re probably self indulgent. Their
morality--sex morality--is most likely very low. We may suppose that
they have many prejudices and very few ideas. They--I do not know those
two personally. I take them simply as types of their class. They are
wholly indifferent to, even a little contemptuous of art and literature.
But if it happened that a duty claimed them, a duty which they
recognised, they would not fail to obey the call. I can believe for
instance that they would fight, would suffer the incredible hardships of
a soldier's life, would endure pain and would die, without any heroics
or fuss or shouting. Men of my class and my training could not do those
things without great effort. Those men would do them simply, naturally."

"Ascher," I said, "I have a confession to make to you. I understand
German. I happen to know the language, learned it as a boy." Ascher
looked at me curiously for a moment. I do not think that he was much
surprised at what I said or that my confession made him uneasy.

"Ah! You are thinking of what my nephew said to me as we left the supper
room. You heard?"

"Yes," I said, "I felt like an eavesdropper, but I couldn't help myself.
He spoke quite loudly."

"And you understood?"

As a matter of fact I had not understood at the moment. Von Richter said
very little, and what little he said concerned Ascher's business and had
nothing to do with me. He told Ascher to move very cautiously, to risk
as little as possible, to keep the money of his firm within reach for
a few months. That, as well as I can remember, was all he said; but he
repeated it. "Your money should be realisable at a moment's notice."

"You understood?" said Ascher, patiently persistent.

"I don't understand yet," I said, "but what you have just said about
Englishmen being capable of fighting has put thoughts into my mind. Did
Captain von Richter mean----?"

"He meant to warn me," said Ascher, "that what I have always looked
forward to with horror and dread is imminent--a great war. You remember
a talk we had long ago in New York; the night we were at the circus
and saw the trapeze swingers. Well, if my nephew is right, the whole
delicate balance of that performance is going to be upset. There will be
a crash, inevitably."

"And you?"

Ascher smiled faintly.

"For me as well as for the others," he said. "The fact that my affairs
are greater than those of most men will only make my fall the worse."

"But you have been wa