I have brought you
evidence that it is not the German nation against whom we fight,
man against man, human being against human being. It is my belief
that autocracy and the dynasty of the Hohenzollerns will crumble
into ruin as a result of today's negotiations, just as surely as
though we sacrificed God knows how many more lives to achieve a
greater measure of military triumph."
The Prime Minister rang the bell.
"You are an honest man, Julian Orden," he said, "and a decent
emissary. You will reply that we take the twenty-four hours for
reflection. That means that we shall meet at nine o'clock
to-morrow evening."
He held out his hand in farewell, an action which somehow sent
Julian away a happier man.
CHAPTER XVII
Julian, on, the morning following his visit to the Prime Minister,
was afflicted with a curious and persistent unrest. He travelled
down to the Temple land found Miles Furley in a room hung with
tobacco smoke and redolent of a late night.
"Miles," Julian declared, as the two men shook hands, "I can't
rest."
"I am in the same fix," Furley admitted. "I sat here till four
o'clock. Phineas Cross came around, and half-a-dozen of the
others. I felt I must talk to them, I must keep on hammering it
out. We're right, Julian. We must be right!"
"It's a ghastly responsibility. I wonder what history will have
to say."
"That's the worst of it," Furley groaned. "They'll have a
bird's-eye view of the whole affair, those people who write our
requiem or our eulogy.
Pages:
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202