"Time was important. The Major said you would not need me. You were busy." "No excuse!" blurted von Stein. "Sorry, sir!" replied von Eichborn. "Then this man returned to the house and struck me with his fist!" "You struck an officer!" Von Stein turned on Phil, Prussian indignation overwhelming every other idea. "Why didn't you shoot him?" he demanded of von Eichborn. "He took away my revolver when I was down and stunned," explained von Eichborn. "Baby!" roared von Stein. "And you--" to Phil, "you struck an officer! That is settled!" "After he had struck at me!" replied Phil steadily. "Yes, at his face with his gloves!" put in Helen, stepping forward and looking squarely at the General. "I saw it. And he was not here to interrogate us. He wanted to go upstairs where my sister was. Then our cousin came." Von Stein gave the two girls a scrutinising look. There was truth in Helen's eyes as surely as Henriette was beautiful. He liked Helen, not having much use for beautiful women, being unhappily married to one. But aside from her evidence he knew that his nephew was lying, as he had before to get himself out of a scrape. "Did you try to go upstairs? Answer!" he said to von Eichborn, who understood from experience that confession was best when his uncle spoke in that fashion. "Yes, sir!" "And you struck at him?" "Yes, he insulted me." "After his insult!" interrupted Phil. "I----" "Silence!" von Stein roared to Phil. "I'll attend to your case later. Now, as for you," to von Eichborn, "first, aide of a division general absent without leave in time of action; second, billeting himself without consent of his superior; third, wasting his superior's time with a set of foolish charges against a civilian for a mean personal motive; fourth, an offence to two young women alone in a house. All entirely in keeping with previous reprehensible conduct, without the excuse of drunkenness this time." Thus Prussian system established the case, while von Eichborn stood stock-still, heels together, and trembling. "You have played on my sensibilities for the last time," continued von Stein. "No matter how your mother pleads, you go back to your regiment, where you will have the chance to die like a soldier if there's any good in you. Go to the car!" Von Eichborn saluted and obeyed. "You have seen Prussian justice done," von Stein said, turning to Phil. "But you--you struck a Prussian officer with your fist!" His anger grew as he thought of the offence against the military caste. "You--you go to the car, too!" "The custom of my country!" said Phil, without moving. "We have our code of personal honour as well as you. I could not have done otherwise and ever looked my friends in the face. When they hear the story and your view, sir, well----" "The barbarians will call us Huns!" von Stein interrupted savagely. "Yes, I should think so!"