because Blenkiron seemed to collect his wits and try to argue, just
as he had done at the end of his lecture. He was speaking about a
story he had heard from someone, who had heard it from someone
else, that Austria in the last week of July 1914 had accepted Russia's
proposal to hold her hand and negotiate, and that the Kaiser had
sent a message to the Tsar saying he agreed. According to his story
this telegram had been received in Petrograd, and had been re-
written, like Bismarck's Ems telegram, before it reached the
Emperor. He expressed his disbelief in the yarn. 'I reckon if it had
been true,' he said, 'we'd have had the right text out long ago.
They'd have kept a copy in Berlin. All the same I did hear a sort of
rumour that some kind of message of that sort was published in a
German paper.'

Mr Ivery looked wise. 'You are right,' he said. 'I happen to
know that it has been published. You will find it in the
_Wieser _Zeitung.'

'You don't say?' he said admiringly. 'I wish I could read the old
tombstone language. But if I could they wouldn't let me have the papers.'

'Oh yes they would.' Mr Ivery laughed pleasantly. 'England has
still a good share of freedom. Any respectable person can get a
permit to import the enemy press. I'm not considered quite
respectable, for the authorities have a narrow definition of
patriotism, but happily I have respectable friends.'

Blenkiron was staying the night, and I took my leave as the clock
struck twelve. They both came into the hall to see me off, and, as I
was helping myself to a drink, and my host was looking for my hat