“Our mission is to educate, not to indulge in vulgar demonstrations, like Socialists and people of that kind. For my part I have never pretended to take any interest in Mary III. My quarrel is with respectability and I shall wait to see whether the new Court is respectable before I condemn it.” Des Louvres bit his lip. “You English are always respectable,” he sneered. “Not at all,” was the good-tempered answer. “Our middle class is always respectable, I grant you; but our aristocracy is generally wicked. And we have had lots of disreputable Kings. I have every hope that the Victorian Age will be succeeded by a Restoration.” “Charles II. was a Stuart,” protested the Legitimist agent. “Well, if it comes to that, I don’t know that your German Princess is any more of a Stuart than the people in possession. There seems to me very little to choose between Bavaria and Saxe-Coburg. George IV. was a man with many fine qualities.” Des Louvres began to lose his temper. “Of course, if anybody is afraid of the consequences I don’t expect them to come forward,” he said sneeringly. The insult that cannot be pardoned is the one that we feel to be deserved. Egerton Vane, St. Maur, and the bridegroom-elect rose to their feet together. “After that I shall go home. Come, Wickham,” cried the Chevalier. Mr. St. Maur was understood to mutter that if anything did happen the Comte des Louvres would probably be the first out of the country. Dyke inquired whether a foreigner was qualified to dictate to Englishmen their line of conduct at a national crisis. The hubbub was subdued by the chairman’s voice. Alistair had been bored by the debate, much as a boy fresh from his first term at school is bored by the forgotten interests of the nursery. He felt that he had outgrown all this kind of thing; it was wide of the mark; it led nowhere, and promised nothing. But he was in just that mood when action of any kind offered a temptation which it was impossible to resist, and he felt a keen pleasure in asserting himself for the last time among those who had been his followers for so long. “Before Des Louvres talks about being afraid, suppose he tells us what he wants us to do?” The mutterings of strife died down, and all eyes were turned on the Count. His response was ready instantly. “I consider the Guild ought to issue a formal Assertion of the right of Queen Mary III. to the throne.” “Have you got the Assertion there?” Des Louvres produced it, and read it aloud. It was received in dead silence. “Well,” said Alistair, “what next? What do you want to do with that thing?” “It ought to be posted up all over London, the moment the death of the Queen is announced.” “Who is to post it up?” This time Des Louvres had no answer ready. He glanced doubtfully round the uneasy faces of his colleagues, and drew his own conclusions. Dyke could not resist a sneer. “Surely that is the secretary’s duty.” The Frenchman was stung into accepting the challenge.