instance, and Empire, and Imperial responsibility, and blood-
is-thicker-than-water, and all that sort of thing."

Reginald waited for a couple of minutes before replying,
while the Lord of Rimini temporarily monopolised the acoustic
possibilities of the theatre.

"That is the worst of a tragedy," he observed, "one can't
always hear oneself talk. Of course I accept the Imperial
idea and the responsibility. After all, I would just as soon
think in Continents as anywhere else. And some day, when the
season is over and we have the time, you shall explain to me
the exact blood-brotherhood and all that sort of thing that
exists between a French Canadian and a mild Hindoo and a
Yorkshireman, for instance."

"Oh, well, 'dominion over palm and pine,' you know," quoted
the Duchess hopefully; "of course we mustn't forget that
we're all part of the great Anglo-Saxon Empire."

"Which for its part is rapidly becoming a suburb of
Jerusalem. A very pleasant suburb, I admit, and quite a
charming Jerusalem. But still a suburb."

"Really, to be told one's living in a suburb when one is
conscious of spreading the benefits of civilisation all over
the world! Philanthropy--I suppose you will say THAT is a
comfortable delusion; and yet even you must admit that
whenever want or misery or starvation is known to exist,
however distant or difficult of access, we instantly organise