"My compliments to you upon your excellent work."
Two minutes later, with much politeness, he accompanied her out of the room, along the corridor, and saw her into the lift.
When he returned to his own room, he opened the door of an inner apartment and summoned a thin young man, wearing tortoise-shell-rimmed spectacles. The young man was clean shaven and was possessed of a somewhat small and receding chin, which gave him a foolish aspect. He was not foolish in the least, however; he was, on the contrary, extremely fox-like and alert. The doctor's politeness vanished as he confronted the young man.
"Baumer," he commanded, "come into the other room, please." He crossed to his desk near the window overlooking the street, and seated himself. The young man entered and stood at his side, awaiting instructions. "You will make a note," said the doctor, "that a Mr. Bernard Treves is to come to my house to-day week."
"Very good, Excellenz," answered the young man deferentially. He began to write a note in pencil on a small writing block he had produced.
"You will also," went on the doctor, "inform Hauptman Rathenau that I wish to see Mr. Treves's dossier again."
"Yes, Excellenz; but if I might be permitted to suggest so much, Lieutenant Treves, whose family is well known, would be a safer person to use for purposes of association with the officers at Fort Heatherpoint."
"But our excellent Cherriton was educated at Oxford," said the elder man. "He is to all outward seeming an Englishman."
"Nevertheless, Excellenz," Baumer insisted, "I feel we should be safer to employ an Englishman. There is much freemasonry among the English, and there is always danger, Excellenz, that some one who knew the real Captain Cherriton may meet Herr Rathenau."
"But Heatherpoint," said Voules, "is one of our key positions. You forget that, Baumer."