Terniloff and Dominey, one morning about six months later, lounged underneath a great elm tree at Ranelagh, having iced drinks after a round of golf.

Several millions of perspiring Englishmen were at the same moment studying with dazed wonder the headlines in the midday papers.
"I suppose," the Ambassador remarked, as he leaned back in his chair with an air of lazy content, "that I am being accused of fiddling while Rome burns." "Every one has certainly not your confidence in the situation," Dominey rejoined calmly.
"There is no one else who knows quite so much," Terniloff reminded him.
Dominey sipped his drink for a moment or two in silence.
"Have you the latest news of the Russian mobilisation ?" he asked.

"They had some startling figures in the city this morning." The Prince waved his hand.
"My faith is not founded on these extraneous incidents," he replied.

"If Russia mobilises, it is for defence.

No nation in the world would dream of attacking Germany, nor has Germany the slightest intention of imperilling her coming supremacy amongst the nations by such crude methods as military enterprise.