f Queen
Victoria's last birthdays a powerful squadron, as it was called, was
assembled for review off Spithead. But no foreigner was allowed a close
inspection of these imposing fleets, and I am greatly inclined to think
that it was another case of the famous movable villages, which Potemkin
showed the Russian Empress on her journey to the Crimea. Official
statements give the number of English warships as more than four
hundred, not including torpedo-boats, but amongst them is a large number
of obsolete and inefficient vessels."

Heideck nodded.

"If the English fleet were really so efficient as is believed, it would
be difficult to understand why it has not attempted any decisive action
up till now."

"That is also my view. The Copenhagen fleet would have attacked Kiel
harbour long ago. It was said that it was to hold the Russian fleet in
check. But that would be superfluous to start with, as long as the Gulfs
of Bothnia and Finland were blocked with ice and the Russian squadrons
were unable to move. This way of making war reminds me forcibly of the
state of things in the Crimean War, when a powerful English fleet
set out with a great flourish of trumpets against Cronstadt and St.
Petersburg, but did nothing except bombard Bomarsund, a place nobody
cared about. The English Press had great difficulty in excusing the
fiasco of its world-renowned fleet."

Returning to the previous subject of conversation, Heideck said to the
Lieutenant-Colonel: "I don't think we need trouble ourselves any more
about the communications of Countess Arselaarts and Messrs. Amelungen
and Co. The court-martial may settle with them. I attach incomparably
greater importance to skipper Brandelaar, whom I hold in my hand, and
through whom--perhaps with the help of Camille Penurot--I hope to
obtain information about the British fleet and its proposed employment.
Brandelaar's vessel should now be off Ternenzen. I will ask you, Herr
Lieutenant-Colonel, to have the man and his crew arrested to-day."

"But how does that agree with your intention of using him as a spy in
our interest?"

"I forgot to tell you that it is an agreement between Brandelaar and
myself. He himself thought it necessary for his own safety; he was
afraid of the crew. Of course it will only be a sham examination,
and the man must be released as soon as possible, on the ground of
insufficient evidence, so that he can return to England to-morrow."

The Lieutenant-Colonel prom