdam-by the way, you must let me congratulate you on the remarkable fertility of resource

cided that, in your place, I too would not be content to accept, as sole payment for the danger of my mission, the scarcely generous compensation that Count Bernstorff allots to his collaborators. No, I should wish to secure a little renown for myself, or,

r," I replied, "you are the

t this. I thought he wouldn'

our meeting. That was no mere banality, but the sober truth. For, you see, I am the very person with whom, in the circumstances, you would wish to get in touch. Deprived of the honour, rightly belonging to me, of undertaking this mission single-hande

ory short, Herr Do

If I could only fathom how much he knew. Of two things I felt fairly sure: the fellow believed me to be Semlin and was under the impression that I still retained my portion of the document. I should have to gain t

e the s

ou want me to start the bidding? Yo

ard earnestl

in, but I will be brief. In the first place, I wish to know that you are the man you profes

"but I should imagine I carry my name written on my

in a matter of this importance. A detail like that cou

silver star identical with the one I carried on my braces, bu

retorted, "is

inarily alert, however gross

reflection, his hands cros

ettable, sprawling hand, a portion of a gilded crest at the top-in short, the missing half of the document I had found in Semlin's bag. Clubfoot held them out fan

bared his teeth, and, putting the pieces together, he folded them across,

t the grou

hat we have very little time at our disposal? The

ghed and sho

o I fear you must leave that argument out of your presentation of the case

knowledge of one of his own trusted servants, for such I judged Clubfoot to be. Evidently, he knew nothing of my visit to the Castle that evening, and I was for a mo

ined s

are greedy. Well, I will make it fi

the person we know of sends for you, we will go together. You shall tell the large part

the door. The

err Doktor," he said,

nted Viennese waltzes. There seemed to be a ball on, for through the open door of the room

d, shutting out the

he telegram. So as not to seem to observe him, I got up and wa

a voice from

?" I

it is necessary that I should have your portion of the document and the sum I am prepared to pay for it. I set its value at five tho

is shaggy brows as he looked at me. Had I been less agitated, I should have noted this, as a port

aid firmly, "that I don't want

s seat and his fig

terms? Understand that I give orders. I accept terms from no man. We

a good grip with my hands of the marble slab covering the radiator behind me t

t of me was sha

o the interpreter at the internment camp, who was our go-between, who played us false by cutting the document in half? The English shot him too, on account of what was found in letters that came to him openly through the post? And who settled Schulte? And who settle

king with fury: every hair in the tangle on his face

I saw that he was still fighti

ined a b

said contemptuously, "but it doesn't

but his eyes glit

said in an icy tone. The

dirty English dog! I've watched you squirming and writhing whilst the stupid German told you his pretty little tale and plied you with his w

me that you had escaped from the hotel, but I wanted to make sure. Ever since you have been in this room it ha

ool, that old Schratt knows English, that she spent years of her harlot's life in London, and that when you allowed her a glimpse

chratt, who shall have a bangle for this night's work, to say that the corpse at the hotel has a chai

py that has failed in his mission, a miserable wretch that I can send to his death with a flip of my little finger! Yo

The veins stood out at his temples, his hairy nostrils opened and closed as his b

shed floor, then, from the radiator behind me, I raised high in my arms the heavy marble

parquet. I stopped an instant, snatched the cigar-case from the pocket