of the connections existing between your unions of working men
and similar bodies in Germany. This is a great fallacy for two reasons:
first because Germany has always intended to have some one else pull the
chestnuts out of the fire for her, and second because we cannot
internationalise labour. English and German workmen may come together
on matters affecting their craft and the conditions of their labour, but
at heart one remains a German and one an Englishman, with separate
interests and a separate outlook."

"Well, at the end of it all," Mr. Mervin Brown said, "the bogey is war.
What sort of a war? An invasion of England is just as impossible to-day
as it was twenty years ago."

Nigel nodded.

"I cannot answer your question," he admitted. "I was looking to Jesson's
report to give us an idea as to that."

"You shall see it to-morrow," Mr. Mervin Brown promised. "It is round at
the War Office at the present moment."

"Without seeing it," Nigel went on, "I expect I can tell you one
startling feature of its contents. It suggested, did it not, that the
principal movers against us would be Russian and China and--a country
which you prefer just now not to mention?"

"But that country is our ally!" Mr. Mervin Brown exclaimed.

Nigel smiled a little sadly.

"She has been," he admitted. "Still, if you had been _au fait_ with
diplomatic history thirty years ago, Mr. Mervin Brown, you would know
that she was on the point of ending her alliance with us and
establishing one with Germany. It was only owing to the genius of one
English statesman that at the last moment she almost reluctantly
renewed her alliance with us. She is in the same state of doubt
concerning our destiny to-day. She has seen our last two Governments
forget that we are an Imperial Power and endeavour to apply the
principles of sheer commercialism to the conduct of a great nation. She
may have opened her eyes a thousand years later than we did, but she is
awake enough now to know that this will not do. There is little enough
of generosity amongst the nations; none amongst the Orientals. I have a
conviction myself that there is a secret alliance between China and this
other Power, a secret and quite possibly an aggressive alliance."

Mr. Mervin Brown sat for a few moments deep in thought. Somehow or other
his face had gained in dignity since the beginning of the conversation.
The nervous fear in his eyes had been replaced by a look of deep and
solemn