Let any confounded foreigner insult England, and he has to reckon with _us_.

A word from _us_, and it means war, Piers, glorious war, with triumphs for the race and for civilisation! England means civilisation; the other nations don't count." "Oh, come----" "I tell you they don't count!" roared Alexander, his hair wild and his beard ferocious.

"You're not one of the muffs who want to keep England little and tame, are you ?" "I think pretty much with father about these things." "The old man! Oh, I'd forgotten the old man.

But he's not of our time, Piers; he's old-fashioned, though a good old man, I admit.

No, no; we must be armed and triple-armed; we must be so strong that not all the confounded foreigners leagued together can touch us.