“I don’t know what your plan was,” he said; “but don’t you worry about my home-coming. The thing that ought to worry you is my leave-taking. The L. P. M. has got the _Storm Queen_ beat a mile, and I am booked for life. And, by the way, what is my rank on this ship? My old position of room clerk on the _Storm Queen_ won’t go here, as I don’t suppose you intend to have any ‘cuties’ on board, not even for the New London week.” “No.” Edestone consented at last to smile. “I am afraid, Lawrence, those days are all over for me. My little house of cards has fallen about me, and I have serious work before me, if I wish to build it up again. I have been thinking, and thinking very hard. From the moment that I saw poor Fred roll down the stairs of the Embassy, I knew that my first plan had failed. When Germany discovers that the United States is not back of me, she will apologize, and you know how quickly our present Administration will accept the apology, and how quickly they will disclaim any responsibility for my acts, if it means a fight?” Lawrence nodded. “Germany,” went on Edestone, “will then call on all the neutral nations to join her in bringing me, an outlaw, to earth. This will give her a common cause with them, and she will hope in that way to strengthen her position relative to the Allies. She does not know my relationship with England, but she will undoubtedly declare that I am one of the means England is using to subjugate the world.” “And is there nothing you can do?” asked Lawrence. “My last and only hope is that tomorrow, after they have realized the uselessness of opposing me, they will listen to a proposition of peace--without honour, from their old standard; but with great honour, from the standard that I intend to establish. I propose to send what is practically an ultimatum; and that is, that if they do not immediately open negotiations looking toward peace, I will sink every German battleship that floats, and destroy every factory in which guns, explosives, or any of the munitions of war are manufactured.” “Me for the junk business,” exclaimed Lawrence with an inspiration. “Oh, you Krupps!” But Edestone paid no heed to the frivolous interruption. “It is my intention,” he continued, “to give sufficient notice, so that if they are willing to admit my supremacy, there need be no loss of life.” He halted, as an officer had just come in, and was standing after saluting, waiting for Edestone to stop speaking. “The look-outs report, sir, that there are several Taubes climbing up toward us. What are your orders, sir?” “Close everything down, except one of these.” Edestone pointed to a window. “Expose no lights.” After the man had retired, he said to one of the servants in the room: “Put out the lights, and bring us two cloaks.”