eships passed through
the Straits of Gibraltar, this little Conference was plotted. I tell you
they meant to make history there.

"There was enough for everybody--India for Russia, a time-honoured
dream, but why not? Alsace-Lorraine and perhaps Egypt, for France;
Australia for Japan; China and South Africa for Germany. Why not? You
may laugh at it on paper but I say again--why not?"

"It didn't quite come off, sir," Gerald observed.

"It didn't," Mr. Dunster admitted, "partly owing to you. There were
only two things needed: France to consider her own big interests and to
ignore an entente from which she gains nothing that was not assured
to her under the new agreement, and the money. Strange," Mr. Dunster
continued, "how people forget that factor, and yet the man who was
responsible for The Hague Conference knew it. We in the States are right
outside all these little jealousies and wrangles that bring Europe,
every now and then, right up to the gates of war, but I'm hanged if
there is one of you dare pass through those gates without a hand on our
money markets. It's a new word in history, that little document, news of
which Mr. Gerald here took to The Hague, the word of the money kings of
the world. There is something that almost nips your breath in the idea
that a dozen men, descended from the Lord knows whom, stopped a war
which would have altered the whole face of history."

"There was never any proof," Hamel remarked, "that France would not have
remained staunch to us."

"Very likely not," Mr. Dunster agreed, "but, on the other hand, your
country had never the right to put such a burden upon her honour.
Remember that side by side with those other considerations, a great
statesman's first duty is to the people over whom he watches, not to
study the interests of other lands. However, it's finished. The Hague
Conference is broken up. The official organs of the world allude to
it, if at all, as an unimportant gathering called together to discuss
certain frontier questions with which England had nothing to do. But the
memory of it will live. A good cold douche for you people, I should say,
and I hope you'll take warning by it. Whatever the attitude of America
as a nation may be to these matters, the American people don't want to
see the old country in trouble. Gee whiz! What's that?"

There was a little cry from all of them. Only Hamel stood without sign
of surprise, gazing downward with grim, set face. A dull roar