"About three hundred thousand pounds." M. Fagel was silent. His secret thought was, that to raise this money, overcome all opposition, and complete every preparation by the autumn was impossible. The Prince was quick to divine his doubt. "You think I cannot do it?" he asked, with that breathlessness that was a sign of his rare excitement. "No, Highness. I think of France." "France!" cried William. "I think of France also." "If they should attack us while you were absent—or even before you were ready——" William lifted his hand gravely and let it fall lightly on the smooth surface of the table. "Ah, _if_—M. Fagel," he said solemnly; "but that is in God His keeping, where all our destinies be—and we can but fulfil them." He smiled a little as if he thought of other things, and his bright gaze again sought the window, but instantly he recalled himself. "I need detain you no more to-night—I shall need to see the States separately and the Amsterdamers—everything must be put in train immediately." All three rose. The two older men were much moved; before the mind of each were pictures of ten years ago when with the same deliberate courage and heroic fatalism the Prince had pitted himself against France and been forced by the treachery of Charles Stewart into the peace of Nymwegen. Ten years ago, and ever since William had been working for and planning a renewal of the war he had then been forced to conclude; now it seemed that he had accomplished his desire, and that his re-entry into the combat would be in a manner to take the breath of Europe. Grave men as these two were, and well used to the spectacle of high policies, they felt that extraordinary thrill which shakes those about to watch the curtain draw up on tremendous events. They knew that in that quiet little room actions were being resolved and put in train that would stir every court in Europe and make all the pomp of Versailles show hollow if successful; and looking on the Prince, they could not think of failure. When they had taken their leave, William locked the two letters in a Chinese escritoire. Mr. Sidney had requested that they, being in his known hand, might be destroyed, but the Prince considered his desk as safe as the fire, and was always loath to burn papers of importance. In that same inner drawer where these letters now lay were offers of services from many famous English names, and that correspondence with Henry Sidney which had prepared the way for the invitation received to-night; also all the letters from King James written since the marriage of Mary, which the Prince had carefully kept.