Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/66

 fence-corps man went in to announce my arrival, the second kept guard over me meanwhile in the little ante-room.

The fragment of that wretched tune kept ringing in my ears.

The defence-corps man came back and beckoned to me to go in. A small room with two windows, by the left window a writing table with the clerk belonging to it; further, two tables at one of which was an officer of no great height, giving somehow an impression of cleanness; he was clean-shaven, his hair carefully brushed, he had cold blue eyes,—Dr. Felix Frank, in civil life on the staff of the Viennese magistracy, now lieutenant-superintendent and searcher-out of guilty Czech hearts and souls.

Let me say at once that it was certainly a relief to us all that the military persecution did not employ our own people, Czech people as its instruments. I am absolutely incapable of imagining them in this capacity,—as an author I have a feeling for unity of style, and this would certainly have beenimpaired to aconsiderable extent. Dr. Frank had taken over Czech affairs and Czech people from Dr. Preminger of Bukovina.

He asked me to sit down, and his voice was agreeable and clear with a metallic note in it.

From a drawer he took out a file—my file—and I noticed that his hands also were clean and well cared for.

And he asked me whether I wished to appeal against my imprisonment.

Of course I did.

He drew my attention to the fact that this was a formality, that my appeal would change nothing, but might protract the course of my proceedings by several weeks. And he advised me not to appeal.

Good, I will not apeal then, but the jail was not to my liking, and of this I informed him.