George smiled, returning their flattery.

“You aren’t going to tell me that that matters to you!”

Mr. Prince fixed George with his eye.

“When the European War starts in earnest I think most of us will need all we’ve been able to get together.”

“What European War?” asked George, with a touch of disdain.  “You don’t mean to say that this Sarajevo business will lead to a European War!”

“No, I don’t,” said Mr. Prince very firmly.  “Germany’s diplomatists are much too clever for that.  They’re clever enough to find a better excuse.  But they will find it, and soon.”

George saw that Mr. Prince, having opened up a subject which apparently was dear to him, had to be handled with discretion.  He guessed at once, from the certainty and the emotion of Mr. Prince’s phrases, that Mr. Prince must have talked a lot about a European War.  So he mildly replied: 

“Do you really think so?”

“Do I think so?  My dear fellow, you have only to look at the facts.  Austria undoubtedly annexed Bosnia at Germany’s instigation.  Look at what led to Algeciras.  Look at Agadir.  Look at the increase in the German army last July.  And look at the special levy.  The thing’s as clear as day.”  Mr. Prince now seemed to be a little angry with George, who had moved into the doorway.

“I’ll tell you what I think,” said George, with the assurance with which as a rule he announced his opinions.  “We’re Germany’s only serious rival.  It’s us she’s up against.  She can only fight us on the sea.  If she fought us now on the sea she’d be wiped out.  That’s admitted.  In ten years, if she keeps on building, she might have a chance.  But not now!  Not yet!  And she knows it.”  George did not mention that he had borrowed the whole weighty argument from his stepfather; but he spoke with finality, and was rather startled when Mr. Prince blew the whole weighty argument into the air with one scornful, pitying exhalation.

Mr. Prince said:  “Nothing in it!  Nothing in it!  It’s our alliances that will be the ruin of us.  We shall be dragged into war.  If Germany chooses to fight on land everybody will have to fight on land.  When she gets to Paris, what are we going to do about it?  We shall be dragged into war.  It’s the damnable alliances that Sir Edward Grey has let us in for.”  Mr. Prince fixed George afresh.  “That man ought to be shot.  What do we want with alliances?...  Have you heard Lord Roberts?”

George admitted weakly, and as if ashamed, that he had not.

“Well, you should.”

“Oh yes,” Marguerite ingenuously put in.  “Alfred’s been very strong on the European War ever since he heard Lord Roberts speak at Chelsea Town Hall.”