of those to whom great
rewards shall come. His Majesty approves altogether of your reluctance
to avail yourself of his permission to wed the Princess Eiderstrom. 'Von
Ragastein has decided well,' he declared. 'These are not the days for
marriage or giving in marriage. These, the most momentous days the world
has ever known, the days when an empire shall spring into being, the
mightiest since the Continents fell into shape and the stars looked down
upon this present world.' Those are the words of the All Highest. In
his eyes the greatest of all attributes is singleness of purpose.
You followed your own purpose, contrary to my advice, contrary to
Terniloff's. You will gain by it."

Seaman finished his meal in due course, and the tray was removed. Soon
the two men were alone again, Seaman puffing out dense volumes of smoke,
gripping his cigar between his teeth, brandishing it sometimes in his
hand to give effect to his words. A little of his marvellous caution
seemed to have deserted him. For the first time he spoke directly to his
companion.

"Von Ragastein," he said, "it is a great country, ours. It is a
wonderful empire we shall build. To-night I am on fire with the mighty
things. I have a list of instructions for you, many details. They can
wait. We will talk of our future, our great and glorious destiny as the
mightiest nation who has ever earned for herself the right to govern the
world. You would think that in Germany there was excitement. There is
none. The task of every one is allotted, their work made clear to them.
Like a mighty piece of gigantic machinery, we move towards war. Every
regiment knows its station, every battery commander knows his positions,
every general knows his exact line of attack. Rations, clothing,
hospitals, every unit of which you can think, has its movements
calculated out for it to the last nicety."

"And the final result?" Dominey asked. "Is that also calculated?"

Seaman, with trembling fingers, unlocked the little despatch box which
stood by his side and took from it jealously a sheet of linen-backed
parchment.

"You, my friend," he said, "are one of the first to gaze upon this. This
will show you the dream of our Kaiser. This will show you the framework
of the empire that is to be."

He laid out a map upon the table. The two men bent over it. It was a map
of Europe, in which England, a diminished France, Spain, Portugal and
Italy, were painted in dark blue. For the rest, the