“All right; but we might make at least an attempt. He can’t say more than ‘no,’ and I shall sit down at once and write a few lines to him.” Leimann took a chair at the desk and a sheet of letter-paper from one of the drawers. Borgert sat down quietly in a corner, lit a cigarette, and blew its smoke into the slanting triangle of floating particles of dust which was formed by a ray of sunlight penetrating his window. The bluish wreaths of smoke formed fantastic bands, weaving and interweaving. Now at last the letter was ended, and Leimann closed it, wrote the address on the outside, and Röse was told to take it immediately to its destination. “That will pull his leg, I think, if anything will!” said Leimann, with a satisfied air, as he arose from his chair. “What have you written him?” asked Borgert with some curiosity. “Simply this,--that I needed money for a comrade and appealed therefore to his generous sentiments of friendship which he had so often proved. As a term for repayment I have indicated three months hence, and have pledged my word for the punctual refunding of the money; for you told me, you know, that you would have it here by that time.” “Most assuredly I can. If the fellow will only give us the money now, everything else will be attended to at its proper time.” Thus they chatted on for another half hour, when Röse returned with his answer from Captain König. Leimann quickly grasped the letter, but then he hesitated before opening it. Undecided, he scanned the address and looked questioningly at Borgert, who was still comfortably seated in his chair. At last, however, impatience mastered him, and Leimann tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. With consternation he read again and again. Borgert saw from the face of his friend, who with eyebrows lifted and hands trembling with nervous excitement stood there a picture of disappointment, that König’s answer had not brought joyful news. But he was more quiet and felt less disappointment than Leimann, although the whole matter concerned in the first place rather him than the latter. It was no longer new to him to receive denials to his letters requesting loans. His face, though, assumed a wrathful expression when Leimann handed him silently König’s response, and he began to read it. In his letter the captain said: