on the lights, and stood for a moment contemplating
the occupant of the bed, who returned his gaze steadily, with glittering
eyes.

"You are awake, then, my dear Vard?" said the Admiral, at last.

"As you see."

"You are feeling better, I trust?"

"I am quite well."

"You have had dinner?"

"I cared for none."

"I wish to talk with you for a few minutes."

"It would be a waste of time."

Pachmann paused to look again at the glittering eyes, and the thought
flashed through his mind, as it had done more than once before, that he
had to do with a madman. An inspired genius, perhaps, but mad,
nevertheless. Pachmann knew that there was about madness a certain
childishness, and he determined to humour it.

"For you, perhaps, it would be waste of time," he said, approaching the
bed and sitting down; "but not for me. My life-work has been the study
of electrical energy as applied to war, and I fancied myself fairly well
informed, when, suddenly, you come and prove to me that I know nothing.
That morning, ten days since, when I stood on the quay at Toulon and saw
a great battleship reduced to a twisted wreck, I realised my ignorance,
and my heart glowed with admiration for you, my master."

"Yes, I am your master," and Vard raised himself upon one elbow. "Even
here, your prisoner, I am still your master."

"I admit it. And I have a proposal to make to you."

"I have no confidence in your proposals."

"Yet listen to this one. Place this power at the Emperor's service, and
he will name you ruler of any nation you choose--of this one, if it
pleases you--and leave you to govern it as seems best to you, without
interference of any kind. Think, my friend, what a destiny--free to
embody your own ideas in the government of what is in some ways the
greatest nation on earth; free to make a paradise here, if you can. And
if you succeed, your dream comes true, for all the other nations of the
world will follow."

Vard gazed at the speaker with wistful eyes.

"It _could_ come true," he said. "It _could_ come true; it could not
fail. But you are too blind, too selfish, too narrow. You are only a
German."

"And you?"

"I am a Pole--that is to say a citizen of no country and of every
country."

"But you love that country, even though it does not exist?"

"Aye--more than you love yours."

Pachmann was silent a moment, thinking deeply.

"Listen, my friend," he said, at last. "I desire to meet you; I will
come along