"That is for you to determine," replied the man.
"But what do you say yourselves?"
"Nothing."
"But you must answer my question!" the commanding officer insisted angrily.
"You fatigue me," declared the man.
"You have not answered my question, and won't?"
"We have nothing to say."
Frowning, the ober-lieutenant whispered to a petty officer, who had placed on the table the same album that von Schellen had brought to the wardroom door. The commanding officer opened the album, pointing to two photographs that adorned a page.
"These are your photographs, are they not?" he demanded, glancing up at the pair. But no reply came from them.
"At least," said the ober-lieutenant, stiffly, "you have been given abundant opportunity to deny, and have declined to do so. Our imperial government has had sufficient information that you two have recently entered the British secret service. It is even known to the imperial government that you two recently undertook to penetrate into Germany, under even another assumed name than Launce, and that you planned to spy upon what was to be learned along the Kiel Canal. You even had some of your arrangements made for performing that seemingly very difficult piece of spy work. You have been charged, and you refuse to deny. It is the same as a confession on your parts. The Earl and Countess of Denby will stand aside."