ity to put anything in writing, had provided a
penny bottle of ink and a sticky-looking, red pen-holder. The speaker
took up the pen suspiciously, and laid it down again. He rubbed
his finger and thumb together. His suspicions had apparently been
justifiable. It was a sticky one! Then he lapsed into thought. Perhaps
he was thinking of the pen-holder, or perhaps of the history of the two
nations represented in that room. He had a thoughtful face, and history
is a fascinating study, especially for those who make it. And this quiet
man had made a little in his day.

"An opportunity is not an easy thing to define," he said at length.
"Any event may turn out to be one. But, so far as we can judge, Poland's
opportunity must lie in two or three possible events at the most. One
would be a war with England. That, I am afraid, I cannot bring about
just yet."

He spoke quite seriously, and he had not the air of a man subject to the
worst of blindness--the blindness of vanity.

"We have all waited long enough for that. We have done our best out on
the frontier and in the English press, but cannot bring it about. It is
useless to wait any longer. The English are fiery enough--in print--and
ready enough to fight--in Fleet Street. In Russia we have too little
journalism--in England they have too much."

Captain Cable yawned at this juncture with a maritime frankness.

"Another opportunity would be a social upheaval," said the Russian,
drumming on the table with his slim fingers. "The time has not come for
that yet. A third alternative is a mishap to a crowned head--and that we
can offer to you."

Kosmaroff moved impatiently.

"Is that all?" he exclaimed. "I have heard that talk for the last ten
years. Have you brought me across Europe to talk of that?"

The Russian looked at him calmly, stroking his thin, black mustache, and
waited till he had finished speaking.

"Yes--that is all I have to propose to you--but this time it is more
than talk. You may take my word for that. This time we shall all
succeed. But, of course, we want money, as usual. Ah! what a different
world this would be if the poor could only be rich for one hour. We want
five thousand roubles. I understand you have control of ten times that
amount. If Poland will advance us five thousand roubles she shall have
her opportunity--and a good one--in a month from now."

He held up his hand to command silence, for Kosmaroff, with eyes that
suddenly blazed in anger