stilts, and he repeated the oath in a tone as if it were the deadliest insult directed against Sprezius. Then he declared briefly that he had nothing to do with the whole spree; that he had arrived at the Ratskeller afterwards. "All I can say is that Dr. Hessling's conduct savours to me of the informer."
But for some time the atmosphere of the room had savoured of something else. Nobody knew where the smell came from, and the members of the public suspected one another. With their handkerchiefs to their mouths they moved discreetly a little bit away from each other. The presiding judge sniffed the air, and old Kühlemann, whose chin had long since sunk on his breast, stirred uneasily in his sleep.
When Sprezius argued that the gentlemen who had reported the circumstances to him at the time were all loyal patriots, the major simply replied that he did not care, that Dr. Hessling was a person quite unknown to him. Then, however, Jadassohn intervened. His ears twitched and in a voice which cut like a knife he said: "Witness, I ask you if the defendant is not much better known to you. Will you deny that you borrowed a hundred marks from him a week ago?" The whole courtroom became still with horror, and every one stared at the major in uniform, who stood there fumbling for an answer. Jadassohn's boldness was making an impression. He lost no time in pressing his advantage and succeeded in dragging out of Kunze that the indignation of the loyal citizens at Lauer's statements was genuine, and that he himself shared it. With out a doubt, the defendant had meant His Majesty— Here Wolfgang Buck could not resist an opportunity. "Since the president holds it unnecessary to censure the Public Prosecutor when he insults his own witnesses, my client and I can hardly complain, I suppose." Sprezius snapped at him at once. "Counsel for the defence will permit me to censure or not, as I think fit." Unruffled, Buck retorted: "That is just the point I wish to establish. So far as the charge itself is concerned, we assert, and we have witnesses to prove, that there
