But this was no stage scene. This was real. If ever anything on earth was alive and real it was this scene in the Burgomaster's room in Brussels, on the first day of Max's imprisonment. Throbbing and palpitating through it was human agony, human grief, human despair, as these grey-bearded Belgians stared with dull heavy eyes at the empty space where their heroic chief no longer was. Tragic beyond the words of any historian was that scene, which at last however, by sheer intensity of concentrated and concealed emotion, seemed to summon again into that chamber the imprisoned body, the blazing, dauntless personality of the absent one, until his prison bonds were broken, and he was here, seated at this desk, cool, fearless, imperturbable, directing the helm of his storm-tossed bark with his splendid sanity, and saying to all: "Fear nothing, mes enfants! There is no such thing as fear!" CHAPTER XIX HIS ARREST The story of Max's arrest was characteristic. He was busy at the Hotel de Ville with his colleagues when a peremptory message arrived from Von der Goltz, bidding him come at once to an interview. "I cannot come at once!" said Max, "I am occupied in an important conference with my colleagues. I'll come at half-past four o'clock." Presently the messenger returned. "Monsieur Max, will you come at once!" he said in a worried manner. "Von der Goltz is angry!" "I am busy with my work!" replied Max imperturbably. "As I said before, I shall be with Von der Goltz at four-thirty." At four-thirty he went off, accompanied by his colleagues, and a dramatic conference took place between the Germans and Belgians. Max now fearlessly informed the Germans that he considered it would be unfair for Brussels to pay any more at present of the indemnity put upon it by Germany. One reason he gave was very simple. The Germans had posted up notices in the city, declaring that in future they would not pay for anything required for the service of the German Army, but would take whatever they wanted, free. "You must wait for your indemnity," said Max. "You can't get blood from a stone." "Then we arrest you all as hostages for the money," was the German's answer. At first Max and all his Échevins were arrested. Two hours later the aldermen were released. But not Max. He was sent to his _honorable detention_ in a German fortress. The months have passed. He is still there! CHAPTER XX GENERAL THYS By degrees Brussels calmed down. But the Germans wore startled expressions all that grey wet Sunday, as though realising that within that pent-up city was a terribly dangerous force, a force that had been restrained and kept in order all this time by the very man they had been foolish enough to imprison because Brussels found herself unable to pay up her cruelly-imposed millions. Later, on that Sunday afternoon, I fulfilled my promise and went to call on General Thys, the father of one of my Aerschot acquaintances.