be held. His man returned in safety, and he has one over there now
who has not been arrested. We seem to have lost nearly all of ours."

"Do you mean to say that this man Fentolin actually possesses
information which the Government hasn't as to the intentions of
foreign Powers?" Hamel asked.

Kinsley nodded. There was a slight flush upon his pallid cheeks.

"He not only has it, but he doesn't mean to part with it. A few
hundred years ago, when the rulers of this country were men with
blood in their veins, he'd have been given just one chance to tell
all he knew, and hung as a traitor if he hesitated. We don't do
that sort of thing nowadays. We rather go in for preserving
traitors. We permit them even in our own House of Commons. However,
I don't want to depress you and play the alarmist so soon after your
return to London. I dare say the old country'll muddle along through
our time."

"Don't be foolish," Hamel begged. "There's no other subject of
conversation could interest me half as much. Have you formed any
idea yourself as to the nature of this conference?"

"We all have an idea," Kinsley replied grimly; "India for Russia; a
large slice of China for Japan, with probably Australia thrown in;
Alsace-Lorraine for France's neutrality. There's bribery for you.
What's to become of poor England then? Our friends are only human,
after all, and it's merely a question of handing over to them
sufficient spoil. They must consider themselves first: that's the
first duty of their politicians towards their country."