"
"Explain, if you please," she begged earnestly.
He smoked stolidly for several moments.
"I imagine," he said, "that you preserve with me something of that
very skilfully assumed ignorance which is the true mask of the
diplomatist. But is it worth while, I wonder?"
She caught at her breath.
"You are too clever," she murmured, looking at him covertly.
"You have seen," he continued, "how Germany, who needs peace
sorely, has striven to use the most despised power in her country
for her own advantage--I mean the Socialist Party. From being
treated with scorn and ignominy, they were suddenly, at the time
of the proposed Stockholm Conference, judged worthy of notice from
the All Highest himself. He suddenly saw how wonderful a use
might be made of them. It was a very clever trap which was
baited, and it was not owing to any foresight or any cleverness on
the part of this country that the Allies did not walk straight
into it. I say again," he went on, "that it was a mere fluke
which prevented the Allies from being represented at that
Conference and the driving in of the thin end of the wedge."
"You are quite right," Catherine agreed.
"German diplomacy," he proceeded, "may sometimes be obtuse, but it
is at least persistent. Their next move will certainly rank in
history as the most astute, the most cunning of any put forward
since the war commenced. Of course," the young man went on,
fitting his cigarette into a long, amber holder, "we who are not
Germans can only guess, but even the guessing is fascinating.
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