the envoy proceeded, "or
that letter will be published in the Times to-morrow morning. You know
what that will mean--your political ruin, your everlasting disgrace.
What use will this country, blinded at the present moment by prejudice,
have for a statesman, who without authority, pledged his Government to
an alliance with Germany, who over his own signature--"

"Stop!" Lord Romsey interrupted. "There is no purpose in this. What is
it you want?"

"Your influence in the Cabinet. You are responsible for this war. It is
for you to end it."

"Rubbish!" the other exclaimed hoarsely. "You are attempting to
saddle me with a responsibility like this, simply because my personal
sympathies have always been on the side of the country you are
representing."

"It is not a question of your personal sympathies," Mr. Sidney returned
swiftly. "In black and white you pledged your Government to abstain from
war against Germany."

"How could I tell," the statesman protested, "that Germany was thinking
of tearing up treaties, of entering into a campaign of sheer and
scandalous aggression?"

"You made no stipulations or conditions in what you wrote," was the calm
reply. "You pledged your word that your Government would never declare
war against Germany. You alluded to the French entente as an unnatural
one. You spoke eloquently of the kinship of spirit between England and
Germany."

Lord Romsey moved uneasily in his chair. He had expected to find this an
unpleasant interview and he was certainly not being disappointed.

"Well, I was mistaken," he admitted. "What I said was true enough. I
never did believe that the Government with which I was associated would
declare war against Germany. Even now, let me tell you that there isn't
a soul breathing who knows how close the real issue was. If your people
had only chosen any other line of advance!"

"I have not come here to recriminate," Mr. Sidney declared. "That is
not my mission. I am here to state our terms for refraining from sending
your letters--your personal letters to the Kaiser--to the English
Press."

Lord Romsey sprang to his feet.

"Good God, man! Do you know what you are saying?" he exclaimed.

"Perfectly," the other replied. "I told you that my errand was a serious
one. Shall I proceed?"

The Minister slowly resumed his seat. From behind the electric lamp his
face was ghastly white. In that brief pause which followed he seemed
to be looking through the walls of th