ly fostered by Germany and
Russia. No one thinks it worth while to interfere. Besides, Poland's lot
is that of every conquered country. In Alsace-Lorraine it is just the
same."

"Oh, surely not!" Dan protested. "Germany, at least, has no Siberia!"

"No, she has no Siberia," Chevrial agreed, "but neither has she a sense
of humour, and that is worse! The very worst trait in a conqueror, M.
Webster, believe me, is an absence of the sense of humour! And Germany
has the strongest prisons in the world. Her system of espial is even
more minute and irritating than that of Russia. As in Poland, the people
of Alsace and Lorraine may not speak their native tongue nor study the
history of their fatherland. Nothing escapes suspicion. It is reported
that at a certain cafe the accounts are kept in French; the cafe is
thereupon visited, the books confiscated, and a fine imposed. A certain
gentleman goes to Nancy on the fourteenth of July, which happens to be
the date of the French national fete; he is reported as suspect and his
premises are visited and searched. The police, passing the house of a
notary one evening, hear some one singing the Marseillaise; they demand
admittance and arrest the notary, although it was a phonograph which had
been singing the song. This is adjudged a very serious case."

"Do you mean to tell me," Dan demanded, "that such things actually
occur?"

The ghost of a smile flitted across Chevrial's lips.

"Not those precise cases, perhaps," he said; "but cases very like
them--cases not a whit less ridiculous. And can you wonder that Germany
finds Alsace and Lorraine restless? Do you wonder that our hearts ache
for our compatriots? Do you wonder that we dream of the day when we may
remove those mourning wreaths from the statue of Strasbourg in the Place
de la Concord?"

He fell silent a moment, then shrugged his shoulders resignedly.

"But I grow too serious," he continued. "Perhaps, some day, Poland will
be freed, Alsace-Lorraine returned to France; yes," and here he glanced
at Dan with a dry smile, "and the people of the Philippines given their
independence. Indeed, this M. Vard believes that day to be close at
hand. Let us hope so. Which reminds me that I have to-day seen neither
him nor his daughter."

"Nor have I," Dan admitted. "I thought perhaps they had some work to do,
and so had not come on deck."

"They may be there now," said Chevrial, and led the way to the forward
end of the boat-deck, wh