ine of infallibility. What It does not authorise, isn't supposed to
exist."

"Is that truly so?" asked Bunce, solemnly.

"Most assuredly!"

"You mean to say,"--said Helmsley, breaking in upon the conversation,
and speaking in quiet unconcerned tones--"that the actual national
affairs of the world are not told to the people as they should be, but
are jealously guarded by a few whose private interests are at stake?"

"Yes. I certainly do mean that."

"I thought you did. You see," went on Helmsley--"when I was in regular
office work in London, I used to hear a good deal concerning the
business schemes of this, that and the other great house in the
city,--and I often wondered what the people would say if they ever came
to know!"

"Came to know what?" said Mr. Bunce, anxiously.

"Why, the names of the principal shareholders in the newspapers,"--said
Reay, placidly--"_That_ might possibly open their eyes to the way their
opinions are manufactured for them! There's very little 'liberty of the
press' in Great Britain nowadays. The press is the property of a few
rich men."

Mary, who was working very intently on a broad length of old lace she
was mending, looked up at him--her eyes were brilliant and her cheeks
softly flushed.

"I hope you will be brave enough to say that some day right out to the
people as you say it to us,"--she observed.

"I will! Never fear about that! If I _am_ ever anything--if I ever _can_
be anything--I will do my level best to save my nation from being
swallowed up by a horde of German-American Jews!" said Reay, hotly--"I
would rather suffer anything myself than see the dear old country
brought to shame."

"Right, very right!" said Mr. Bunce, approvingly--"And many--yes, I
think we may certainly say many,--are of your spirit,--what do you
think, David?"

Helmsley had raised himself in his chair, and was looking wonderfully
alert. The conversation interested him.

"I quite agree,"--he said--"But Mr. Reay must remember that if he should
ever want to make a clean sweep of German-American Jews and speculators
as he says, and expose the way they tamper with British interests, he
would require a great deal of money. A _very_ great deal of money!" he
repeated, slowly,--"Now I wonder, Mr. Reay, what you would do with a
million?--two millions?--three millions?--four millions?"--

"Stop, stop, old David!"--interrupted Twitt, suddenly holding up his
hand--"Ye takes my breath away!"

They all l