is a state of war,
such a man as that could be arrested."

"Faith," said Denis Castellan, as he filled the glasses. "Law or no law,
he will be arrested to-night if he stops here long enough for me to lay
hands upon him. Now then, what's the news, Mr Lennard? I'm told that
you've just come back from the United States, what's the opinion of
things over there?"

Such news that Lennard had was, of course, even more terrible than the
news of war and invasion, which was now thrilling through England like
an electric shock, and he kept it to himself, thinking quite rightly
that the people of England had quite enough to occupy their attention
for the immediate present, and so he replied as he raised the glass
which Denis had filled for him:

"I am afraid that I have no news except this: that from all I have heard
in the States, if it does come to death-grips, the States will be with
us. But you see, of course, that I have only just got back, and this
thing has been sprung on us so suddenly. In fact, it was only this
morning that we got an aerogram from the Lizard as we came up Channel to
say that war was almost a certainty, and advising us to get into
Southampton as soon as we could."

"Well," said Erskine, taking up his glass, "that's all right, as far as
it goes. I've always believed that it's all rot saying that blood isn't
thicker than water. It is. Of course, relations quarrel more than other
people do, but it's only over domestic matters. Let an outsider start a
row, and he very soon sees what happens, and that's what I believe our
friends on the other side of the Channel are going to find out if it
comes to extremities. Well, Mr Lennard, I am very pleased that you have
introduced yourself to us to-night. Of course, we have both known you
publicly, and therefore we have all the more pleasure in knowing you
privately."

"Thanks," replied Lennard, putting his hand into the inside pocket of
his coat and taking out an envelope. "But to be quite candid with you,
although of course I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, I did
not introduce myself to you and Mr Castellan only for personal reasons.
I have devoted some attention to the higher chemistry as well as the
higher mathematics and astronomy, and I have also had the pleasure of
going through the designs of the cruiser which you have invented, and
which you are now to command. I have been greatly interested in them,
and for that reason I think that this may int