eparture of Johann
Wolff."

Dominey and Rosamund returned about one o'clock to find a note from
Seaman, which the former tore open as his companion stood warming her
feet in front of the fire. There were only a few lines:

"I am following an idea. It takes me to London. Let us meet there within
a few days.

"S."

"Has he really gone?" Rosamund asked.

"Back to London."

She laughed happily. "Then we shall lunch _a deux_ after all!
Delightful! I have my wish!"

There was a sudden glow in Dominey's face, a glow which was instantly
suppressed.

"Shall I ever have mine?" he asked, with a queer little break in his
voice.

CHAPTER XXV

Terniloff and Dominey, one morning about six months later, lounged
underneath a great elm tree at Ranelagh, having iced drinks after a
round of golf. Several millions of perspiring Englishmen were at the
same moment studying with dazed wonder the headlines in the midday
papers.

"I suppose," the Ambassador remarked, as he leaned back in his chair
with an air of lazy content, "that I am being accused of fiddling while
Rome burns."

"Every one has certainly not your confidence in the situation," Dominey
rejoined calmly.

"There is no one else who knows quite so much," Terniloff reminded him.

Dominey sipped his drink for a moment or two in silence.

"Have you the latest news of the Russian mobilisation?" he asked. "They
had some startling figures in the city this morning."

The Prince waved his hand.

"My faith is not founded on these extraneous incidents," he replied. "If
Russia mobilises, it is for defence. No nation in the world would
dream of attacking Germany, nor has Germany the slightest intention
of imperilling her coming supremacy amongst the nations by such crude
methods as military enterprise. Servia must be punished, naturally, but
to that, in principle, every nation in Europe is agreed. We shall not
permit Austria to overstep the mark."

"You are at least consistent, Prince," Dominey remarked.

Terniloff smiled.

"That is because I have been taken behind the scenes," he said. "I have
been shown, as is the privilege of ambassadors, the mind of our rulers.
You, my friend," he went on, "spent your youth amongst the military
faction. You think that you are the most important people in Germany.
Well, you are not. The Kaiser has willed it otherwise. By-the-by, I had
yesterday a most extraordinary cable from Stephanie."

Dominey ceased swinging his put