“And can you be swayed by such counsels?” cried Dunn, eagerly. “Is it possible that you will suffer yourselves to be made the dupes of a Russian intrigue?” “Say, rather, the agents of a great policy,” said Glumthal, “and you will be nearer the mark. My dear friend,” added he, in a lower and more confidential tone, “have I to tell _you_ that _your_ whole late policy in England is a mistake, your Crimean war a mistake, your French alliance a mistake, and your present attempt at a reconciliation with Austria the greatest mistake of all?” “You would find it a hard task to make the nation believe this,” said Dunn, smiling. “So I might; but not to convince your statesmen of it. They see it already. They perceive even now some of the perils of the coarse they have adopted.” “The old story. I have heard it at least a hundred times,” broke in Dunn. “We have been overturning the breakwaters that the ocean may swamp us. But I tell _you_, Baron, that the more democratic we grow in England, the safer we become. We don't want these alliances we fancied ourselves once in need of. That family compact redounded but little to our advantage.” “So it might. But there is another compact now forming, which bodes even less favorably to you. The Church, by her Concordat, is replacing the old Holy Alliance. You 'll need the aid of the only power that cannot be drawn into this league,--I mean the only great power,--Russia.” “If you will wait till we are so minded, Baron,” said Dunn, laughing, “you have plenty of time to help me with my tunnel here.” And he pointed to his plans. “And where will the world be,--I mean your world and mine,--before the pick of the workman reaches so far?” and he placed his finger on the Splugen Alps,--“answer me that. What will be the Government of France,--I don't ask who? Where will Naples be? What king will be convoking the Hungarian Diet? Who will be the Russian viceroy on the Danube?” “Far more to the purpose were it if I could tell you how would the Three per Cents stand,” broke in Dunn. “I 'm coming to that,” said the other, dryly. “No, no,” said he, after a pause; “let us see this unhappy war finished,--let us wait till we know who are to be partners in the-great game of European politics. Lanfranchi tells me that the French and Russians who meet here come together on the best of terms; that intimacies, and even friendships. spring up rapidly between them. This fact, if repeated in Downing Street, might be heard with some misgiving.” Though Dunn affected indifference to this remark, he winced, and walked to the window to hide his irritation.