managing him, I suppose," said Donovan.

"Oh, yes. But it may take a little time. He'll want to talk and I must
consider his self-respect."

"Quite so," said Donovan. "We all like to keep our self-respect, even
admirals."

Smith stood up.

"Very well, sir," he said, "and if there's nothing you want, sir----"

"Nothing," said Donovan.

"I shall be back in time to serve luncheon, sir."

The Smith who left the room was Donovan's valet, not the head of the
Intelligence Department of Salissa.

"Now that," said Donovan, "is an example of the pacifist method of
settling disputes, without appealing to force or sacrificing human
life."

"I admire it," said Gorman. "I have a higher opinion of pacifism this
minute than I ever had before."

"It's civilized," said Donovan, "and it's cheap. I don't say it can
always be worked as cheap as this; but it's cheaper than war every
time."

"I wonder," said Gorman, "if it would work out on a large scale. Take
the case of the Emperor now."

"There are difficulties," said Donovan. "I don't deny that there are
difficulties. It isn't always easy to get hold of the right man to
pay, and it's no use paying the wrong one. You must find the real
boss, and he has a trick of hiding behind. I remember a case of an
elevated street car franchise in a town in the Middle West. We paid
three times and didn't get it in the end owing to not striking the man
who mattered. Still, the thing can be done, and according to my
notion it's the best way out, better than fighting. You mentioned this
darned Emperor. Well, I don't know. He'd have to be paid, of course;
but the big grafter, the man who'd take the six-figure cheque, is
likely not the Emperor. I don't know. You'd have to find that out. But
the principle's sound. That's why I call myself a pacifist. There's
tosh talked about pacifism, of course. There always must be tosh
talked--and texts. I don't undervalue texts as a means of influencing
public opinion. But the principle is the thing. It's business. Pay a
big price to the man who can deliver the goods. If you pay a big
enough price he'll hand over."

"That's all right," said Gorman, "when you're dealing with business
men. But there are other men, men who aren't out for money, who
want----"

Donovan yawned.

"There are lunatics," he said, "but lunatics don't run the world. They
get shut up. Most men aren't lunatics, and you'll find that the
pacifist idea works out. It's the everlastin