point of
numbers you may be said, perhaps, to represent the nation. In point
of intellect, of knowledge--of inner knowledge, mind--I claim that I
represent it. I tell you that a peace now, even on the terms which your
Socialist allies in Germany have suggested, would be for us a peace of
dishonour."

"Will you tell us why?" the Bishop begged.

"Because it is not the peace we promised our dead or our living heroes,"
Mr. Stenson said slowly. "We set out to fight for democracy--your cause.
That fight would be a failure if we allowed the proudest, the most
autocratic, the most conscienceless despot who ever sat upon a throne to
remain in his place."

"But that is just what we shall not do," Fenn interrupted. "Freistner
has assured us of that. The peace is not the Kaiser's peace. It is
the peace of the Socialist Party in Germany, and the day the terms are
proclaimed, democracy there will score its first triumph."

"I find neither in the European Press nor in the reports of our secret
service agents the slightest warrant for any such supposition," Mr.
Stenson pronounced with emphasis.

"You have read Freistner's letter?" Fenn asked.

"Every word of it," the Prime Minister replied. "I believe that
Freistner is an honest man, as honest as any of you, but I think that he
is mistaken. I do not believe that the German people are with him. I
am content to believe that those signatures are genuine. I will even
believe that Germany would welcome those terms of peace, although she
would never allow them to proceed from her own Cabinet. But I do not
believe that the clash and turmoil which would follow their publication
would lead to the overthrow of the German dynasty. You give me no proof
of it, gentlemen. You have none yourselves. And therefore I say that you
propose to work in the dark, and it seems to me that your work may lead
to an evil end. I want you to listen to me for one moment," he went on,
his face lighting up with a flash of terrible earnestness. "I am not
going to cast about in my mind for flowery phrases or epigrams. We are
plain men here together, with our country's fate in the balance. For
God's sake, realise your responsibilities. I want peace. I ache for
it. But there will be no peace for Europe while Germany remains an
undefeated autocracy. We've promised our dead and our living to oust
that corrupt monster from his throne. We've promised it to France our
glorious Allies. We've shaken hands about it with A