nd strike hard. I still believe that if we declare war within seven
days, we shall save ourselves."

Streuss and Kahn looked, too, across the panorama of London, across
the dingy Adelphi Gardens, the turbid Thames, the smoke-hung world
beyond. They were together in Streuss's sitting-room on the seventh
floor of one of the great Strand hotels.

"Our enterprise is a failure!" Kahn exclaimed gloomily. "We cannot
doubt it any longer. I think, Streuss, that the best course you
and I could adopt would be to realize it and to get back. We do no
good here. We only run needless risks."

The face of the other man was dark with anger. His tone, when he
spoke, shook with passion.

"You don't know what you say, Kahn!" he cried hoarsely. "I tell you
that we must succeed. If that document reaches the hands of any one
in authority here, it would be the worst disaster which has fallen
upon our country since you or I were born. You don't understand,
Kahn! You keep your eyes closed!"

"What men can do we have done," the other answered. "Von Behrling
played us false. He has died a traitor's death, but it is very
certain that he parted with his document before he received that
twenty thousand pounds."

"Once and for all, I do not believe it!" Streuss declared. "At
mid-day, I can swear to it that the contents of that envelope were
unknown to the Ministers of the King here. Now if Von Behrling
had parted with that document last Monday night, don't you suppose
that everything would be known by now? He did not part with it.
Bellamy and Mademoiselle lie when they say that they possess it.
That document remains in the possession of Von Behrling's murderer,
and it is for us to find him."

Kahn sighed.

"It is outside our sphere--that. What can we do against the police
of this country working in their own land?"

Streuss struck the table before which they were standing. The veins
in his temples were like whipcord.

"Adolf," he muttered, "you talk like a fool! Can't you see what it
means? If that document reaches its destination, what do you suppose
will happen?"

"They will know our plans, of course," Kahn answered. "They will
have time to make preparation."

Streuss laughed bitterly.

"Worse than that!" he exclaimed. "They are not all fools, these
English statesmen, though one would think so to read their speeches.
Can't you see what the result would be if that document reaches
Downing Street? War at a mom