Selingman nodded his head.  The note of bitterness in the other’s tone was to his liking.

“Of rewards, of benefits, I shall not now speak,” he proceeded.  “You have something in you of the spirit of men who aim at the greater things.  There is, indeed, in your attitude towards life something of the idealism, the ever-stretching heavenward culture of my own people.  I recognise that spirit in you, and I will not give a lower tone to our talk this afternoon by speaking of money.  Yet what you wish for you may have.  When the time comes, what further reward you may desire, whether it be rank or high position, you may have, but for the present let it be sufficient that you are my man.”

He held out his hand, and all the time his eyes never left Norgate’s.  Gone the florid and beaming geniality of the man, his easy good-humour, his air of good-living and rollicking gaiety.  There were lines in his forehead.  The firm contraction of his lips brought lines even across his plump cheeks.  It was the face, this, of a strong man and a thinker.  He held Norgate’s fingers, and Norgate never flinched.

“So!” he said at last, as he turned away.  “Now you are indeed in the inner circle, Mr. Francis Norgate.  Good!  Listen to me, then.  We will speak of war, the war that is to come, the war that is closer at hand than even you might imagine.”

“War with England?” Norgate exclaimed.

Selingman struck his hands together.

“No!” he declared.  “You may take it as a compliment, if you like—­a national compliment.  We do not at the present moment desire war with England.  Our plan of campaign, for its speedy and successful accomplishment, demands your neutrality.  The North Sea must be free to us.  Our fleet must be in a position to meet and destroy, as it is well able to do, the Russian and the French fleets.  Now you know what has kept Germany from war for so long.”

“You are ready for it, then?” Norgate remarked.

“We are over-ready for it,” Selingman continued.  “We are spoiling for it.  We have piled up enormous stores of ordnance, ammunition, and all the appurtenances of warfare.  Our schemes have been cut and dried to the last detail.  Yet time after time we have been forced to stay our hand.  Need I tell you why?  It is because, in all those small diplomatic complications which have arisen and from which war might have followed, England has been involved.  We want to choose a time and a cause which will give England every opportunity of standing peacefully on one side.  That time is close at hand.  From all that I can hear, your country is, at the present moment, in danger of civil war.  Your Ministers who are most in favour are Radical pacifists.  Your army has never been so small or your shipbuilding programme more curtailed.  Besides, there is no warlike spirit in your nation; you sleep peacefully.  I think that our time has come.  You will not need to strain your ears, my friend.  Before many weeks have passed, the tocsin will be sounding.  Does that move you?  Let me look at you.”