“Weseemtohavecollectedaboutfortymessagesfromdifferentbattleshipsandcruisers。Theremustbeawholesquadronbarelythirtymilesout。“
“Youdon’treallythink，“LadySaxthorpeasked，“thatthereisanyfearofwar，doyou，Mr。Fentolin？
Heansweredherwithacertainamountofgravity。“Whocantell？
Thepapersthismorningwerebad。ThisconferenceatTheHagueisstillunexplained。France’sattitudeinthematterisespeciallymysterious。“
“IamastrongsupporterofLordRoberts，“LordSaxthorpesaid，“andIbelieveinthevitalnecessityofsomeschemefornationalservice。Atthesametime，Ifindithardtobelievethatasuccessfulinvasionofthiscountryiswithintheboundsofpossibility。“
“Iquiteagreewithyou，LordSaxthorpe，“Mr。Fentolindeclaredsmoothly。“Allthesame，thisHagueConferenceisamostmysteriousaffair。Thepapersthismorningareominouslysilentaboutthefleet。Fromthetangleofmessageswehavepickedup，Ishouldsay，withoutadoubt，thatsomeformofmobilisationisgoingonintheNorthSea。IfLadySaxthorpethinksitwarmenough，shallwetakeourcoffeeupontheterrace？“
“Theterrace，byallmeans，“herladyshipassented，risingfromherplace。“Whatawonderfulmanyouare，Mr。Fentolin，withyourwirelesstelegraphy，andyourtelegraphofficeinthehouse，andtelephones。Doesitreallyamuseyoutobesomodern？“
“Toacertainextent，yes，“Mr。Fentolinsighed，asheguidedhischairalongthehall。“Whenmymisfortunefirstcame，IusedtospeculateagooddealupontheStockExchange。ThatwasreallythereasonIwentinforallthesemodernappliances。“
“Andnow？“sheasked。“Whatusedoyoumakeofthemnow？“
Mr。Fentolinsmiledquietly。Helookedoutsea-ward，beyondthesky-line，fromwhencehadcometohim，throughtheclouds，thattangleofmessages。
“Iliketofeel，“hesaid，“thattheturningwheeloflifeisnotaltogetheroutofearshot。Iliketodabblejustalittleintheknowledgeofthesethings。“
LordSaxthorpecamestrollinguptothem。
“Youwon’tforgettotelephoneaboutthisguestofyours？“heaskedfussily。
“Itisalreadydone，“Mr。Fentolinassuredhim。“Mydearsister，whysosilent？“
Mrs。Fentolinturnedslowlytowardshim。She，too，hadbeenstandingwithhereyesfixeduponthedistantsea-line。Herfaceseemedsuddenlytohaveaged，herforcedvivacitytohavedeparted。
HerlittlePomeranianrubbedagainstherfeetinvain。YetatthesoundofMr。Fentolin’svoice，sheseemedtocomebacktoherselfasthoughbymagic。
“Iwaslookingwhereyouwerelooking，“shededaredlightly，“justtryingtoseealittlewaybeyond。Sosilly，isn’tit？
Chow-Chow，youbadlittledog，comeandyoushallhaveyourdinner。“
Shestrolledoff，hummingatunetoherself。LordSaxthorpewatchedherwithashadowuponhisplain，good-humouredface。
“Somehoworother，“heremarkedquietly，“Mrs。Fentolinneverseemstohavegotoverthelossofherhusband，doesshe？Howlongisitsincehedied？“
“Eightyears，“Mr。Fentolinreplied。“Itwasjustsixmonthsaftermyownaccident。“
“Iamlosingagreatdealofsympathyforyou，Mr。Fentolin，“LadySaxthorpeconfessed，comingovertohisside。“Youhavesomanyresources，thereissomuchinlifewhichyoucando。Youpaint，asweallknow，exquisitely。Theytellmethatyouplaytheviolinlikeamaster。Youhaveunlimitedtimeforreading，andtheysaythatyouareoneofthegreatestlivingauthoritiesuponthepoliticsofEurope。Yourmorningpapermustbringyousomuchthatisinteresting。“
“Itistrue，“Mr。Fentolinadmitted，“thatIhavecompensationswhichnoonecanguessat，compensationswhichappealtomemoreastimestealson。Andyet-“
Hestoppedshort。
“Andyet？“LadySaxthorperepeatedinterrogatively。
Mr……FentolinwaswatchingGeralddrivegolfballsfromthelawnbeneath。Hepointeddownwards。
“IwaslikethatwhenIwashisage，“hesaidquietly。
Mr。Fentolinremainedupontheterracelongafterthedepartureofhisguests。Hehadfoundasunnycorneroutofthewind，andhesattherewithatelescopebyhissideandabudgetofnewspapersuponhisknee。Onsomepretextoranotherhehaddetainedalltheothersofthehouseholdsothattheyformedalittlecourtaroundhim。
EvenHamel，whohadsaidsomethingaboutawalk，hadbeeninducedtostopbyanappealingglancefromEsther。Mr。Fentolinwasinoneofhismostloquaciousmoods。Forsomereasonorother，thevisitoftheSaxthorpesseemedtohaveexcitedhim。Hetalkedcontinually，withthebriefestpauses。Everynowandthenhegazedsteadilyacrossthemarshesthroughhistelescope。
“LordSaxthorpe，“heremarked，“has，Imustconfess，greatlyexcitedmycuriosityastotheidentityofourvisitor。Suchaharmless-lookingperson，heseems，tobecausingsuchacommotion。
Gerald，don’tyoufeelyourresponsibilityinthematter？“
“Yes，sir，Ido！“Geraldreplied，withunexpectedgrimness。“I
feelmyresponsibilitydeeply。“
Mr。Fentolin，whowasholdingthetelescopetohiseye，touchedHamelontheshoulder。
“Myyoungfriend，“hesaid，“youreyesarebetterthanmine。Youseetheroadthere？Lookalongit，betweenthewhiteposts，asfarasyoucan。Whatdoyoumakeofthatblackspeck？“
Hamelheldthetelescopetohiseyeandsteadiedituponthelittletripodstand。
“Itlookslikeahorseandtrap，“heannounced。“Good！“Mr。
Fentolindeclared。“Itseemedsotome，butIwasnotsure。Myeyesareweakthisafternoon。Howmanypeopleareinthetrap？“
“Two，“Hamelanswered。“Icanseethemdistinctlynow。Onemanisdriving，anotherissittingbyhisside。Theyarecomingthisway。“
Mr。Fentolinblewhiswhistle。Meekinsappearedalmostdirectly。
Hismasterwhisperedawordinhisear。Themanatoncedeparted。
“Letmemakeuseofyoureyesoncemore，“Mr。Fentolinbegged。
“Aboutthesetwomeninthetrap，Mr。Hamel。Isoneofthem，byanychance，wearingauniform？“
“Theybothare，“Hamelreplied。“Themanwhoisdrivingiswearingapeakedhat。Helookslikeapoliceinspector。Themanbyhissideisanordinarypoliceman。“
Mr。Fentolinsighedgently。
“Itisveryinteresting，“hesaid。“Letushopethatweshallnotseeanarrestundermyroof。Ishouldfeelitareflectionuponmyhospitality。Itrust，Isincerelytrust，thatthisvisitdoesnotbodeanyharmtoMr。JohnP。Dunster。“
Geraldroseimpatientlytohisfeetandswungacrosstheterrace。
Mr。Fentolin，however，calledhimback。
“Gerald，“headvised，“betternotgoaway。Theinspectormaydesiretoaskyouquestions。Youwillhavenothingtoconceal。Itwasanaturalanddelightfulimpulseofyourstobringthemanwhohadbefriendedyou，andwhowasyourcompanioninthatdisaster，straighttoyourownhomefortreatmentandcare。Itwasanadmirableimpulse，myboy。Youhavenothingtobeashamedof。“
“ShallItellhim，too-“Geraldbegan。
“Becareful，Gerald。“
Mr。Fentolin’swordsseemedtobechargedwithaswift，rapier-likenote。Theboybrokeoffinhisspeech。HelookedatHamelandwassilent。
“Dearme，“Mrs。Fentolinmumured，“Iamsurethereisnoneedforustotalkaboutthispoormanasthoughanybodyhaddoneanythingwronginhavinghimhere。This，Isuppose，mustbetheInspectorYardleywhomLordSaxthorpespokeof。“
“Averyintelligent-lookingofficer，Iamsure，“Mr。Fentolinremarked。“Gerald，goandmeethim，ifyouplease。Ishouldliketospeaktohimouthere。“
Thedog-carthaddrawnupatthefrontdoor，andtheinspectorhadalreadyalighted。Geraldintervenedashewasintheactofquestioningthebutler。