ot, I
am convinced, the gifts of a salesman. You would not reason and argue
with these obstinate British shopkeepers. No! Your value to me would lie
in other directions--in your social position, your opportunities of
meeting with a class above the commercial one in which I have made my few
English friends, and in your own intelligence."

"I scarcely see of what value these things would be to a vendor of
crockery."

"They would be of no value at all," Selingman admitted. "It is not in the
crockery business that I propose to make use of you. I believe that we
both know that. We may dismiss it from our minds. It is only fencing with
words. I will take you a little further. You have heard, by chance, of
the Anglo-German Peace Society?"

"The name sounds familiar," Norgate confessed. "I can't say that I know
anything about it."

"It was I who inaugurated that body," Selingman announced. "It is I who
direct its interests."

"Congratulate you, I'm sure. You must find it uphill work sometimes."

"It is uphill work all the time," the German agreed. "Our great object
is, as you can guess from the title, to promote good-feeling between the
two countries, to heal up all possible breaches, to soothe and dispel
that pitiful jealousy, of which, alas! too much exists. It is not easy,
Mr. Norgate. It is not easy, my young friend. I meet with many
disappointments. Yet it is a great and worthy undertaking."

"It sounds all right," Norgate observed. "Where do I come in?"

"I will explain. To carry out the aims of our society, there is much
information which we are continually needing. People in Germany are often
misled by the Press here. Facts and opinions are presented to them often
from an unpalatable point of view. Furthermore, there is a section of the
Press which, so far from being on our side, seems deliberately to try to
stir up ill-feeling between the two countries. We want to get behind the
Press. For that purpose we need to know the truth about many matters; and
as the truth is a somewhat rare commodity, we are willing to pay for it.
Now we come face to face. It will be your business, if you accept my
offer, to collect such facts as may be useful to us."

"I see," Norgate remarked dubiously, "or rather I don't see at all. Give
me an example of the sort of facts you require."

Mr. Selingman leaned a little forward in his chair. He was warming to
his subject.

"By all means. There is the Irish question, then."

"The