, had lost a great deal of that breezy, almost boisterous effusion of manner which in his younger days had first endeared him to his constituents. He received

y a genuine one. There were times when Hebblethwaite had made use of his younger friend to further his own undoubted social ambitions. On the other hand, since he had become a power in

I telephoned directly I got your note. Fortunately, I wasn't doing anything this evening. We won't play about. I know you don't want to see me to talk about the weather, and I know something's up, or Leve

personal side of it. Here's just a brief narration of exactly what happen

d with the absorbed attention of a man who

nished. "I suppose you've told old-I mean you'

this morning,"

eyes. "He reminded you that the first duty of a diplomat-of a young diplomat especially-is to keep o

seum of mummied brains and parchment tongues-forgive me, Hebblethwaite, but it isn't your department-is that the Prince's behaviour to me is such as no Englishman, subscribing to any code of honour, could possibly tolerat

d, "except those particular fools we have to deal w

ot," Norgat

to my mind one of the pleasures of being possessed of a certain amount of power is to help one's friends whe

that matter altogether just now, if we may. My own little grievance is there, and I wanted to explain exactly h

ted his brows. He

onal, eh?"

shook

estion affecting my welfare. I am almost afraid to begin for fear

ur tongue. I can see that this is going to be a busy meal. Charles, if that bottle of Pommery 1904 is ice

stly, "is a little incident which happened to me on my way back from Berlin. I had as a fellow pass

that I am moving through the pages of a diplomatic romance. All that I am praying is that your fellow passenger w

owards our country and our national policy. At the commencement of our conversation, I managed to impress him with the idea that I spoke no German. At one of the stations on the line he was joined by a Belgian, his agent, as he told me, in Brussels for the sale of his crockery. I overheard this agent, whose name was M

came slowly upraised. The twink

y. "We're getting on wit

become detached from the packet of documents they had been examining. It consisted of a list of names mostly of people resident in the United Kin

r. Hebblethwaite

d his ch

ed Herr Selingman that I had seen the paper in question blow out of the window, he nevertheless gave me that night a drugged whisky and soda, and during the ti

er, then?" Mr. Heb

plained. "I had them made with a sort of belt

h his tie for a moment and d

list?" he asked, as though

the first name, leaned back in his chair as he came to another, stared at Norgate about half-way down the list, as

y. "Now tell me, Norgate, you showed this list

Norgate

t did th

a. German espionage, he told me, was one of the shadowy evils from which England had suffered for generations. So far as regards London and the provincial towns, he went on, whether for good or evil, we have a large German population, and if they choose to make reports to any one in Germany as to events happening here which come under their observation, we cannot stop it, and it would not even be worth while to try. As regar

ment," Mr. Hebblethwaite

am never likely to make use of my friends in that way. I came for a bigger thing. I came to try and make y

d. He pulled down his waistcoat, finishe

you have come to me. I tell you frankly that you couldn't have appealed

hat," Norgate replied

e with France is all right in its way, but I came to the conclusion that the greatest and broadest stroke of diplomacy possible to Englishmen to-day was to cultivate more benevolent and more confidential relations with Germany. That same feeling has been spreading through the Cabinet during the last two years. I am ready to take my share of the blame or praise, whichever in the future shall be allotted to the inspirer of that idea. It is our

heme for the expansion of the army has been shelved? Is th

to the conclusion that civilisation has reached that pitch when the last resource of arms is absolutely unnecessary. I do not mind telling you that the Balkan crisis presented opportunities to any one of the Powers to plunge into warfare, had they been so disposed. No one bade more boldly for peace then than Germany. No one wants war. Germany has nothing

armaments of Germany? What about her navy? What about

e, and of late years England has been chipping at her whenever she got a chance, and flirting with France. What can a nation do but make herself strong enough to defend herself against unprovoked attack? Germany, of course, is full of the military spirit, but it is my opinion, Norgate, that it is a gre

rience or your brains, but I have a hateful idea that I can see the truth and you can't. You're too big and too broad in this matter, Hebbleth

lethwait

ons. You must remember, though, Norgate, that we don't carry our pacific

l and aeroplane bases a

e, Os

of cigars towards his guest,

I have engaged a box at th