“Naturally, naturally so,” he said hastily without turning round. “Es ist doch selbstverstaendlich.  We shall all understand.”

Then he turned suddenly, and Harris saw that his face had turned most oddly and disagreeably sinister.  It may only have been the shadows again playing their tricks with the wretched oil lamps on the wall, for the dark expression passed instantly as they retraced their steps down the corridor, but the Englishman somehow got the impression that he had said something to give offence, something that was not quite to the other’s taste.  Opposite the door of the Bruderstube they stopped.  Harris realised that it was late and he had possibly stayed talking too long.  He made a tentative effort to leave, but his companion would not hear of it.

“You must have a cup of coffee with us,” he said firmly as though he meant it, “and my colleagues will be delighted to see you.  Some of them will remember you, perhaps.”

The sound of voices came pleasantly through the door, men’s voices talking together.  Bruder Kalkmann turned the handle and they entered a room ablaze with light and full of people.

“Ah,—­but your name?” he whispered, bending down to catch the reply; “you have not told me your name yet.”

“Harris,” said the Englishman quickly as they went in.  He felt nervous as he crossed the threshold, but ascribed the momentary trepidation to the fact that he was breaking the strictest rule of the whole establishment, which forbade a boy under severest penalties to come near this holy of holies where the masters took their brief leisure.

“Ah, yes, of course—­Harris,” repeated the other as though he remembered it.  “Come in, Herr Harris, come in, please.  Your visit will be immensely appreciated.  It is really very fine, very wonderful of you to have come in this way.”

The door closed behind them and, in the sudden light which made his sight swim for a moment, the exaggeration of the language escaped his attention.  He heard the voice of Bruder Kalkmann introducing him.  He spoke very loud, indeed, unnecessarily,—­absurdly loud, Harris thought.

“Brothers,” he announced, “it is my pleasure and privilege to introduce to you Herr Harris from England.  He has just arrived to make us a little visit, and I have already expressed to him on behalf of us all the satisfaction we feel that he is here.  He was, as you remember, a pupil in the year ’70.”

It was a very formal, a very German introduction, but Harris rather liked it.  It made him feel important and he appreciated the tact that made it almost seem as though he had been expected.

The black forms rose and bowed; Harris bowed; Kalkmann bowed.  Every one was very polite and very courtly.  The room swam with moving figures; the light dazzled him after the gloom of the corridor, there was thick cigar smoke in the atmosphere.  He took the chair that was offered to him between two of the Brothers, and sat down, feeling vaguely that his perceptions were not quite as keen and accurate as usual.  He felt a trifle dazed perhaps, and the spell of the past came strongly over him, confusing the immediate present and making everything dwindle oddly to the dimensions of long ago.  He seemed to pass under the mastery of a great mood that was a composite reproduction of all the moods of his forgotten boyhood.