New-York tribune., 1906-12-30
CHAPTER XI.

SIITAf LIN AL
THE issue of The Daily Oracle" which
L appeared on the following morning or
rather the same morning electrified Europe
Nothing like 1t had been known IN the memory
OF man. For one haltpenny, the city clerk. the
millionaire, and the politician were alike
treated o. a sensation which, since the days OF
CaXton, has known no parallel. The whole OF
the front page of the paper was devoted % a
leading article. printed in large type, and these
questions were the text of what followed:
"1. Do the Government know that within
eighty miles Of kiel are one hundred and eighty
thousand troops with guns and al the NUM-
tIons OF war, assembled there for the purpose
OF an immediate invasion of England, assem-
bled partly IN secrecy, and partly under the
ridiculous pretexts OF maneuvers.
-. Do the Government know that it Is Il
skeleton fleet the weddings Of the German navy,
which await our squadron in kiel waters. and
that the remainder of the German fleet, at its
full strength and ready Tor action Is lying in
hiding close at hand'
-. That there exists in London, under the
peaceful gtlise OF q trade Union, an army OF
nearly two hundred thousand Germans, who
have passed their training and that a complete
scheme exists Tor arrnlng and Ottcerlng them
at practically moment 5 notice.
-. That a German army Is even now nasSed
upon the French frontier. prepared 70 support
the claims u the throne O1 France OF Prince
Louis ot Normandy and that q conspiracy has
been discovered within the last tortv-eIght
hours among the French army. 70 suffer an
invasion IF their country upon this preteXt'
=. That the American papers are to-day
publishing the names Ot some OF her richest
citizens, who are finding the money for French
RovalIst agents, 70 buy over the waVeTlng
officers of the army ot our ally, the army Of
the French Republlc'
There Is ignorance which i folly, and igno-
rance which /, sin The Government have
.
show themselves guilty also OF the second. the
people OF this country have the right 20 hurl
from their places the fools who have brought
them u the brink OF disaster and % save them
selves. In their name We demand TWO things
" The despatch ~ q destroyer with orders 10
the Channel squadron 70 return At once TO
their waters
The mobilization Of our Mediterranean
fleet
With this text Stauntou had written his
article. and he had written II with pen Of fire.
Ever word burned It's way home. With the
daring ot those few hours OF inspiration. he had
turned Inference into fact, he had written As a
man who sees face L. face the things OF which
he writes. There could be only one result. At
ten o'clock i Cabinet council was called and
Staunt1u was telephoned Tor. Before midday
everything that he had suggested was done
Let come what VIII, - C1ycSt declared from
his easy CHAIR III Gilbert study. the great
pIpI Il Sil--t~tcL pctlSc YOU my WbTU IndL
tomorrow the German newspapers Will hold
u up u St1rn. VIII seek t. make of Us the
laughing stock of the world. They VIII explain
everything. There viii be no var. \ German
invasion OF England IS possible only by IN
trigueS which VIII keep France apart, and
treachery which will render our fleet ineffective.
This plot has taken five Years % develop. and
| have been on It's track from the first. Thank
God l can call myself square now with the
past.
Do We receive our deserts in this world:"
some one asked one night. when our dinner
table at SaXby was like 4 suggestion Of old
times, and Ne all paused 70 think
Staunton has 3 peerage. Adele remarked.
Luckier than l.. C1ueSt laughed. only he
called himself Guest no longer. but Lord Leslie
Wendover. My past disgrace had 10 be
wiped out by an invitation % Windsor and a
ribbon. Such are the ways ot diplomacy, which
never dare own - q mistake.
The amazing denSeneSS Of the man. his
wife murmurei. - Do I count Tor nothing" s."
He bent AMI touched her hand with his lips
a Adele leaned forward and laughed 1T me
across the table.
Il think She said, THAT yo., both deserve
what You got-uS.
THE END