THE JAIL
"Continue," he ordered sternly.
I translated the letter to the end.
"What do you say now, eh?"
"This letter is the very thing which proves what I explained to you yesterday about Dr. Kramář. I knew how I was offending his patriotic feelings, and that is why I wrote it to him. You can believe that Dr. Kramář—"
"Let's leave Dr. Kramář aside now; as you see, you are concerned here. This letter was found among Dr. Kramář's things, you wrote it to him—."
"But I just want to explain why I wrote it to him and why such expressions—"
"Do not suppose", continued Preminger, "that military justice is some blind animal, that it scratches where and when it likes,—if it had not been for this letter, your house would not have been searched yesterday."
"I should like to point out that the letter was written sixteen years ago, that I wrote it in rage and bitterness at the blow which our nation had received when the language ordinances were suspended, that I regret everything that is in it,—but that all of it is long since out of date, both according to the letter of the law and in my own spirit."
"So much I also know, and I draw no conclusions from it,—let us proceed to our report", and he prepared a sheet of paper and picked up a pen.
We soon finished the report. My relations with Dr. Kramář, our separation, our political friendship for fifteen years, something about the Volná Myšlenka, about my friendship with Masaryk, about that unfortunate letter—a signature and that was all.
"We have finished", declared Preminger.
33
