cting from fear or from self-interest.
Should you refuse--should we be unable to agree--it will be to France I
shall go next. As for England, she also fears you--she will be glad to
escape from the burden of her armaments and from the shadow of your
great power. In fact all nations in whose governments the people have a
voice will be eager for disarmament. And the people everywhere must be
allowed to speak. If those in power seek to crush them, to restrain
them, we must assist them to throw off the yoke of tyranny and decide
for themselves."

"Ah," said Pachmann, very quietly. "Socialism--I see!"

"The rule of the people," said Vard, calmly. "The freedom of the
people--call it what you will. That is what I labour for. The people of
each nation must be free to choose by whom and in what manner they will
be governed. That evolution will, of course, take many years; but it
must not be cramped or retarded. At the very outset, it will make two
considerable changes in the map of Europe. Poland will be reconstituted
and Alsace-Lorraine restored to France."

Pachmann started violently, and a wave of angry red swept over his face.

"Impossible!" he cried. "Impossible! To that we can never consent!"

Vard smiled at his emotion.

"Why not?" he asked, ironically.

"Because," shouted Pachmann, "Elsass and Lorraine are German--they were
stolen from Germany by France two centuries ago."

"They were not German--they were independent states; and they are not
German now. They are French. However, I am quite willing to leave the
final decision to the people of those provinces. You cannot object to
that!"

Pachmann shifted his cigar from one corner of his mouth to the other.
His face was livid.

"Beware that you do not attempt too much, my dear sir," he said, and
there was in his voice a covert threat not to be disguised. "I warn you.
But, in this connection, some other questions occur to me. What of
Ireland?"

"The Irish shall decide."

"South Africa?"

"Most of it belongs to the Boers."

"That, at least, is a grain of comfort. But India, Egypt?"

"I cannot answer that. India and Egypt must be made the subjects of
careful study and the government given them which will be best for their
peoples, and which will not drain them of their wealth, as England does.
There will be many such problems, and the best minds of the world must
study them. My answers to your questions are but suggestions. All such
problems must be settl