下载辰思小说免费APP
“Herintellectisdefective，“Mr。Fentolinremarked，“ononepointonly。ThegoodwomanisobsessedbytheideathatherhusbandandsonsarestillcallingtoherfromtheDaggerRocks。Itisalmostpitifultomeetherwanderingaboutthereonastormynight。Theseacoastsarefulloftheselittlevillagetragedies-realtragedies，too，howeverinsignificanttheymayseemtous。“
Mr。Fentolin’stonewasgentlysympathetic。Hechangedthesubjectamomentortwolater，however。
“Nerofiddlesto-night，“hesaid，“whileRomeburns。Therearehundredsinourposition，yetitcertainlyseemsqueerthatweshouldbesittingheresoquietlywhenthewholecountryisinsuchastateofexcitement。Iseethepressthismorningispreachinganimmediatedeclarationofwar。“
“Againstwhom？“Mrs，Fentolinasked。
Mr。Fentolinsmiled。
“Thatdoesseemtoberatherthetrouble，“headmitted。“Russia，Austria，Germany，Italy，andFranceareallassistingataConferencetowhichnoEnglishrepresentativehasbeenbidden。Inasense，ofcourse，thatisequivalenttoanactofhostilityfromallthesecountriestowardsEngland。ThequestioniswhetherwehaveorhavenotasecretunderstandingwithFrance，andifso，howfarshewillbeboundbyit。ThereisarumourthatwhenMonsieurDeschelleswasaskedformallywhomherepresented，thathereplied-’FranceandGreatBritain。’Theremaybesomethinginit。ItishardtoseehowanyEnglishstatesmancouldhaveleftunguardedtheMediterranean，withallthatitmeans，trustingsimplytothefaithofacountrywithwhomwehavenobindingagreement。Ontheotherhand，thereisthemobilisationofthefleet。IfFranceisreallyfaithful，onewondersiftherewasneedforsuchanextremestep。“
“Iamoutoftouchwithpoliticalaffairs，“Hameldeclared。“IhavebeenawayfromEnglandforsolong。“
“I，ontheotherhand，“Mr。Fentolincontinued，hiseyesglitteringalittle，“havemadethestudyofthepoliticalsituationinEuropemyhobbyforyears。IhavesenttometheleadingnewspapersofBerlin，Rome，Paris，St。Petersburg，andVienna。FortwohourseverydayIreadthem，sidebyside。ItiscurioussometimestonotethecommonunderstandingwhichseemstoexistbetweenthePowersnotboundbyanyformalalliance。Foryearswarseemedaveryunlikelything，andnow，“headded，leaningforwardinhischair，“Ipronounceitalmostacertainty。“
Hamellookedathishostalittlecuriously。Mr。Fentolin’sgentlenessofexpressionseemedtohavedeparted。Hisfacewashard，hiseyesagleam。Hebadalmostthelookofabirdofprey。
Forsomereason，thethoughtofwarseemedtobeajoytohim。
PerhapshereadsomethingofHamel’swonderinhisexpression，forwithashrugoftheshouldershedismissedthesubject。
“Well，“heconcluded，“allthesethingslieonthekneesofthegods。
Idaresayyouwonder，Mr。Hamel，whyapooruselesscreaturelikemyselfshouldtaketheslightestinterestinpassingevents？Itisjustthefascinationofthelooker-on。Iwantyouropinionaboutthatchampagne。Florencedear，youmustjoinus。WewilldrinktoMr。Hamel’shealth。WewillperhapscouplethattoastinourmindswiththesentimentwhichIamsureisnotveryfarfromyourthough
