ower, had sunk almost to a
whisper. It seemed to me that he made a sign to Lord Chelsford to
continue. Almost for the first time the man who had done little since
his entrance save watch me, spoke.

"My own political career, Mr. Ducaine," he said, "has been a long one,
but I have never before found myself confronted with such a situation.
Even you can doubtless realize its effect. The whole good of our work
is undone. If we cannot recommence, and with different results, I am
afraid, as an Englishman, to say what may happen. War between England
and France to-day would be like a great game of chess between two
masters of equal strength--one having a secret knowledge of his
opponent's each ensuing move. You can guess what the end of that would
be. Our only hope is at once to reconstruct our plans. We are hard at
it now by day and by night, but the time has arrived when we can go no
further without a meeting, and the actual committal to paper and diagram
of our new schemes. We have discussed the whole matter most carefully,
and we have come to the following decision. We have reduced the number
of the Board by half, those who have resigned, with certain exceptions,
having done so by ballot. We have decided that instead of holding our
meetings at the War Office they shall take place down here at the Duke's
house, and so far as possible secretly. Then, as regards the
secretaryship. No shadow of suspicion rests upon Lord Ronald any more
than upon his predecessors, but, as you may have read in the newspapers,
he has temporarily lost his reason owing to the shock, and has been
obliged to go to a private home. We have decided to engage some one
absolutely without political connexions, and whose detachment from
political life must be complete. You have had a warm advocate in
Colonel Mostyn Ray, and, subject to some stringent and absolute
conditions, I may say that we have decided to offer you the post."

I looked from one to the other. I have no doubt that I looked as
bewildered as I felt.

"I am a complete stranger to all of you," I murmured. "I am not
deserving in any way of such a position."

Lord Chelsford smiled.

"You underrate yourself, young man," he said drily, "or your college
professors have wandered from the truth. Still, your surprise is
natural, I admit. I will explain a little further. Our choice is more
limited than you might think. At least fifty names were proposed, all
of them of young men of the highest ch