DER KAISER
Downstairs, the household was in a state of suppressed excitement. The
German men servants, without the usual protection of a brilliant
uniform, looked as if they would like to drop everything and hide
themselves in the coal cellar. The maids were almost on the verge of
tears. Mrs. Jones, with all the jewelry on that she possessed, was
moving about with a flushed face seeing that everything was in order.
“For Heaven’s sake, hurry up, Jack,” she said. “We must have a short
dinner and be ready when the Emperor arrives. As for myself, I never
can touch anything for hours before I meet him. He scares me almost out
of my wits.”
Her husband was walking up and down with the expression of a man who is
the speaker of the evening, watching the waiters serving coffee and
passing cigars. The only persons who seemed perfectly at their ease
were Lawrence and his Bowery boy valet, Fred, who were holding a very
serious conversation in the corner of the hall.
Dinner, it must be confessed, was very like the gathering of the
distant relatives the night before the funeral of the rich old maid of
the family. Lawrence’s jokes were either not heard or were received
with sad-eyed contortions of the face that were less like a smile than
the premonition of a sneeze. The strain was so great that as they were
having their coffee a sudden clatter in the street came as an immense
relief.
The air was instantly filled with the subdued noise of the different
members of the household taking their various places. The Acting
Ambassador and Mrs. Jones went out of the dining-room and took a
position near the door of the large reception room, leaving Edestone
and Lawrence alone. They had previously explained to Edestone what he
must do when they notified him that it was time for him to come in and
be presented.
“Lawrence,” he said when the servants had all gone, “won’t you tell me
what you have decided on? I am rather curious to know your plan.”
Lawrence, who had grown quite serious for him, came around from his
place and lighting a cigarette sat down close to him.
“You know Prince Fritz Funk?” he leaned over to whisper.
“Of course,” said Edestone.
“Well,” continued Lawrence, “I’m supposed to look something like him. I
am just his height. He has, as you know, certain striking mannerisms,
which when he is drinking are accentuated. I have all last year been
amusing the officers at the clubs by giving imitations of him, and they
do say I am better than he is himself.
“Now all the soldiers stationed in and about Berlin know Fritzie’s
peculiarities, so I propose to impersonate him tonight while he is in
here drinking the Ambassador’s champagne. My man is to get his helmet,
‘_avec le grand panache_,’ and his long gray-blue military cape, and
with my riding boots and spurs and a sword, I shall be able to fool
those boobs out there; that is, if they don’t throw on me one of those
damned spot lights. If they do, G-o-o-d-n-i-g-h-t! Then I can only say
that I am doing it on a bet. But I hardly think that would save me in
these times. The least I could expect would be a term in prison for
insulting the uniform. I will go down in history as ‘Little Boy Blue up
in the air.’”
“It’s a big risk you’re taking,” frowned Edestone, “and were there any
other way I would not allow you to do this. But if you do succeed, you
will go down in history in a way you could never dream. Lawrence, if
you get back safely with this information, I will make you a present of
$1,000,000.”
Lawrence looked at his friend as if he thought that he had lost his
mind, but when he saw the look of determination on Edestone’s strong
face, which seemed to have aged within the hour, and when he felt the
grip of his powerful hand, he knew that he meant every word he said.
“By God, old man,” he said with a little break in his voice, “you
should be the Emperor instead of his nibs out there.”
“I may be yet,” said Edestone smiling, and a look came on his face that
Lawrence had never seen there before.
The servants were moving quietly about the room, but it was plain to
see that they felt the presence of the Lord’s Anointed. Through the
house could be heard the clatter of many swords and the tramping of
booted heels along the marble hall. It sent a thrill through Edestone
that he would have had difficulty to explain. It was like the echo of
some far distant past seeming to recall to life a sleeping spirit,
which with great exultation was throwing off the fetters of its long
slumbers. He seemed to be impelled by an almost irresistible force to
rush into their midst and take his rightful position at their head.
He was recalled to himself by the sudden silence that had fallen on the
entire house, as though some great army had been halted and was
standing at rigid attention. Then he heard the silvery tinkle and
metallic clink of sabre and spurs as of a single figure striding with
military precision over the softest of carpets, and he could picture
that majestic form advancing well in front of his glittering escort as
they stood in breathless silence while he made his dramatic entrance.
Then the silence was broken by a voice which said slowly and
distinctly: “His Imperial Majesty.” An almost simultaneous click
followed as if all had come to a salute and were waiting for the sign
to relax and from automatons become human beings again.
Edestone was all alone in the dining-room.
The servants had left the room after removing the table decorations,
covering it with a dark cloth and setting a large bowl of flowers in
the centre; and Lawrence had gone out quietly on hearing the noise in
the hall.
And so he sat, this young man in a strange land, thousands of miles
away from his home, waiting to be called to a death struggle, without
help from anyone, with the most powerful, arrogant, and relentless man
on the face of the earth, an adversary surrounded by the most perfect
fighting machine yet devised by man, with all the confidence, that
tradition, success, and a brilliant mind could give. An Emperor with
the sublime dignity of his position which he sincerely believed he held
by Divine Right, and who had always lived surrounded by an atmosphere
of absolute submission to his will.
Yet Edestone was not afraid. He was not even nervous. He was merely
anxious to be up and doing. This show of force, those mysterious
two-wheeled wagons, had roused his fighting blood. So assured was
he of his own sincerity in his efforts for the good of all that he
resented the attitude which they had taken. He knew they would try
to get his invention peaceably, if possible, but would stop at nothing
if they failed, and he expected some overt act of violence tonight that
would mean war with the United States.
So when he was called by one of the under-secretaries of the Embassy he
went with little charity in his heart, but with head erect and
determination shown in his every movement, bearing on his face, which
seemed to have grown very hard, a look that left no doubt of the
fearlessness of the spirit that was behind it.
He was taken in at one end of the large room that vibrated with light
and colour. Around three sides of it was banked the most brilliant
array of uniforms that he had ever seen. There were white-headed
generals ablaze with decorations and medals; there were young princes
with simple uniforms and with but one handsome decoration to show their
distinguished rank. There were Cuirassiers and Uhlans, and now and then
he could pick out the sombre black and silver uniforms of the
celebrated Death’s-Head Hussars.
But the one figure which dominated all and held his attention was that
of the Emperor.
He stood in the centre of the room with the Secretary and General von
Lichtenstein, Mrs. Jones having retired as soon as she had received her
distinguished guest.
He was a man of medium height but with a bearing which made him appear
larger than he really was. He was dressed in the wonderful white
uniform of the Garde du Corps, which carried with it the celebrated
silver eagle helmet.
As this figure dominated and held the centre of this brilliant picture,
so his face drew the attention from his magnificent uniform and held it
as with a magnetic power. It was handsome, intelligent, strong, but
above all it was commanding. There was little kindness but there was a
merry twinkle in his sharp blue eyes which showed a human side and was
most attractive.
These eyes could change, however, and when he saw Edestone and they
were met by his perfectly fearless but respectful glance, they seemed
to try by force to penetrate his very soul.
Edestone advanced alone until he came to within a few paces of the
central group, and then stopped, standing with one knee slightly bent,
his right hand held lightly in front of his body, which was inclined in
a graceful and easy attitude of reverence, while his other hand hung
naturally at his side.
After his first quick glance, Edestone dropped his eyes to about the
Emperor’s knees and held them there until the Secretary, with a slight
gesture, called him to his side. The young man then straightened up and
went slowly to the Ambassador’s left, and there stood perfectly erect
looking straight at the Emperor, while Jones with some show of
embarrassment was saying:
“Your Majesty, may I present Mr. John Fulton Edestone, of New York.”
The Emperor, with the hearty and easy manner which he always assumes
with those he has been told are distinguished Americans and with that
quizzical expression in his sharp eyes which, though attractive, is
described as most disconcerting, replied.
“Mr. Edestone,” he said, in a loud voice, “your fame has gone before
you, and we are always glad to welcome distinguished men of science in
Berlin, which we think is the centre of science and culture. Your name,
that of a great lighthouse and suggesting the greatest of your
inventions, electric lights, convinces me that you were born to blaze
the way for us,” and he laughed, in which he was joined heartily by his
well-trained courtiers, who knew that nothing pleased him more than to
appreciate his little jokes of which he was so fond.
With his quick eye for detail he had caught the Cincinnati button worn
by Edestone, and said:
“I see that you are the descendant of a soldier, which gives you a
greater claim upon my imperial favour. What was your ancestor’s rank?”
“He was a general, Your Majesty,” replied Edestone with a firmness that
seemed to attract and slightly offend him.
He scowled. He was so accustomed to seeing strong men quail before him
that the coolness of the other man shocked his sense of propriety.
“General von Lichtenstein tells me,” his face brightening up again,
“that you have made a very interesting invention, which may be of great
service to me in bringing to a successful end sooner than I had
expected this cruel war, which has been forced upon me by those
grasping English. He tells me that you have motion pictures of this
invention in actual war practice, which the representative of the
American Ambassador has so kindly invited me here to see.”
Turning to Jones, he said with great show of condescension: “I thank
you, Mr. Secretary.” Then looking at Edestone sharply, and with rather
a sarcastic turn in his voice, he continued: “I will gladly see your
pictures, and what is perhaps of more interest to you, no doubt, I
will, if I like it, buy your invention at a good price.”
And then, as if addressing the entire company, who stood waiting to
applaud his every sentiment, he said: “Germany expects and is able to
pay large prices for American goods now.” And then, as if to cut short
any possible protest that Edestone might presume to make, he turned his
back upon him and said very abruptly to the Secretary: “Where are these
pictures?”
“In the next room,” replied the Secretary, “and if you please, Mr.
Edestone will show them to Your Majesty at once. Edestone,” he said,
“has everything been arranged?”
“Yes,” nodded Edestone. Though boiling with rage he kept a perfectly
calm exterior.
The entire company led by the Emperor and the Secretary moved into
another room where Black had installed the apparatus.
Edestone, with his usual modesty, had obliterated himself, and bringing
up the rear was about to go around through the other rooms to reach his
place in front of the screen when his attention was called by General
von Lichtenstein, who had fallen back apparently with the intention of
speaking to him apart from the others.
“Mr. Edestone,” he said, drawing him aside, “one would think that you
had spent your entire life among us,” and with a quizzical smile he
added: “I think you rather astonished the Kaiser by your _sang-froid_.
I have seen men of the highest rank stand speechless in his presence,
while you are as finished as a courtier of the Grand Monarque and as
cool as the Iron Chancellor.
“I admit,” he said in his fatherly manner, “I had no authority from you
to do so, but thought it best to leave upon the Emperor the impression
that you would sell your invention. Had I not done so he certainly
would have demanded the reasons for your presence in Berlin, and had I
dared to suggest that you had been sent by the United States to coerce
him he would have been thrown into such a rage that he might have
declared war on your country, which I understand is the last thing that
you want.”
“I regret that you did this, General von Lichtenstein, if I may be
pardoned for seeming to criticize a statesman of your experience and
distinction; for I do not intend to sell and my country has not sent me
to coerce. I have come instead to appeal to your reason, after showing
you the uselessness of continuing this loss of life in the face of the
great power in the hands of those who know the secret of my invention
and intend to put a stop to it.”
A cloud seemed to pass over the General’s face, but he soon recovered
his bland, almost Oriental smile.
“But, Mr. Edestone, you seem to forget that whereas others _may_ have
the secret, we know that you certainly have it, and you are still our
most honoured guest in Berlin.”
“Where I am also the guest of my own country, so long as the Acting
Ambassador is so kind as to allow me to remain under his roof and our
flag,” replied Edestone pointedly, intending if possible to force the
General’s hand.
In this he failed as the old man only smiled through his glasses.
“A great statesman was lost when you turned inventor, Mr. Edestone,” he
said in a most complimentary tone. “But come, I fear His Majesty
waits.” And then changing his manner, he said with a knowing wink:
“Here is a note which Princess Wilhelmina asked me to deliver to you.
She seems to be very much interested. Can it be possible that you are
raising your eyes to a Princess of the Blood?
“Still, stranger things than that have happened,” he half mused, “and
His Imperial Majesty is always glad to recognize talent and reward it
in a befitting manner.”
They went into the other room where the Emperor sat waiting. Evidently
impatient that Edestone was not at his position of parlour entertainer
in front of the screen with his pointer in hand as soon as the Imperial
eye should deign to be cast in that direction, he rose with exaggerated
politeness when the American appeared and said in a most sarcastic
manner: “Must the whole world wait while inventors dream?”
Then sitting down he added in a harsh and irritable tone: “With your
very kind assistance, Mr. Edestone, we will now inspect these much
talked of pictures.”
There was a silence in the room that was like a gasp of horror, and
the company all standing looked as if they expected to see Edestone
sink to the floor with mortification; that is, all except Jones, who
slow-moving had only gotten half-way to his feet when the Kaiser sat
down, and who now dropped back into his chair with a quizzical little
smile playing about the corners of his mouth.
But Edestone, with the respectful manner of a grown man answering his
father, who still looked upon him as a boy, and who had reproved him
unjustly, said with an indulgent smile that bore no trace of
resentment:
“I beg that Your Majesty will forgive me, but I was held prisoner by
General von Lichtenstein, and not until I waved the Stars and Stripes
would he let me go.”
The General hurried over to the Emperor. “Pardon me, Sire,” he said,
for he saw that the Emperor would fly into one of his fits of rage and
might upset all of their well-laid plans if something was not quickly
done to quiet him. “Pardon me, Sire, it was my fault. I did not know
that I was keeping Your Majesty waiting.”
“Go on with the pictures,” said the Emperor, with an impatient gesture
of his enormous right hand, and he sat glaring at the screen as the
lights went out.