“That man’s intellect is colossal. But he’s on the wrong tack, and I tell him so, as I told Orville Wright when he first said that he was going to fly. The day the Wrights got home with their damned contraption was the worst the human race has seen since the invention of gunpowder; and now Gazelee Payne Murdwell comes along with a promise which it is humanity’s business to see that he never fulfills.” “But how prevent him?” asked Brandon. “In the present phase of human perversion, Gazelee Payne Murdwell is a prophet and a savior.” “At this moment,” said Urban Meyer, “there’s just one thing between the human race and Murdwell’s Law, and that thing’s God. And that’s why I venture to hope that the Professor will have to close down. Two years ago I didn’t believe in God, but since then I’ve changed my outlook.” At this point he helped himself to an excellent mousse of ham, and the host ordered a bottle of Pommery. “Since then I’ve been down in the _Lusitania_, I’ve seen Paris saved for Europe, and I’ve still hopes of seeing civilization saved for mankind. I say this because I feel there’s a God standing behind it and he’s going to see it through. I was born at Frankfort in 1849, and I’ve bled for Prussia at Gravelotte.” The little man drew up his shirt sleeve and showed a deep scar on his arm. “That’s a Frenchman’s saber. I was young then and I loved the fatherland. Even at that time Prussia was the enemy of the human race, but a boy couldn’t be expected to know that and he couldn’t have helped himself if he had. In 1876 I went to New York; in 1890 I became an American citizen; in 1916 I’m a citizen of the world. “I consider that I have had exceptional facilities for seeing this war impartially, but my nature is to look to the future. I’ve always planned and built ahead. And as I figure it out Prussia is going to be downed and Germany bled white. But take it from me, my friends, it will be a very long and slow process.” There was a slight pause in the little man’s monologue, but no contradiction was offered. “And in the end civilization will have to save Germany. Unless she gets a change of heart there’s no security for the time ahead. At present she’s outside the pale, but it won’t be wise or right to let her remain there forever. She’s a big proposition and the world owes her something. She will have to be helped to rid herself of Prussia. How’s it to be done--that’s the problem for the future. One thing is sure: you won’t get her to cut herself free of her protector by ramming a pistol down her throat.” Brandon agreed. “What’s your alternative?” said Pomfret. “We must keep the communications open as well as we can. It’s the duty of those who look to the time ahead to try to get into touch with the German people.” “But that’s quite impossible,” said Pomfret. “They are a set of outlaws and perverts.” “I admit that the present plight of the German people is just about the biggest problem in all history.”