Julian sat with his
back turned towards them and his ears closed. In this atmosphere
of government, his own position seemed to him weird and fantastic.
A sense of unreality cumbered his thoughts. Even this brief pause
in the actual negotiations filled him with doubts. He could
scarcely believe that it was he who was to dictate terms to the
man who was responsible for the government of the country; that it
was he who was to force a decision pregnant with far-reaching
consequences to the entire world. The figures of Fenn and Bright
loomed up ominously before him, however hard he tried to push them
into the background. Was it the mandate of such men as these that
he was carrying?
Presently the two Ministers returned to their places. Julian had
heard their voices for the last few minutes without being able to
distinguish a word of their actual conversation.
"We have considered the document you have brought, Orden," the
Prime Minister said, "and we frankly admit that we find its
contents surprising. The terms of peace suggested form a
perfectly possible basis for negotiations. At the same time, you
are probably aware that it has not been in the mind of His
Majesty's Ministers to discuss terms of peace at all with the
present administration of Germany."
"These terms," Julian reminded him, "are dictated, not by the
Kaiser and his advisers, but by the Socialist and Labour Party."
"It is strange," Mr. Stenson pointed out, "that we have heard so
little of that Party.
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