Wolff's lips tightened.
"I know," he said. "Go on!"
"Well, we talked it over, and I promised to come round to you directly I was free. When I got back this morning I found your letter waiting for me, and here I am!" He laid his hand with an affectionate movement on his comrade's shoulder. "Whatever it is—I'm your man," he said.
"I know, alter Junge. You have always stuck to me. You were the one man in all Berlin to whom I felt I could turn with real confidence. By the way, I suppose I may leave the arrangement of things in your hands?"
"I shall be proud to act for you, Wolff. To all intents and purposes everything is settled. Ebberstein and I talked it over last night. In the almost certain event of your challenging, we decided that a Court of Honour should sit this evening in my house and that the meeting should take place at the latest to-morrow morning. It is impossible to know when we shall have marching-orders, so there must be no delay. If you wish it, I shall proceed at once to Bauer and find out whom he intends to appoint as seconds. The rest of the formalities you can safely entrust to me."
"Thank you. When is the Court of Honour appointed to sit?"
"If it can be managed, at six o'clock. The circumstances are simple enough, so that the conditions should be very quickly settled. You, of course, are the challenging party, and the matter will come under the head of 'schwere Beleidigung,' so that ten paces will be about the outcome. Are you good at that distance?"
"Pretty well."
"Ebberstein says your man is a first-class shot. Es heisst aufpassen, Wolff!"
Arnim made no answer and his companion took up his helmet.