be hers--no cost can be too great; a
hundred lives, a thousand lives, millions of treasure--all these would
be sacrificed gladly, without hesitation. You understand?"

"Yes," said Kasia. "I think I understand."

"It is your father's dream, as I suppose you also know," Pachmann
continued, "to bring about a world-wide peace by causing all nations to
strike hands together in a sort of universal brotherhood. He demands
that, to enter this brotherhood, Germany relinquish her share of Poland
and restore Elsass and Lorraine to France. He requires, too, the
virtual abdication of our ruling house. To such conditions Germany
cannot consent. Rather than that, we should prefer a hundred times the
present status. For Germany has nothing to fear from the future.

"Now, Miss Vard, let me say at once that I regard your father's dream as
a dream and nothing more. It cannot be realised. There is only one way
in which world-peace can be secured--let your father consent to place
this power in our hands, and there will be no more war--or, at most,
only one very short and decisive war. If your father is in earnest, if
he is not mad, he will consent to this proposal. I need hardly add that,
if he does consent, he has only to name his own reward--Germany will pay
it gladly. Wealth, position, the suzerainty of a nation--all this
Germany is prepared to grant."

"You have placed this before him?" Kasia asked.

"Yes; it was placed before him at much greater length at our second
conference."

"And he refused?"

"He refused; but we cannot take that refusal."

"Why do you tell me all this?"

"I tell you this, Miss Vard," answered Pachmann earnestly, "because I
wish you to understand that in what may seem to you treachery and
persecution, I am but fighting for my country. For her, I hesitate at
nothing. Then, too, I wish you to know what our position is. If you
will think of it, I believe you will find it an honourable position, and
one which will bring peace to the world, and quickly. I hope that, after
full consideration, you will decide to speak to your father. Perhaps to
you he might listen."

"No, he would not listen," said Kasia, calmly; "and I shall not speak;
or, if I do, it will be to urge him to continue to defy you. Do you
imagine that any threat, any torture, could compel him to place the
world at the mercy of your Kaiser? You do not know him, Mr. Pachmann."

"That is your final answer?" Pachmann asked.

"Yes."

He rose.