THE HUMILIATION OF THE "GOLDEN BUTTERFLIES"
AN officers' meeting had been summoned, which all the officers of the
regiment had been commanded to attend, with the single exception of
Lieutenant Winkler, and the colonel's behaviour to his lieutenants
had been by no means gentle. In his present excited state of mind,
and with the fear of possible dismissal after all, he was going to
take good care that there should be no further scandals among his
officers, and one would certainly be unavoidable if their behaviour
to Lieutenant Winkler was not altered. He therefore explained to them
the Willberg affairs as far as he was justified in doing so, and
assured them that George had behaved splendidly--indeed, many of them
might take an example from him. At first the colonel had thought of
sending a deputation of three lieutenants to George to convey to him
the expression of his comrades' confidence and to apologise for their
unjust suspicions. He had discussed at length with his adjutant as to
whether George was not entitled to some substantial compensation,
but the latter had not taken his view. To make too much of the
affair was to do more harm than good. If the colonel insisted upon
an official apology great indignation would be once more aroused;
the officers' rage would burst forth anew, and they would consider
compensation as a still further humiliation, for George was only a
_bourgeois_, and it is always very disagreeable for an aristocrat to
say to such a one, "I did you an injustice." After much discussion
the colonel agreed to this view, and so he only delivered a
thundering philippic, ending with the words: "I have commanded Count
Wettborn to inform me daily concerning your behaviour to Lieutenant
Winkler; if a single complaint reaches me, if I hear that in the
future any one of you behaves in such a way as is not permissible
under any circumstances, I shall cause the officer concerned to be
sent to a frontier garrison within three days. I swear to this."
This had its effect; at least, inasmuch as in future the officers
did not dare to oppose Lieutenant Winkler openly nor to make hostile
speeches and remarks against him. Their feeling was not altered, and
they did not become more friendly because of the colonel's discourse,
but they kept their thoughts to themselves, and behaved towards him
in a more polite fashion, if, perhaps, a not more friendly one. It
was still very little, indeed, that George was offered in the way
of friendship, but it was yet considerably more than he had lately
dared to hope. The present behaviour of his fellow-officers filled
him with a certain satisfaction, and being a generous-minded man,
he was almost sorry that they had had to endure such harsh words on
his account; but in his bearing and in his intercourse with them he
betrayed neither the one feeling nor the other. He was polite and
amiable, but at the same time independent and self-reliant, as he had
been from the beginning. He behaved, indeed, as if he had no idea of
what had happened at the officers' meeting, and officially he did not
know, for Count Wettborn had not thought it advisable to inform him
directly what had been said regarding him to the others; that would
have been too great a humiliation of the aristocracy in the eyes of
the middle class. The fact that George feigned ignorance so cleverly,
that not by a single word did he allude to their former suspicions of
him, that he bore no grudge against anyone, and that though he had
received ample satisfaction in consequence of the colonel's severe
reprimand, he still remained modest and unassuming in his manners
and did not play the part of innocence justified, made a certain
impression on the better sort of men among the officers.
Although George betrayed nothing of all this, he noticed that very
slowly there was a slight change of feeling towards him. He only
told Olga of this, and in his letters home he merely said that
very soon he would be quite happy in the regiment. It was, indeed,
high time, for he had been more than a year among the "Golden
Butterflies." George felt now quite a different being. His cheerful
disposition once more showed itself, and his happy nature drove away
all the sad thoughts which had lately so filled his mind.
He enjoyed his official duties much more than formerly, and just then
several things happened that made them pleasanter than usual. His
captain had gone away for a few days, his first lieutenant was on
furlough, and as it was a very quiet time in the regiment, George was
given the command of his company.
To-day the company had been shooting, and now it was musketry
inspection. George had at first entrusted this to the sergeant-major
alone, but at the last moment he thought it was his duty to make a
personal inspection. He came quite unexpectedly. The men were drawn
up in the corridor, and as George mounted the steps he heard from
above such a shower of curses that he hurried on. The cry, "The
lieutenant is coming!" produced absolute silence in a moment, and the
sergeant-major hastened towards him to salute him.
"But, sergeant, whatever is the matter? You know how our captain
insists upon a good tone in the company, and I should not like there
to be any difference in his absence. What has happened?"
"Nothing, sir. The lieutenant knows how everything sounds in the
corridor if one speaks a little louder than usual, and one has to do
that to make one's self understood. Perhaps it was I was a little
angry with a man whose gun was badly cleaned."
"Don't get angry with him, but make a note of it and inspect the gun
again."
"Certainly, sir. I will attend to your commands."
George was standing on one side with the sergeant-major, and now he
dismissed him. "Go on with your inspection."
The sergeant-major went back to his place, and George walked slowly
along the line, examining the men's uniforms. Suddenly he stopped in
front of a soldier.
"Petersen, what have you done to yourself?"
The man had a swollen and inflamed eye and a great boil on his
forehead which prevented him from wearing his cap properly.
"You look horrible. What has happened to you?" inquired George once
more.
"I fell down."
"Where?"
"On the steps."
"That's what I am always saying. You lazy fellows don't even know how
to walk, and yet you imagine you are fit for a parade march."
George tried to make a joke of the affair, and, as a rule, he found
that his men liked this mode of treatment; but to-day his words
called forth no response. Petersen did not laugh, and the men
standing by were evidently not amused by it. It struck George as a
little odd, but still he thought no more of it, and turned to go,
when by chance his glance fell upon Non-Commissioned Officer von
Nissew, who was standing a little way from him by the window, and who
was looking at Petersen with such a threatening and fiery glance that
involuntarily George was frightened for a moment.
Then suddenly he grasped the real meaning of the affair. His
instinct, which had made him dislike von Nissew from the very
beginning, was not wrong then. What he had just seen made him
determine to sift the matter to the bottom, so he now went back to
the soldier and subjected him to a cross-examination. When did he
fall? Who were there when it happened? Had he been to the ward-room
and had his wounds dressed by the nurse? Who was in the room when
he returned? But he could get nothing out of the man; he had fallen
down, nobody had seen it, and he had told none, because he had not
wanted to make himself ridiculous on account of his clumsiness.
"What do you know about the matter, Non-Commissioned Officer von
Nissew?" said George, turning suddenly to him. "You are responsible
for these men. Why did you not send this man to the ward-room? The
wound looks frightful."
The non-commissioned officer continued staring at the soldier with
threatening eyes. "I know nothing about it, sir. I only discovered
the injury just before the inspection, and then it was too late to
send him to the nurse."
George knew perfectly well that von Nissew was not speaking the
truth, but he did not want to convict him of lying before the
assembled men, on the ground of discipline and subordination.
"Show me the place on the steps where you fell down."
A clever liar would have shown George some place or other and said,
"Here, sir." But the soldier was so little accustomed to hypocrisy
and concealment that he did not know whether to go to the right or
to the left, and George once more took him to task. "I want to say
something to you, Petersen; you know me, and you know that I try to
act fairly towards you all, and shut my eyes whenever I can, but if
you stand here and lie to me and make a fool of me, I shall get very
angry indeed, and I can assure you you won't appreciate _that_ side
of me. Well, now out with it. I pledge you my word you shan't suffer
for it. Where did you fall down?"
A struggle was going on in Petersen's mind. At last he said: "I did
not fall down at all."
"But--what happened then?"
"Non-Commissioned Officer von Nissew struck me on the head with a
frying-pan."
George was enraged beyond measure, although from the first he
had not for a moment doubted that something of the kind had
happened; still, he did not want to betray his feelings towards his
subordinate, so he only said: "So that's it. Well, that will do. Now
go back into line."
But the private stood still in a stiff attitude before his lieutenant
and did not move. "Do you want to say anything else?" asked George.
"You know, Petersen, you cannot lodge a complaint against von Nissew
to-day. You must not do that till to-morrow, or you yourself will be
liable to punishment."
"Sir, if you will allow me, I do not want to make any complaint."
"What do you want, then?"
The soldier, a tall, strong, fine-looking man, trembled in every limb.
"Now, out with it. You can trust me. What is it?"
"Might I venture to ask you most humbly not to tell the
non-commissioned officer that I have informed you of the truth in
his matter, for then he would thrash me again and make my comrades
belabour me with their heavy whips."
George involuntarily took a step back. "What do you mean? You only
imagine that. Now, can you believe one of your superiors capable of
such a thing?" He was speaking against his own conviction, but for
the sake of discipline he was obliged to support those in authority;
an opportunity for discovering the whole truth would come later.
Petersen was still trembling. "We know the non-commissioned officer
well enough. Last week Meier intended to lodge a complaint because he
knocked out two of his teeth, but he heard this and then he struck
him with his riding-whip till the blood ran, and we had to hit him
also."
"But how could you do such a thing?"
"The non-commissioned officer threatened us that he would take care
that we had no leave of absence on Sunday, and he taunted us till
we got mad with anger, and we drove Meier round the place till he
couldn't move."
"Well, and what then?" asked George, who could scarcely restrain
himself for indignation.
"Then the non-commissioned officer took out an old Bible and made
Meier swear on it that he would not make a complaint, and then he
told Meier that if he did he would be committing perjury, and perjury
was punishable by imprisonment."
George was terribly angry at what he had heard, but, in spite of
this, he said, apparently quite calmly, "Very well, that will do now,
fall into rank."
But again Petersen did not move, and asked, in an almost
tearful tone: "Sir, will you really say nothing of this to the
non-commissioned officer?"
"I cannot promise that, but I pledge you my word that von Nissew
shall not ill-treat you to-night. He will do nothing more to you. Are
you satisfied with that?"
Petersen shook his head. "Then the other non-commissioned officers
will, they are all in the same box; they are not all so cruel, but
they all strike us."
George pretended not to hear the last words. "You may rest content,
nothing shall happen to you to-night. I myself shall be in barracks
the whole night and will see to things. It is to be hoped you are
satisfied now."
"Yes, sir."
Petersen fell into the rank, and George was about to return to the
company when he noticed von Nissew standing a little distance off;
apparently he was waiting to speak to him, and scarcely was George
alone when the non-commissioned officer stepped up to him hastily.
"What do you want of me?" asked George curtly.
Nissew tried in vain to conceal his anxiety and disquietude, and his
restless eyes were more unsteady than usual.
"What do you want?" asked George again.
The non-commissioned officer unsuccessfully sought to control his
voice, it trembled noticeably as he said, "I wanted to ask you most
respectfully--I can imagine what Petersen has just said to you--and
I wanted to ask if you would be so good as not to believe a word he
says; he is the greatest liar and slanderer in the whole company. Our
captain knows that, and gave me orders to give special attention to
Petersen, who is secretly a social democrat. His comrades know that.
You can ask the whole company, and all the corporals, and they will
tell you the same thing. Petersen is lying."
George's face expressed boundless contempt, for every word of
Petersen's showed that he spoke the absolute truth. Whilst George
had been talking to him Nissew had certainly been working upon his
men and threatening them with fresh ill-treatment if they did not
represent that Petersen was a liar. A feeling of inexpressible
repugnance and the greatest horror came over George; he despised him
for having ill-treated a defenceless subordinate, but even more for
seeking to deny his guilt in this manner. He turned to him and said,
"Not only a brute, but a coward? Ugh!"
The non-commissioned officer turned pale, but he made one more effort
to clear himself. "You know, sir, what our captain thinks about
me; he has indeed informed you, sir, and when he returns from his
furlough and speaks to you, sir, concerning me, you will see that you
have done me a bitter injustice."
George plainly perceived the inward significance of these words;
they reminded him of the morning when he had been reprimanded by
his superior on account of his subordinate officer, and he saw how
delighted Nissew was that he would be reprimanded a second time
because he had ventured to doubt so excellent an officer as himself.
The veins on his forehead swelled, but with a great effort he
controlled himself and said, "Non-Commissioned Officer von Nissew,
whether I am doing you an injustice or not will be decided later, for
the present I more than suspect you of the alleged ill-treatment of
your subordinates."
Again von Nissew wanted to defend himself, but the sergeant-major
appeared to announce that the muskets had all been inspected.
"It is fortunate that you have come, sergeant-major"; and then,
turning to him, he said, in a firm, clear voice, "Sergeant-major,
take Non-Commissioned Officer von Nissew's sword from him, and place
him under arrest, pending investigation."
The non-commissioned officer turned as white as the white-washed
walls and fell back.
"Now, sergeant-major, why don't you do your work?" asked George, as
he still hesitated to carry out the order. "Did you not understand
me?"
"Yes, sir," answered the sergeant-major, still with hesitation; "I
was only thinking, sir, what the captain would say when he heard
this."
With an involuntary movement George laid his hand on his sword. "By
Jove, sergeant-major, do you or I command this company? I demand an
answer."
"You, sir."
"Well, I am glad you understand that, and now either place the
non-commissioned officer under arrest or I shall punish you for
disobedience."
This energetic speech had its effect, and the sergeant-major offered
no further opposition.
"Unbuckle your sword, von Nissew."
The non-commissioned officer quite mechanically unbuckled the straps
and the sword fell to the ground.
The sergeant-major lifted it up. "Come."
And without once raising his eyes, von Nissew, with shaking
knees, went down the steps with the sergeant-major, and a little
later George saw them going over the yard together, and then they
disappeared into the guard-room, which was in the extreme right-hand
corner of the large barracks.
Now, for the first time, George understood clearly what he had
done, and for a moment he was overwhelmed with doubts as to whether
perhaps he had not acted rashly and without due consideration. Then
he summoned Meier to him, told him what Petersen had said, and asked
him, on his word of honour, if that was all true.
"Were you forced to swear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Were you beaten?"
"I can show you the marks still, sir."
The men must certainly have seen that the non-commissioned officer
had been placed under arrest, otherwise Meier would not have spoken
so openly.
"Show them me."
The man pulled down his trousers and George could distinctly see the
marks of the bloody weals caused by the heavy whip.
"That will do."
The man pulled up his garments again, and in spite of the traces of
the brutal ill-treatment George could not help feeling almost pleased
at the sight of them. He had not accused von Nissew unjustly; here
were proofs of his guilt.
Soon after the sergeant-major returned. "The order is carried out."
"Thank you; dismiss the men. I want to speak to the non-commissioned
officers alone."
The latter stood round their lieutenant in a semi-circle, and George
purposely made them stand to attention so that his words might be all
the more impressive. "I want to inform you at once that I have placed
von Nissew under arrest for gross ill-treatment of his subordinates.
As so often happens, the matter came to light quite by chance. Had I
not attended the inspection to-day, as was originally my intention,
I should probably have never known about this, and these disgusting
brutalities, for I can call them nothing else, would have continued.
I am informed that many other non-commissioned officers have acted
in the same way as von Nissew. I cannot feel sure whether you knew
about this ill-treatment and failed to notify it, or whether you
also have ill-treated your men. I will not examine into that now;
it will rather be the subject of a judicial inquiry. To-day I only
wanted to say to you that any one of you who does not feel absolutely
free from guilt ought to be thoroughly ashamed of himself. I am
certainly the last man to blame a non-commissioned officer if, in
a fit of anger at a soldier's stupidity or stubbornness, he so far
loses his self-control as to give him a blow or a push. Our men
quite understand that, and they don't mind a blow given in a state
of excitement; they know it does not mean anything, and they know
perfectly well that when they are no longer recruits they in their
turn will give a secret shove or blow without meaning anything
brutal by it. But there is the whole difference in the world between
forgetting one's self in one's zeal for duty and knowingly and with
consideration ill-treating anyone. The former is human, the latter
simply brutal and beastly. Condign punishment will be administered to
Non-Commissioned Officer von Nissew and to everyone who is guilty of
such brutal behaviour. Now, I want to speak very briefly to you about
another matter. I am told that the men are afraid of being alone with
you to-night in the barracks, because they fear you will revenge
yourselves on them for my having placed Non-Commissioned Officer von
Nissew under arrest. It is a fine testimonial to you that the men are
afraid of you instead of having trust in you, and you must all be
very proud of this fact." There was bitter irony in the words. Then
George continued: "I will rely on your honour that these fears are
groundless, but I have promised to see that no one is ill-treated
to-night. I therefore order the sergeant-major and the sergeant to
supervise the men's rooms till bedtime and to change guard every two
hours, and all the doors are to remain open. At nine o'clock I will
take over the duty. That is all I wanted to tell you."
The non-commissioned officers were dismissed. During his speech
George had studied their faces carefully--a great many of them had
turned alternately crimson and pale, some tried to appear as if the
whole thing did not concern them and as if they were entirely free
from all blame, but George felt that there were very few who had an
absolutely clear conscience.
George went with the sergeant-major into the reading-room of the
company to draw up a report of the case and present it to the
battalion. It would then be sent to the regiment, and then, owing
to the gravity of the case, to the superior courts. He sent off
the lance-corporal, who usually acted as clerk, and turned to the
sergeant-major. He was horrified at what he had heard and seen,
and spoke quite freely about it. "Tell me, sergeant, how is such a
thing possible? How is it conceivable that such a thing should have
gone on for weeks without anyone knowing anything about it? Did you
know anything about it? You live with the men in the same corridor;
you must often, both by day and by night, have gone through the
rooms--did you not notice anything suspicious?"
Instead of an answer the sergeant-major merely shrugged his shoulders.
"What does that mean?" demanded George; "you don't mean to tell me
that the whole thing was an absolute and complete surprise to you?"
"No, not exactly that," answered the sergeant-major after a slight
pause, "but when the time comes for speaking I shall feel quite
at my ease; I am aware that I shall be called as a witness at the
investigation and must say on oath all that I know about it."
"And what do you know?"
"Really very little, sir, and I can swear with a good conscience that
I have never seen or heard anything, and I can equally truthfully
swear that no man has ever come to me and made a complaint. I should
have made myself liable to punishment if anyone had made an official
complaint to me and I had not conveyed it to the proper authorities."
"Quite true, and you say your conscience is quite free from blame."
"I really think so, sir, and I am sure that they cannot bring up
anything against me at the inquiry, and that is the important thing
for an old soldier who in a few months will have served his twelve
years and earned his gratuity and pension."
"Outwardly that is so, certainly," agreed George, "but your words
would seem to indicate that you do not really feel absolutely free
from all blame."
"You are right, sir. As I have just told you, I have seen and heard
nothing, but I have often imagined that all was not going on quite
satisfactorily with the men under von Nissew. On so many occasions
one or other of his men had fallen down and hurt himself, or he had
knocked against something in the dark. I have several times taken von
Nissew to task and said to him: 'You are not striking your men, are
you?' and naturally he answered in the negative. I ought, perhaps,
to have thereupon made a declaration that he was lying, but what
could I do? Ought I to question the men behind a non-commissioned
officer's back? That would have been the right thing most likely, but
then there would soon be an end to all discipline and subordination.
My God! when one thinks how easily one could manage these fellows
in former times, how one could turn them round one's little finger,
and now? It is enough to make an old soldier weep; and then the
newspapers destroy and undermine the little bit of authority we
still have left us, in spite of two-years' service, with their
cursed scribbling about the ill-treatment of subordinates. You can't
blame an old soldier, therefore, if he does not do more than he is
absolutely obliged to get these stories published."
George partly agreed with him. "Still, it is not right."
"I know, sir, but what would have happened if I had officially
reported something of which officially I had had no intimation? They
would not have allowed me to extend my time in the army; I should
not have got my gratuity, and then what would have become of me?
Not that they would have meant to punish me by refusing to allow me
to re-enlist; on the contrary, they might even have commended my
conduct, but none of the higher authorities would have thanked me for
bringing to light such an affair without the most pressing necessity."
George could not but assent to the sergeant-major's views, and for
the first time he asked himself the question: "How will they thank
you for having unearthed this scandal?"
"Then you see I am a married man," continued the sergeant-major
after a slight pause, "you know, sir, I have two children, and I
don't want to be suddenly turned out into the streets with them.
It is frightfully difficult for any of us to get a situation; old
non-commissioned officers often hunt about for ever so long, for
every employment is crowded. So, of course, one stays in the army
as long as ever one can, instead of twelve years, twenty, or even
longer, for, at any rate, one has one's work, one's pay, one's home,
and one doesn't risk all that unless one is absolutely obliged. One
shuts one's eyes for the sake of one's own existence whenever one
can, and that is what I have done."
"Did you never speak to the captain about von Nissew?"
"Very often, sir. I have repeatedly notified to the captain that I
thought Nissew ill-treated his men."
"And what did the captain reply?" asked George, with curiosity.
"At first he laughed in my face, then he grew angry. You know, of
course, that Nissew will become a sergeant-major later on, and the
captain indicated by his behaviour that I was already jealous of
my successor. Now I had no reason to feel this, because von Nissew
must first be a sergeant and corporal before he can relieve me of my
duties. I told the captain this, but he still thought I was jealous
because he protected him, and he warned me to treat Nissew fairly and
not to be continually looking after him. Well, then, I kept silent;
only once did I speak, and then I called the captain's attention
to a red mark, one could still see the box on the ear the man had
received. Of course the man belonged to Nissew's company."
"Did the captain summon the non-commissioned officer?"
"I do not think so, sir; he only asked me whether I had never in my
life given a man a box on the ears. Well, of course, I couldn't swear
that I hadn't, and so the captain said he thought I ought not to
complain so much against Nissew when I myself had committed the same
fault."
George was thoughtful. "Tell me, sergeant-major, do you think the
captain knew anything about the way von Nissew treated his men?"
"No, I don't think he did exactly, sir, for Nissew was always very
cautious. He seldom struck men in the face, there were no visible
marks of his ill-treatment to be seen, and I cannot understand how
he so far lost his self-control to-day as to strike Petersen in this
manner. No, the captain certainly knew nothing about these things,
but still I have often wondered that he allowed von Nissew to have
so much authority over the men. Whoever was given a punishment or
anything similar had to report it to von Nissew. I once complained
about this to the captain, for you see I am the sergeant-major and
I could not allow anyone to encroach upon my duties without taking
notice of it, it looked as if I were not trusted. But the captain
said I ought not to make myself ridiculous. I knew perfectly well he
had every confidence in me, I had quite enough to do, and simply to
lighten my duties and to relieve me of some of them he had made this
arrangement. When I said to the captain there were still the sergeant
and the corporal he signified that I must really leave to him the
choice of whatever non-commissioned officer he thought most suitable
as my deputy; this depended on the individual and had nothing to do
with rank."
"That is quite right, but it has always been a puzzle to me why the
captain so specially favoured von Nissew."
"Not to me, sir. I have known the captain for years; he is a
good-hearted man, but very easily managed if anyone knows how to get
round him. And Nissew understood this better than anyone else; he is
always dancing attendance on him, and running after him like a good
dog. I am only wondering what on earth the captain will say when he
returns from furlough and hears of this affair."
"We must not let the captain wait for news as long as that; he told
me to telegraph to him if anything important happened in the company
during his absence. I had quite forgotten that. Please write a
telegram immediately: 'Have had Non-Commissioned Officer von Nissew
placed under arrest pending investigation on account of repeated
ill-treatment of subordinates.'"
The sergeant-major wrote the telegram and George himself took it to
the telegraph office.
Next morning the captain came back from his furlough. Immediately
on receipt of the telegram he had cut short his holiday, and now he
was in a state of agitation which George could neither understand
nor account for. It is true it was an unpleasant business, but
still he ought to be grateful to him for having discovered the
condition of affairs and so helped to put an end to any further
ill-treatment. Instead of this, however, his superior officer was
filled with a rage and anger against George which transcended all
bounds. Immediately on his return he had George sent for to barracks
and spoke to him in such a manner that it was almost impossible for
the latter to keep his temper and endure his reproaches. "I am, of
course, far from approving of what von Nissew did, but still less can
I approve of your behaviour, Lieutenant Winkler. You ought to have
informed me before taking any steps. I should then have immediately
returned and investigated the affair myself, then it would have been
time to have taken action against the non-commissioned officer. I
must certainly rebuke you for having acted so quickly, and without
due consideration; it almost looks as if you wanted to stand on your
dignity and vaunt your authority. You knew what a high opinion I
have of von Nissew; out of regard to me you ought not to have acted
so impulsively, especially as there was really no urgent reason for
doing so. Many questions evoke many answers--that is always the
case. You ought to have quietly waited to see if Petersen or Meier
would make a formal complaint, then it would have been quite time to
have acted as you did; perhaps then it would have been sufficient to
have summoned the non-commissioned officer and threatened him with
a formal charge if anything of the kind happened again. Instead of
this you ask the men all kinds of questions until at last you find
out what you intended to find out. You have always had a strong
dislike to von Nissew. Now that you have given vent to it perhaps you
are satisfied."
George, with a great effort, controlled himself. "I should have acted
in precisely the same manner towards any other non-commissioned
officer."
The captain laughed mockingly, and the blood rushed to George's
cheeks.
"I must request you most respectfully, sir, not to cast any doubt on
my words."
"And I must request you most emphatically, sir, not to call me to
account in this fashion. If what I tell you is not to your liking you
know you have the right of making a formal complaint."
"Yes, sir."
The captain was striding up and down the reading-room like a wild
animal; now he stopped in front of George and his eyes were so fierce
and bloodshot that the latter was quite frightened. He could scarcely
recognise his superior officer who had hitherto been the picture of
tranquillity and good manners.
"Lieutenant Winkler, do you really understand what you have done?"
continued the superior officer. "I will say nothing of the unpleasant
position in which you have put me, but even if you did not consider
me, you ought to have thought of the regiment, and even of yourself.
Scarcely have people forgotten the scandal concerning little
Willberg, scarcely have we succeeded in allaying the suspicion that
you did not act quite rightly, than you reveal a new scandal which
all the newspapers will get hold of. The Press of the whole world
will attack us, the regiment will be in everybody's mouth, people
will throw dirt at us, and some of it will stick. If such a thing had
happened in another regiment, it would not have been so bad, but we,
as the Guards regiment, ought to see that nothing whatever concerning
us comes under public notice that does not redound to our credit.
Dirty linen should be washed at home; a stern rebuke, of which only
the superior authorities should have been informed in part, would
have settled the matter. You have prevented that by your over-hasty
report, the battalion must now know of the affair, and a public
scandal is unavoidable. But that even is not the end of the matter.
His Majesty will hear of the proceedings, and in spite of the great
favour you enjoy, His Majesty will not approve of your conduct."
"I beg your pardon for venturing to contradict you, but I know quite
well what His Majesty feels about the ill-treatment of soldiers."
"I do too," went on his superior officer, "but it is not necessary to
make a mountain out of a mole-hill, and one should not stir up mud
without serious consideration."
Again the blood rushed to George's cheeks, "I am not conscious of
any wrong-doing. If I have acted wrongly, however, I am quite ready
to bear the consequences."
The captain turned crimson. "You will soon have to do that, whether
you like it or not, but that will not compensate me or the regiment.
Whether you get your discharge or not is a matter of complete
indifference to us; we have managed to exist without you in the past,
and we shall continue to do so in the future. But the matter is not
over because you depart."
"Perhaps it may be if severe and righteous punishment is meted out to
the offender. If the public see the severest punishment is given for
such offences public opinion will soon be allayed."
"Oh, that is what you think, do you?" said the captain,
contemptuously. "You will have plenty of opportunity of explaining
and justifying your behaviour in this matter."
George was enraged at the unjust treatment which his captain dealt
out to him, but he determined to keep to his resolution of making a
formal charge against the non-commissioned officer. Next morning the
captain returned to the attack when he was summoned to the regimental
office. Indescribable excitement reigned there; and although his
superiors formally praised his conduct and his strictly just
treatment, he was obliged to listen to things there which he had not
expected.
"You ought to have remembered that the publicity, and perhaps
even the trial would not fall on the non-commissioned officer
alone. People will ask how was such a thing possible, how could
it have occurred if there had been proper supervision on the part
of the superior officers. You, as a lieutenant, know perfectly
well that this supervision can only take the form of warning the
non-commissioned officers continually that they must not ill-treat
their men, and pointing out to them the results if they do so. We
cannot be in every non-commissioned officer's pocket, we cannot
constantly, by night and day, inspect the barracks, we cannot do any
more than is already done to avoid brutal treatment. But, in spite of
all this, we superior officers are considered mainly responsible; you
will soon see what is the result of this business."
The words of the superior officers plainly showed the fear they had
concerning their own careers, and involuntarily George recollected
what his former captain had once said to him. It was something of
this sort: "The ill-treatment of the soldiers will cease when there
is a change in two particulars. First of all, the officers must not
be worried by the superior authorities, and the captain and the
major must know that one unfavourable inspection will not cost them
their posts. How they tremble at the sight of an Excellency: the men
are only drilled in what will make a good show. What is good for
this purpose the major yells out to the captain, the captain to the
lieutenants, and the lieutenants to the non-commissioned officers.
The curses get worse and worse as they descend in the scale, and the
non-commissioned officers must be veritable angels if they do not
vent their anger on the men, who, if not actually, are yet indirectly
responsible for the bad report. If a Tommy holds his gun badly the
captain is blamed for not laying sufficient stress on the correct
manipulation of arms in his company; the reprimand is unfair, and the
authorities know that perfectly well, but that does not matter: the
point is, the captain gets enraged and lets off steam. Nobody to-day
troubles about the training of the men, each fights for his own
existence. Discharge daily threatens a man for a thousand different
reasons, and simply to postpone this as long as possible all kinds
of ill-deeds are committed against the subordinates which cry out to
Heaven for justice. The path to advancement to-day is strewn with
corpses, and it will only be different when we cease to live in an
age of inspection, and when a man no longer works simply for his own
benefit, but for the whole army.
"Only then will tranquillity return to men's minds, and they will no
longer seek to obtain by blows and ill-treatment what is far more
easily procured by kindness.
"That is the first thing. Secondly, this ill-treatment will cease
when the superior officers have the courage to look into all
complaints, to punish themselves what they see with their own eyes,
or to send them to the superior courts for punishment. The only
person who has this courage to a certain extent is the very rich
officer, to whom it is a matter of no consequence whether he gets his
small pay or his smaller pension; or the officer who stands high in
the favour of the authorities and can say to himself, 'It will not
affect my career if I report the brutalities of my non-commissioned
officers for which I am in no way to blame.'
"But the officer who trembles and fears for his future will naturally
say to himself, 'I am by no means too secure in my position, and if
it gets known that my subordinate officers ill-treat the men I may
as well get into civilian's attire at once.' And who will blame a
poor captain or major if he tries to avoid reporting a complaint, or
warns a non-commissioned officer instead of punishing him when he has
struck a man?"
George had then agreed with his captain, but still he could not quite
understand that the authorities would have preferred his not bringing
to light this inconceivable brutality.
"I can imagine," said the colonel, "what His Majesty will say to me.
'First the affair with Willberg, and now this greater scandal about
the non-commissioned officers. Nice things seem to go on in your
regiment.'" And then the colonel added: "If this business costs me my
post it will be your fault, yours alone, and it was just you I should
never have expected to play us such a trick."
George saw by this that the colonel, who had so lately interposed on
his behalf, expected in return that George would have had more regard
for the reputation of the regiment, but in spite of this George was
really not conscious of having done anything wrong; and an inner
voice told him that he had only acted as every honourable man must
have acted.
His comrades, just as much as his superiors, blamed him for having
reported the matter officially to the authorities. Not that they took
the part of the non-commissioned officer; on the contrary, there
were universal exclamations of the greatest indignation when George
told them how bruised and beaten about the men were, but still, of
more importance to them than the well-being of the men was the good
reputation of the regiment.
First the affair in the officers' corps, then this scandal with
the non-commissioned officers--they were lowered in the public
estimation, and in future people would naturally say, "There are
fine goings-on among the 'Golden Butterflies'; the lieutenants shoot
themselves and the non-commissioned officers thrash the men till they
cannot stand."
And once more George noticed that it was doubly unpleasant to them
all that it was precisely he, the only plebeian in the regiment, who
had discovered the bad state of affairs that existed in the company.
Again George passed through a terrible time; his position amongst
the officers was destroyed, and officially his life was scarcely
endurable. His captain treated him with a contempt which often made
it scarcely possible for him to maintain his self-control; the
colonel jeered at him whenever he could, and in his first lieutenant,
Baron von Masemann, he had an able assistant. The latter entirely
supported the captain, and considered it now more than ever his duty
to educate George and to act as his schoolmaster.
Meanwhile the investigation was going on.
Immediately after the first examination of the accused, on account
of the seriousness of the charge, the matter had to be reported to
the division. Almost daily there were examinations, and half the
company was always on its way to the Court of Justice. Then only too
soon the whole extent of the ill-treatment became known; with the
exception of the few lance-corporals there was not a single one among
von Nissew's men who had not been thrashed till the blood ran, and
the lance-corporals, urged on by von Nissew and bribed by privileges
which were not permitted, had helped him to the best of their power.
They also had struck and ill-treated their companions as much as
they could. Other officers as well as von Nissew had ill-treated
their men, though not so badly, and in excuse for their behaviour
they had all given the same explanation: "The captain forbade us to
swear and to use strong language. He threatened that he would not
allow us to re-enlist if we did not act according to his regulations.
We did not venture, therefore, to use any strong language towards
our men; if we reported a man for idleness or any other cause he was
never punished, but only warned to do his duty in future. We all know
that the captain is anxious to show that one can command a company
without administering punishment."
The punishment-books of the company were examined; according to the
views of the superior authorities that company was the best against
which the fewest punishments were written. How much unhappiness have
not these punishment-books caused, and how many people have not been
ruined by them!
Of course, the superior authorities must exercise some control,
but not in the manner that rules at present. It is difficult for
the official sitting at his desk to judge if the captain has acted
rightly when he punished a man with three days' arrest. And then,
fancy the openly-avowed principle that that company is the best in
which the fewest punishments are officially reported! Nothing can
be more false than this or lead more easily to wrong treatment of
subordinates. This attitude taken up by the authorities almost forces
a captain to shut his eyes and ears so as not to see or hear anything
that is punishable.
Captain von Warnow had always been opposed to punishments, the
evidence showed that clearly; he wanted to have the best company,
not from any exaggerated military ambition, but simply from personal
feeling. Men who had been punished were personally offensive to
him, and he could never get over this feeling. A Guardsman in his
company would receive a reprimand, but was not put under arrest,
and so punishments in the guard-room became rarer and rarer. Thus,
in consequence of their captain's views, which were very noble in
theory but impossible in practice, the non-commissioned officers
received no support from him. Yet the captain demanded a tremendous
amount from his non-commissioned officers; the men were to be the
best in every respect, and this could not be attained by kindness
alone. The men were not to be punished officially, they were not to
be cursed and sworn at; if an officer only looked threateningly at a
man he was warned to treat him properly. What then was there for the
non-commissioned officers to do but to take the matter into their own
hands? They vented their anger, not on duty, but in secret.
If a man did his drill badly this was reported to the captain,
with the request that the fellow should be ordered to drill again,
but in the captain's view such things should not be necessary in a
well-ordered company. Naturally, the non-commissioned officers were
vexed at this. They said to themselves, "The fellows simply laugh in
our faces when we report them for punishment and nothing happens." So
when they gave the men the extra drills they gave them with locked
doors, and punished them with the utmost severity. Cuffs and blows
rained down upon them, and whoever betrayed by a look or a gesture
that he had not imagined it possible to endure such treatment, was
so shamefully ill-used that he abandoned all idea of making formal
complaint. Frequently the men had to get up at night and do their
drill in the rooms, clad only in their night-shirts, and whoever made
a false step was beaten with a heavy whip, until the blood flowed.
A sad state of affairs was disclosed; the whole company was called as
witnesses, and the officers likewise. The two lieutenants, Baron von
Masemann as well as George, said on oath that they had had no idea
of this ill-treatment, that no complaint had reached their ears, and
that they had never seen or heard anything suspicious when patrolling
the rooms.
The examination of Captain von Warnow revealed another side of the
matter. He was obliged to admit that what the sergeant-major said
was true. He confessed that on different occasions his attention
had been drawn to von Nissew, but he had taken no notice of these
warnings. As a reason for this, he could merely allege that von
Nissew had seemed to him a very kindly man, and that he would never
have credited him with such brutal behaviour. Further than this he
had nothing to say in excuse.
"Did you not know, Captain von Warnow, that it was your duty to
find out whether the complaints made against the non-commissioned
officer were true or not?" asked the judge-advocate who conducted the
investigation.
Captain von Warnow stood up proudly. "I believe that I have done my
duty in every respect. I have continually warned my officers to treat
the men properly."
The judge-advocate entered this statement on the protocol, then he
said: "Non-Commissioned Officer von Nissew alleges as an excuse for
his conduct that you, sir, told him to deal individually with all the
weaklings and the blockheads, as he expresses it. He regarded this
as permission to give the men extra drills, and he alleges that it
was simply his military zeal and the feeling of responsibility for
the trust reposed in him which led him into striking the men. May I
ask why you entrusted so young a non-commissioned officer with so
much authority over the men? In my opinion, sir, you thus gave the
non-commissioned officer opportunity and occasion to ill-treat the
men."
"That is merely your opinion, sir. I chose the non-commissioned
officer who seemed to me most suitable in every respect for this
individual training, if I may so express it."
"Did it ever strike you von Nissew's men very frequently limped or
marched badly? Did you never inquire what was the matter, and did
you never try to find out whether these accidents of which they
spoke really did happen? Just now, when there are so many cases of
ill-treatment, you ought certainly to have inquired into the meaning
of these injuries. It must have seemed to you very curious that these
accidents were of frequent occurrence among von Nissew's men."
Captain von Warnow had listened to the judge-advocate with
astonishment, now he said: "It almost seems to me as if you want to
make me indirectly responsible for the whole affair. I must defend
myself energetically against such an idea."
The judge looked at him straight. "I am certainly of the opinion
that you are so far guilty in that you failed to maintain proper
supervision over your non-commissioned officers. I feel it my duty to
state this in the official document."
The result of this was that Captain von Warnow was formally charged
with being indirectly answerable for the ill-treatment, because he
had not sufficiently looked after his non-commissioned officers.
Captain von Warnow was suspended, and Baron von Masemann was given
the command of the company. It was the sensation of the day.
Everybody was astounded, but the news disturbed George more than
anyone else. He had neither intended nor desired that his report
should have such consequences. According to the views expressed in
the Casino, von Warnow would be confined to his own quarters for at
least a month; perhaps he would also be forced to resign; and, in any
case, he could not remain any longer in the regiment.
The anger of all was poured forth upon George, who had been the cause
of all the misfortune. George suffered terribly from the unspoken
complaints of the others; he withdrew completely from his comrades,
and lived solitary. He was not in the mood to go into Society, and,
indeed, how would he have been received? As long as the examination
of his captain was proceeding, the latter did not go into Society,
and the result was that his women folk also abstained from all
gaieties. So George had no chance of talking to Hildegarde, though
just at this very time he would so much have liked to see her, and
to hear from her whether she condemned and misjudged his action,
and whether she was deeply angry with him for having involved her
relative in so much shame and unpleasantness.