erly. My feeling about the book
was that it started with a first-class idea for a plot of comedy and
intrigue, but that the author, instead of being contented with this,
wanted to give us a novel of character-development on the grand scale,
and somewhat spoilt his work in the attempt. The earlier chapters could
hardly have been better. There was a real snap in the struggle between
the English hero, _Hilary Warde_, who had nearly perfected a system of
wireless telephony, and the Berlin magnates who wished to bluff him out
of the results. As I say, I liked these early scenes and some others
subsequently that dealt with rather sensational finance (it always
cheers me up when the hero makes half-a-million pounds in a single
chapter!) better than those that had to do with _Warde's_ domestic
entanglements and the deterioration of his character. And the climax
seemed inadequate to the point of bathos. But there is much in the tale
to enjoy; and you might read it if only for a vivid word-picture of what
Berlin used to be like before the beginning of the great _debacle_. This
has now an interest almost historical.

* * * * *

Illustration: _Hedger._ "THERE'S AWFUL ACCOUNTS IN THIS 'ERE PAPER OF THEY
GERMANS--SEEMS THERE'S SOME PEOPLE AS DON'T 'OLD _NOTHING_ SACRED."

Huntsman. "AH! YOU MAY SAY SO! AND IT AIN'T ONLY GERMANS. ONLY LAST
NIGHT I FOUND AS FINE A DOG-FOX AS EVER I SEE _WITH A BULLET-WOUND
THROUGH 'IS 'EART!_"

* * * * *

"TURKISH AMBASSADOR LEAVES BORDEAUX.

The Turkish Ambassador left Paris yesterday on a visit to Biarritz.
He announced before leaving that he would return. This was the first
visit paid by the Turkish Ambassador for over a fortnight. He did
not see Sir Edward Grey, but had a long conference with Sir Arthur
Nicolson, Permanent Under-Secretary."

_Edinburgh Evening News._

The only possible answer to this extraordinary conduct was a declaration
of war.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch or the London Charivari, Vol.
147, November 11, 1914, by Various

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PUNCH ***

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