“I’ve never had a friendship with a woman before,” he said.  “What do I do next?”

Diana sighed, while her lips curled at the corners.  “Well, Mr. Secretary, I think the next move is to think the matter over for a few days, quietly and alone.”

“Do you?” Enoch smiled enigmatically.  “I don’t know that it’s safe for me to rely on your experience after all!” But he said no more.

Enoch spent the evening in his living-room with Senor Juan Cadiz and a small, lean, brown man in an ill-fitting black suit.  The latter did not speak English, and Senor Cadiz acted as interpreter.  The stranger was uneasy and suspicious, until the very last of the evening.  Then, after a long half hour spent in silent scowling while he stared at Enoch and listened to the Secretary’s replies to Cadiz’s eager questions, he suddenly burst into a passionate torrent of Spanish.  A look of great relief came to Cadiz’s face, as he said to Enoch: 

“Now he says he trusts you and will tell you the names of the Americans who are paying him.”

Enoch began to jot down notes.  When Cadiz’s translation was finished Enoch said: 

“This in brief, then, is the situation.  A group of Americans own vast oil fields in Mexico.  They have enormous difficulty policing and controlling the fields.  The Mexican method of concession making is exceedingly expensive and uncertain.  They wish the United States to take Mexico over, either through actual conquest or by mandate.  They have hired a group of bandits to keep trouble brewing until the United States is forced by England, Germany, or France, to interfere.  This group of men is partly German though all dwell in the United States.  Your friend here, and several of his associates, if I personally swear to take care of them, will give me information under oath whenever I wish.”

“Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  That is the story!” cried Senor Cadiz.  “Oh, Mr. Secretary, if you could only undo the harm that your cursed American method of making the public opinion has done, both here and in Mexico.  Why should neighbors hate each other?  Mr. Secretary, tell these Americans to get out of Mexico and stay out!  We are foolish in many ways, but we want to learn to govern ourselves.  There will be much trouble while we learn but for God’s sake, Mr. Secretary, force American money to leave us alone while we struggle in our birth throes!”

Enoch stood up to his great height, tossing the heavy copper-colored hair off his forehead.  He looked at the two Mexicans earnestly, then he said, holding out his hand, “Senor Cadiz, I’ll help you to the best of my ability.  I believe in you and in the ultimate ability of your country to govern itself.  Now will you let me make an appointment for you with the Secretary of State?  Properly, you know, you should have gone to him with this.”

The Mexican shook his head.  “No!  No!  Please, Mr. Secretary!  We do not know him well.  He has shown no willingness to understand us.  You! you are the one we believe in!  We have watched you for years.  We know that you are honest and disinterested.”