Julio was beginning to be impressed by these affirmations enunciated
with such oracular certainty, and he felt almost irritated at the
incredulous Argensola, who continued looking insolently at the seer,
repeating with his winking eyes, "He is insane--insane with pride." The
man certainly must have strong reasons for making such awful prophecies.
His presence in Paris just at this time was difficult for Desnoyers to
understand, and gave to his words a mysterious authority.

"But the nations will defend themselves," he protested to his cousin.
"Victory will not be such a very simple thing as you imagine."

"Yes, they will defend themselves, and the struggle will be fiercely
contested. It appears that, of late years, France has been paying some
attention to her army. We shall undoubtedly encounter some resistance;
triumph may be somewhat difficult, but we are going to prevail. . . .
You have no idea to what extent the offensive power of Germany has
attained. Nobody knows with certainty beyond the frontiers. If our foes
should comprehend it in all its immensity, they would fall on their
knees beforehand to beg for mercy, thus obviating the necessity for
useless sacrifices."

There was a long silence. Julius von Hartrott appeared lost in reverie.
The very thought of the accumulated strength of his race submerged him
in a species of mystic adoration.

"The preliminary victory," he suddenly exclaimed, "we gained some time
ago. Our enemies, therefore, hate us, and yet they imitate us. All that
bears the stamp of Germany is in demand throughout the world. The very
countries that are trying to resist our arms copy our methods in their
universities and admire our theories, even those which do not attain