three in the morning
Oh , no , YOU 'RE not on a secret mission ! Not at all ! '' It was most undignified of me , but in five minutes I excused myself , and sent to the State Department the following words : `` Roses red , violets blue , send snow . '' Later at the State Department the only person who did not eventually pardon my jest was the clerk who had sat up until three in the morning with my cable , trying to fit it to any known code . Immediately after my return to the Hotel Venezuela Schnitzel excused himself , and half an hour later returned in triumph with the cable operator and ordered lunch for both . They imbibed much sweet champagne . When we again were safe at sea , I said : `` Schnitzel , how much did you pay that Frenchman to let you read my second cable ? ''