Now it was Diederich's turn to lose his bearings from sheer horror. He looked around as if asking whether his ears had deceived him. The expressions of those present assured him that he had not. He muttered that time would show what would be the consequences of this statement of Herr Lauer, and withdrew in tolerable order into the friendly camp. Simultaneously Jadassohn appeared again upon the scene, after having disappeared no one knew where.
"I was not an eye-witness of what had just happened here," he said at once. "I want to make this point absolutely clear, as it may be of the greatest importance in the later developments of the case." He then obtained an exact account of what had happened. Diederich related the story with great heat. He claimed as his service that he had cut off the enemy's retreat. "Now we have him in our power!"
"Certainly," confirmed Jadassohn, who had been taking notes.
An elderly gentleman with a stiff leg and a grim face approached from the entrance. He saluted both tables and prepared to join the advocates of revolution. But Jadassohn was in time to prevent him. "Major Kunze, just a word!" He talked to him in an undertone, his eyes indicating people to the right and to the left. The major seemed to be in doubt. "Do you give me your word of honour that such a statement was actually made?" While Jadassohn was giving him his word, Herr Buck's brother came up, tall and elegant, and smiling easily, he offered a satisfactory explanation of everything to the major. But the latter regretted that he could not see how there could be any explanation for such a statement, and his face wore an expression of the most terrible gloom. Nevetheless, he continued to look over with regret at his old Stammtisch. Then, at the decisive moment, Diederich lifted the champagne bottle out of the pail. The major saw it and decided to obey the call of duty. Jadassohn introduced: "Dr. Hessling, the manufacturer."
