“Herintellectisdefective，“Mr。Fentolinremarked，“ononepointonly。ThegoodwomanisobsessedbytheideathatherhusbandandsonsarestillcallingtoherfromtheDaggerRocks。Itisalmostpitifultomeetherwanderingaboutthereonastormynight。Theseacoastsarefulloftheselittlevillagetragedies-realtragedies，too，howeverinsignificanttheymayseemtous。“
Mr。Fentolin’stonewasgentlysympathetic。Hechangedthesubjectamomentortwolater，however。
“Nerofiddlesto-night，“hesaid，“whileRomeburns。Therearehundredsinourposition，yetitcertainlyseemsqueerthatweshouldbesittingheresoquietlywhenthewholecountryisinsuchastateofexcitement。Iseethepressthismorningispreachinganimmediatedeclarationofwar。“
“Againstwhom？“Mrs，Fentolinasked。
Mr。Fentolinsmiled。
“Thatdoesseemtoberatherthetrouble，“headmitted。“Russia，Austria，Germany，Italy，andFranceareallassistingataConferencetowhichnoEnglishrepresentativehasbeenbidden。Inasense，ofcourse，thatisequivalenttoanactofhostilityfromallthesecountriestowardsEngland。ThequestioniswhetherwehaveorhavenotasecretunderstandingwithFrance，andifso，howfarshewillbeboundbyit。ThereisarumourthatwhenMonsieurDeschelleswasaskedformallywhomherepresented，thathereplied-’FranceandGreatBritain。’Theremaybesomethinginit。ItishardtoseehowanyEnglishstatesmancouldhaveleftunguardedtheMediterranean，withallthatitmeans，trustingsimplytothefaithofacountrywithwhomwehavenobindingagreement。Ontheotherhand，thereisthemobilisationofthefleet。IfFranceisreallyfaithful，onewondersiftherewasneedforsuchanextremestep。“
“Iamoutoftouchwithpoliticalaffairs，“Hameldeclared。“IhavebeenawayfromEnglandforsolong。“
“I，ontheotherhand，“Mr。Fentolincontinued，hiseyesglitteringalittle，“havemadethestudyofthepoliticalsituationinEuropemyhobbyforyears。IhavesenttometheleadingnewspapersofBerlin，Rome，Paris，St。Petersburg，andVienna。FortwohourseverydayIreadthem，sidebyside。ItiscurioussometimestonotethecommonunderstandingwhichseemstoexistbetweenthePowersnotboundbyanyformalalliance。Foryearswarseemedaveryunlikelything，andnow，“headded，leaningforwardinhischair，“Ipronounceitalmostacertainty。“
Hamellookedathishostalittlecuriously。Mr。Fentolin’sgentlenessofexpressionseemedtohavedeparted。Hisfacewashard，hiseyesagleam。Hebadalmostthelookofabirdofprey。
Forsomereason，thethoughtofwarseemedtobeajoytohim。
PerhapshereadsomethingofHamel’swonderinhisexpression，forwithashrugoftheshouldershedismissedthesubject。
“Well，“heconcluded，“allthesethingslieonthekneesofthegods。
Idaresayyouwonder，Mr。Hamel，whyapooruselesscreaturelikemyselfshouldtaketheslightestinterestinpassingevents？Itisjustthefascinationofthelooker-on。Iwantyouropinionaboutthatchampagne。Florencedear，youmustjoinus。WewilldrinktoMr。Hamel’shealth。WewillperhapscouplethattoastinourmindswiththesentimentwhichIamsureisnotveryfarfromyourthoughts，Florence。“
Hamelraisedhisglassandbowedtohishostandhostess。Hewasnotwhollyathisease。Itseemedtohimthathewasbeingwatchedwithaqueerpersistencebybothofthem。Mrs，Fentolincontinuedtotalkandlaughwithagaietywhichwastooobviouslyforced。Mr。
Fentolinposedforawhileasthebenevolentlistener。Hemildlyapplaudedhissister-in-law’sstories，andencouragedHamelintherecitalofsomeofhisreminiscences。Suddenlythedoorwasopened。
MissPriceappeared。ShewalkedsmoothlyacrosstheroomandstoodbyMr。Fentolin’sside。Stoopingdown，shewhisperedinhisear。Hepushedhischairbackalittlefromthetable。Hisfacewasdarkwithanger。
“Isaidnotbeforetento-night，“hemuttered。
Againshespokeinhisear，sosoftlythatthesoundofhervoiceitselfscarcelytravelledevenasfaraswhereHamelwassitting。
Mr。Fentolinlookedsteadfastlyforamomentathissister-in-lawandfromhertoHamel。Thenhebackedhischairawayfrontthetable。
“Ishallhavetoasktobeexcusedforthreeminutes，“hesaid。
“Imustspeakuponthetelephone。Itisacallfromsomeonewhodeclaresthattheyhaveimportantnews。“
Heturnedthesteering-wheelofhischair，andwithMissPricebyhissidepassedacrossthedining-room，outoftheOasisofrose-shadedlightsintotheshadows，andthroughtheopendoor。
>Fromthereheturnedhisheadbeforehedisappeared，asthoughtowatchhisguest。Mrs，Fentolinwasbusyfondlingoneofherdogs，whichshehadraisedtoherlap，andHamelwaswatchingherwithatolerantsmile。
“Koto，youlittleidiot，whycan’tyousituplikeyoursister？
Wasitstailintheway，then！Mr。Hamel，“shewhisperedunderherbreath，sosoftlythathebarelycaughtthewords，althoughhewasonlyafewfeetaway，“don’tlookatme。Ifeelasthoughwewerebeingwatchedallthetime。Youcandestroythatpieceofpaperinyourpocket。Allthatitsaysis’Leavehereimmediatelyafterdinner>’“
Hamelsippedhiswineinanonchalantfashion。Hisfingershadstrayedoverthesilkycoatofthelittledog，whichshehadheldoutasthoughforhisinspection。
“HowcanI？“heasked。“WhatexcusecanImake？“
“Inventone，“sheinsistedswiftly。“Leaveherebeforeteno’clock。
Don’tletanythingkeepyou。Anddestroythatpieceofpaperinyourpocket，ifyoucan-now。“
“But，Mrs，Fentolin-“hebegan。
Shecaughtuponeofherabsurdlittlepetsandheldittohermouth。
“Meekinsisinthedoorway，“shewhisperedDon’targuewithme，please。Youareindangeryouknownothingabout。Passmethecigarettes。“
Sheleanedbackinherchair，smokingquickly。Sheheldoneofthedogsonherkneeandtalkedrubbishtoit。Hamelwatchedher，leaningbackinhiscarvedoakchair，andhefoundithardtokeepthepityfromhiseyes。Thewomanwasplayingapart，playingitwithdesperateandpitifulearnestness，apartwhichseemedthemoretragicalbecauseofthesoftsplendouroftheirsurroundings。Fromtheshadowywalls，huge，dimly-seenpictureshungaboutthem，astrangeandyetimpressivebackground。Theirsmallrounddining-table，withitsrarecutglass，itsperfectappointments，itsbowlsofpinkroses，waslikeaspotofwonderfulcolourinthegreatroom。Twomenservantsstoodatthesideboardafewyardsaway，atriumphofnegativeness。Thebutler，whohadbeenabsentforamoment，stoodnowsilentlywaitingbehindhismaster’splace。Hamelwasoppressed，duringthosefewminutesofwaiting，byacurioussenseofunreality，asthoughheweretakingpartinsomestrangetableau。Therewassomethingunrealabouthissurroundingsandhisownpresencethere；somethingunrealintheatmosphere，chargedasitseemedtobewithsomeomenofimpendinghappenings；somethingunrealinthatwhisperedwarning，thosefewhoarselyutteredwordswhichhadstolentohishearingacrosstheclustersofdroopingroses；theabsurdbabbleofthewoman，whosattherewithtragicthingsunderthepowderwithwhichherfacewasdaubed。
“Kotomustlearntosituponhistail-likethat。No，notanothergrapetillhesitsup。There，then！“
Shewasleaningforwardwithagrapebetweenherteeth，towardsthetinyanimalwhowastryinginvaintobalancehisabsurdlyshapedlittlebodyuponthetablecloth。Hamel，withoutlookingaround，knewquitewellwhatwashappening。Soonheheardtheclickofthechair。Mr。Fentolinwasbackinhisplace。Hisskinseemedpalerandmoreparchment-likethanever。Hiseyesglittered。
“Itseems，“heannouncedquietly，asheraisedhiswine-glasstohislipswiththeairofoneneedingsupport，“thatweentertainedanangelunawareshere。ThisMr。Dunsterislostforthesecondtime。
Averyimportantpersonageheturnsouttobe。“
“YoumeantheAmericanwhomGeraldbroughthomeaftertheaccident？“
Mrs，Fentolinaskedcarelessly。
Mr。Fentolinreplied。“Heinsisteduponcontinuinghisjourneybeforehewasstrongenough。Iwarnedhimofwhatmighthappen。
Hehasevidentlybeentakeillsomewhere。ItseemsthathewasonhiswaytoTheHague。“
“Doyoumeanthathehasdisappearedaltogetherthistime？“Hamelasked。
Mr。Fentolinshookhishead。
“No，hehasfoundhiswaytoTheHaguesafelyenough。Heislyingthereatahotelinthecity，butheisunconscious。Thereissometalkabouthishavingbeenrobbedontheway。Atanyrate，theyaretracinghismovementsbackwards。WearetobehonouredwithavisitfromoneofScotlandYard’sdetect，ives，toreconstructhisjourneyfromhere。Ourquietlittlecorneroftheworldisbecomingquitenotorious。Florencedear，youaretired。Icanseeitinyoureyes。Yourheadachecontinues，Iamsure。Wewillnotbeselfish。Mr。HamelandIaregoingtohavealongeveninginthelibrary。Letmerecommendaphenacetinandbed。“
Sheroseatoncetoherfeet，withadogundereitherarm。
“I’lltakethephenacetin，“shepromised，“butIhategoingtobedearly。ShallIseeyouagain，Iwonder，Mr。Hamel？“
“Notthisevening，Ifear，“heanswered。“IamgoingtoaskMr。
Fentolintoexcusemeearly。“
Shepassedoutoftheroom。Hamelescortedherasfarasthedoorandthenreturned。Mr。Fentolinwassittingquitestillinhischair。Hiseyeswerefixeduponthetablecloth。HelookedupquicklyasHamelresumedhisseat。
“Youarenotinearnest，Ihope，Mr。Hamel，“hesaid，“whenyoutellmethatyoumustleaveearly？Ihavebeenanticipatingalongevening。MylibraryisfilledwithbooksonSouthAmericawhichI
