door; and finally mounted thoughtfully to the bridge, considerably to
the surprise of his subordinates, and spent the whole evening there,
pacing slowly back and forth with an appearance of restlessness the
other officers could not understand, for the weather was very fine and
the barometer high and steady.

In the cabin below the conference proceeded.

"It is as well, Mr. Vard," Pachmann was saying, "that we should
understand each other. The Prince and myself are here as the direct
personal representatives of the Emperor, who has given us his fullest
confidence and the most complete authority. Any agreement we may make
with you, he will recognise as binding. It was a condition of yours, I
believe, that you would meet only with persons so empowered."

"I should have preferred to treat with the Emperor himself," said Vard.

"You could scarcely expect him to make this trip to America," Pachmann
pointed out, with a smile. "If you had been content to go to Berlin...."

"That was impossible," Vard broke in. "It was stipulated that the treaty
should be signed in America, and the Emperor agreed."

"And we are here to carry out that agreement," Pachmann added. "But
before we proceed to a consideration of it, I will outline the progress
of affairs to the present moment, in order that the Prince may be
thoroughly familiar with the matter. If I am mistaken in any detail,
please correct me."

Vard nodded, and lay back in his seat, watching the smoke from his
cigar, as it wreathed itself toward the ceiling.

"About the middle of July," Pachmann began, "Mr. Vard called on Count
Eulenberg, the Chief Marshall of the Imperial Court, and asked for a
private audience with the Emperor. The request was so preposterous that
the Count was astounded when Mr. Vard persisted in it. After that he was
shadowed night and day, his lodgings were searched, his mail opened, and
the police authorities were about to expel him from the country as a
dangerous person, when something still more astonishing happened. With
incredible good fortune, Mr. Vard had in some way managed to secure an
audience with Admiral von Tirpitz, Secretary for the Navy; two days
later, a secret audience was arranged, at which the Emperor was present.
At the request of Admiral von Tirpitz, I was also present, in my
capacity as Chief of the Wireless Service.

"At this conference Mr. Vard stated that he had discovered a principle,
or invented an apparatus, by which he coul