again.

'He is one of our ablest men, notwithstanding. At this moment we have not
his superior in anything.'

'I was going to say, Poor Danesbury, but I now say, Poor England.'

Atlee bit his lips with anger at the sarcasm, but went on, 'I infer you are
not aware of the exact share subordinates have had in what you call Lord
Danesbury's Irish blunders--'

'Pardon my interrupting you, but a really able man has no subordinates. His
inferior agents are so thoroughly absorbed by his own individuality
that they have no wills--no instincts--and, therefore, they can do no
indiscretions They are the simple emanations of himself in action.'

'In Turkey, perhaps,' said Atlee, with a smile.

'If in Turkey, why not in England, or, at least, in Ireland? If you are
well served--and mind, you must be well served, or you are powerless--you
can always in political life see the adversary's hand. That he sees yours,
is of course true: the great question then is, how much you mean to mislead
him by the showing it? I give you an instance: Lord Danesbury's cleverest
stroke in policy here, the one hit probably he made in the East, was to
have a private correspondence with the Khedive made known to the Russian
embassy, and induce Gortschakoff to believe that he could not trust the
Pasha! All the Russian preparations to move down on the Provinces were
countermanded. The stores of grain that were being made on the Pruth were
arrested, and three, nearly four weeks elapsed before the mistake was
discovered, and in that interval England had reinforced the squadron at
Malta, and taken steps to encourage Turkey--always to be done by money, or
promise of money.'

'It was a _coup_ of great adroitness,' said Atlee.

'It was more,' cried the Greek, with elation. 'It was a move of such
subtlety as smacks of something higher than the Saxon! The men who do these
things have the instinct of their craft. It is theirs to understand that
chemistry of human motives by which a certain combination results in
effects totally remote from the agents that produce it. Can you follow me?'

'I believe I can.'

'I would rather say, Is my attempt at an explanation sufficiently clear to
be intelligible?'

Atlee looked fixedly at him, and he could do so unobserved, for the other
was now occupied in preparing his pipe, without minding the question.
Therefore Atlee set himself to study the features before him. It was
evident enough, from the intensity of his gaze