lly wrong. _Quod erat demonstrandum_. Germany invaded
Belgium. Invasion is war. Germany, therefore, did moral wrong. Upon
the legal side, as I began by pointing out, Germany confessed in the
Reichstag the violation of law. Therefore, Germany was justified in the
invasion neither morally nor legally; but was both morally and legally
wrong and evil. Ladies and gentlemen of the Lumen Society, I await the
refutation of my opponent!"

Her opponent appeared to be having enough trouble with his legs, without
taking any added cares upon himself in the way of refutations. But the
marvellous Dora had calculated the length of her statement with such
nicety that the chairman announced "Four minutes," almost upon the
instant of her final syllable; and all faces turned once more to
the upholder of the affirmative. "Refutation and conclusion by the
affirmative," said the chairman. "Mr. R. Milholland. Two minutes."

Therewith, Ramsey coughed as long as he could cough, and when he felt
that no more should be done in this way, he wiped his face--again an act
of necessity--and quaveringly began:

"Gentlemen and ladies, or ladies and gentlemen, in making the refutation
of my opponent, I feel that--I feel that hardly anything more ought to
be said."

He paused, looked helplessly at his uncontrollable legs, and resumed:
"I am supposed to make the reputa--the refutation of my opponent, and I
feel that I ought to say quite a good deal more. In the first place, I
feel that the invasion has taken place. I am supposed--anyhow I got a
postal card that I am supposed to be here to-night. Well, in talking
over this matter with a couple of seniors, they told me I was supposed
to claim this invasion was mor'ly and legally all right. Well--" Here,
by some chance, the recollection of a word of Dora's flickered into his
chaotic mind, and he had a brighter moment. "My opponent said she proved
all war is wrong--or something like that, anyhow. She said she proved it
was wrong to fight, no matter what. Well, if she wasn't a girl, anybody
that wanted to get her into a fight could prob'ly do it." He did not
add that he would like to be the person to make the experiment (if Dora
weren't a girl), nor did the thought enter his mind until an hour or so
later. "Well," he added, "I suppose there is little more to be said."

He was so right, in regard to his own performance, at least, that,
thereupon drying up utterly, he proceeded to stand, a speechless
figure i