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〃I　can't　tell　you　everything；　of　course；　but　he　assured　us　that　Germany　had　made　the　greatest　possible　preparation；　that　the　cities；　towns　and　villages　were　full　of　drilling　men；　that　there　were　great　stores　of　war　material；　guns　and　shells；　everywhere　throughout　Germany；　that　they　were　preparing　fleets　of　Zeppelins　and　submarines　too；　that　they　were　ready　to　march　at　twenty…four　hours'　notice；　that　the　whole　railroad　system　of　Germany　was　organised；　was　really　built　for　war；　that　within　the　last　few　years　the　whole　nation　had　come　to　believe　that　Germany　must　go　to　war　in　order　to　fulfil　her　great　destiny。　　Father　says　that　this　is　all　foolish　talk；　and　that　all　this　war　excitement　is　prompted　chiefly　by　professional　soldiers；　like　Lord　Roberts　and　others；　and　by　armament　makers　like　the　Armstrongs　and　the　Krupps。〃

〃What　do　you　think　about　it　all；　Jane？〃　inquired　Jack；　looking　at　her　curiously。

〃Well；　he　had　spent　some　months　in　Germany　and　had　taken　pains　to　inquire　of　all　kinds　of　people；　officers　and　professors　and　preachers　and　working　people　and　politicians；　and　so　I　think　he　ought　to　know　better　than　others　who　just　read　books　and　the　newspapers；　don't　you　think　so？〃

〃I　think　you　are　entirely　right；　and　I　hope　that　minister　of　yours　will　deliver　that　lecture　in　many　places　throughout　this　country；　for　there　are　not　many　people；　even　in　England；　who　believe　in　the　reality　of　the　German　menace。　　But　this　is　my　hobby；　my　sister　says；　and　I　don't　want　to　bore　you。〃

〃But　I　am　really　interested；　Mr。　Romayne。　　Papa　laughs　at　me；　and　Larry　too。　　He　does　not　believe　in　the　possibility　of　war。　　But　I　think　that　if　there　is　a　chance；　even　the　slightest　chance；　of　it　being　true；　it　is　so　terrible　that　we　all　ought　to　be　making　preparation　to　defend　ourselves。〃

〃Well；　if　it　won't　bore　you；〃　said　Jack；　〃I　shall　tell　you　a　few　things。〃

〃Then　excuse　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Waring…Gaunt。　　〃I　have　some　matters　to　attend　to。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　you　at　least；　Jack；　will　have　a　perfectly　lovely　time。〃

〃I　am　sure　I　shall　too；〃　cried　Jane　enthusiastically。　　〃I　just　want　to　hear　about　this。〃

〃Will　you　please　pass　me　that　green　book？〃　said　Jack；　after　Mrs。　Waring…Gaunt　had　left　the　room。　　〃No；　the　next　one。　　Yes。　　The　first　thing　that　it　is　almost　impossible　for　us　Britishers　to　get　into　our　minds　is　this；　that　Germany；　not　simply　the　Kaiser　and　the　governing　classes；　but　the　whole　body　of　the　German　people；　take　themselves　and　their　empire　and　their　destiny　with　most　amazing　seriousness。　　Listen　to　this；　for　instance。　　This　will　give　you；　I　say；　the　psychological　condition　out　of　which　war　may　easily　and　naturally　arise。〃　　He　turned　the　leaves　of　the　book　and　read：

〃'To　live　and　expand　at　the　expense　of　other　less　meritorious　peoples　finds　its　justification　in　the　conviction　that　we　are　of　all　people　the　most　noble　and　the　most　pure；　destined　before　others　to　work　for　the　highest　development　of　humanity。'

〃One　of　their　poetsI　haven't　got　him　herespeaks　of　the　'German　life　curing　all　the　evils　of　humanity　by　mere　contact　with　it。'　You　see　that　row　of　books？　　These　are　only　a　few。　　Most　of　them　are　German。　　They　are　all　by　different　authors　and　on　different　subjects；　but　they　are　quite　unanimous　in　setting　forth　the　German　ideal；　the　governing　principle　of　German　World　politics。　　They　are　filled　with　the　most　unbelievable　glorification　of　Germany　and　the　German　people；　and　the　most　extraordinary　prophecies　as　to　her　wonderful　destiny　as　a　World　Power。　　Unhappily　the　German　has　no　sense　of　humour。　　A　Britisher　talking　in　this　way　about　his　country　would　feel　himself　to　be　a　fool。　　Not　so　the　German。　　With　a　perfectly　serious　face　he　will　attribute　to　himself　and　to　his　nation　all　the　virtues　in　the　calendar。　　For　instance；　listen　to　this：

〃'Domination　belongs　to　Germany　because　it　is　a　superior　nation；　a　noble　race；　and　it　is　fitting　that　it　should　control　its　neighbours　just　as　it　is　the　right　and　duty　of　every　individual　endowed　with　superior　intellect　and　force　to　control　inferior　individuals　about　him。'

〃Here's　another　choice　bit：

〃'We　are　the　superior　race　in　the　fields　of　science　and　of　art。　　We　are　the　best　colonists；　the　best　sailors；　the　best　merchants。'

〃That's　one　thing。　　Then　here's　another。　　For　many　years　after　his　accession　I　believe　the　Kaiser　was　genuinely　anxious　to　preserve　the　peace　of　Europe　and　tried　his　best　to　do　so；　though　I　am　bound　to　say　that　at　times　he　adopted　rather　peculiar　methods；　a　mingling　of　bullying　and　intrigue。　　But　now　since　1904just　hand　me　that　thin　book；　please。　　Thank　youthe　Kaiser　has　changed　his　tone。　For　instance；　listen　to　this：

〃'God　has　called　us　to　civilise　the　world。　　We　are　the　missionaries　of　human　progress。'

〃And　again　this：

〃'The　German　people　will　be　the　block　of　granite　on　which　our　Lord　will　be　able　to　elevate　and　achieve　the　civilisation　of　the　world。'

〃But　I　need　not　weary　you　with　quotations。　　The　political　literature　of　Germany　for　the　last　fifteen　years　is　saturated　with　this　spirit。　The　British　people　dismiss　this　with　a　good…natured　smile　of　contempt。　　To　them　it　is　simply　an　indication　of　German　bad　breeding。　　If　you　care　I　shall　have　a　number　of　these　books　sent　you。　　They　are　somewhat　difficult　to　get。　　Indeed；　some　of　them　cannot　be　had　in　English　at　all。　　But　you　read　German；　do　you　not？　Kathleen　told　me　about　your　German　prize。〃

〃I　do；　a　little。　　But　I　confess　I　prefer　the　English；〃　said　Jane　with　a　little　laugh。

〃The　chief　trouble；　however；　is　that　so　few　English…speaking　people　care　to　read　them。　　But　I　assure　you　that　the　one　all…absorbing　topic　of　the　German　people　is　this　one　of　Germany's　manifest　destiny　to　rule　and　elevate　the　world。　　And　remember　these　two　things　go　together。　　They　have　no　idea　of　dominating　the　world　intellectually　or　even　commerciallybut　perhaps　you　are　sick　of　this。〃

〃Not　at　all。　　I　am　very　greatly　interested；〃　said　Jane。

〃Then　I　shall　just　read　you　one　thing　more。　　The　German　has　no　idea　that　he　can　benefit　a　nation　until　he　conquers　it。　　Listen　to　this：

〃'The　dominion　of　German　thought　can　only　be　extended　under　the　aegis　of　political　power；　and　unless　we　act　in　conformity　to　this　idea　we　shall　be　untrue　to　out　great　duties　toward　the　human　race。'〃

〃I　shall　be　very　glad　to　get　those　books；〃　said　Jane；　〃and　I　wish　you　would　mark　some　of　these　passages。　　And　I　promise　you　I　shall　do　all　I　can　to　make　all　my　friends　read　them。　　I　shall　begin　with　Papa　and　Larry。　　They　are　always　making　fun　of　me　and　my　German　scare。〃

〃I　can　quite　understand　that；〃　replied　Jack。　　〃That　is　a　very　common　attitude　with　a　great　majority　of　the　people　of　England　to…　day。　　But　you　see　I　have　been　close　to　these　things　for　years；　and　I　have　personal　knowledge　of　many　of　the　plans　and　purposes　in　the　minds　of　the　German　Kaiser　and　the　political　and　military　leaders　of　Germany；　and　unhappily　I　know　too　the　spirit　that　dominates　the　whole　body　of　the　German　people。〃

〃You　lived　in　Germany　for　some　years？〃

〃Yes；　for　a　number　of　years。〃

〃And　did　you　like　the　life　there？〃

〃In　many　ways　I　did。　　I　met　some　charming　Germans；　and　then　there　is　always　their　superb　music。〃

And　for　an　hour　Jack　Romayne　gave　his　listener　a　series　of　vivid　pictures　of　his　life　in　Germany　and　in　other　lands　for　the　past　ten　years；　mingling　with　personal　reminiscences　incidents　connected　with　international　politics　and　personages。　　He　talked　well；　not　only　because　his　subject　was　a　part　of　himself；　but　also　because　Jane　possessed　that　rare　ability　to　listen　with　intelligence　and　sympathy。　　Never　had　she　met　with　a　man　who　had　been　in　such　intimate　touch　with　the　world's　Great　Affairs　and　who　was　possessed　at　the　same　time　of　such　brilliant　powers　of　description。

Before　either　of　them　was　aware　the　party　from　the　mine　had　returned。

〃We　have　had　a　perfectly　glorious　time；〃　cried　Nora　as　she　entered　the　room　with　her　cheeks　and　eyes　glowing。

〃So　have　we；　Miss　Nora；〃　said　Jack。　　〃In　fact；　I　had　not　the　slightest　idea　of　the　flight　of　time。〃

〃You　may　say　so；〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Waring…Gaunt。　　〃These　two　have　been　so　utterly　absorbed　in　each　other　that　my　presence　in　the　room　or　absence　from　it　was　a　matter　of　perfect　indifference。　　And　how　Jane　managed　it　I　don't　know；　but　she　got　Jack　to　do　for　her　what　he　has　never　done　for　me。　　He　has　actually　been　giving　her　the　story　of　his　life。〃

Jane　stood　by　listening　with　a　smile　of　frank　delight　on　her　face。

〃How　did　you　do　it；　Jane？〃　asked　Kathleen　shyly。　　〃He　has　never　told　me。〃

〃Oh；　I　just　listened；〃　said　Jane。

〃That's　a　nasty　jar　for　you　others；〃　said　Nora。

〃But　he　told　me　something　else；　Kathleen；〃　said　Jane　with　a　bright　blush；　〃and　I　am　awfully　glad。〃　　As　she　spoke　she　went　around　to　Kathleen　and；　kissing　her；　said；　〃It　is　perfectly　lovely　for　you　both。〃

〃Oh；　you　really　mean　that；　do　you？〃　said　Jack。　　〃You　know　she　was　exceedingly　dubious　of　me　this　morning。〃

〃Well；　I　am　not　now；〃　said　Jane。　　〃I　know　you　better；　you　see。〃

〃Thank　God；〃　said　Jack　fervently。　　〃The　day　has　not　been　lost。　　You　will　be　sure　to　come　again　to　see　me；〃　he　added　as　Jane　said　good…　bye。

〃Yes；　indeed；　you　may　be　quite　sure　of　that；〃　replied　Jane；　smiling　brightly　back　at　him　as　she　le