“As long as war has not been actually declared, it is customary to be civil to the officers of foreign Powers, but, under the circumstances, I would not rely upon this.  The possibility of being drumhead court-martialled and shot might not be remote.  Luckily, not even Roentgen rays could discover what a store of drawings, charts, and fortress plans I keep in my memory.  But you have not answered my question yet, comrade!—­are you prepared to start to-day?”

“I am sorry, but I must ask you not to count upon me; I should prefer to stay here for the present.”

On noting the surprise of the Russian he continued:  “You yourself said just now that I, as a German, am in a less precarious position.  Even if I am recognised as an officer, it is hardly probable that I should find myself in serious difficulties.  At least, not here, where there is nothing to spy into.”

He did not betray that it was solely the thought of Mrs. Irwin that had suddenly made him change his plans.  And the Russian evidently did not trouble further about his motives.

“Do you know what my whole anxiety is, at this moment?” he asked.  “I am afraid of Germany seizing the convenient opportunity, and attacking us in our rear.  Your nation does not love ours; let us make no mistake about it.  There was a time when Teutonism played a great role in our national life.  But all that has changed since the days of Alexander the Third.  We also cannot forget that at the Berlin Congress Master Bismarck cheated us of the prize of our victory over the Turks.”

“Pardon me, Prince, for contradicting you on this point.  The fault was solely Gortchakow’s in not understanding how to follow up his opportunity.  The English took advantage of that.  No doubt Bismarck would have agreed to every Russian demand.  But I can assure you that there is no question of national German enmity against Russia, in educated circles especially.”

“It is possible, but Russia will always consider this aversion as a factor to be taken into account at critical moments, otherwise the treaty with France would probably never have been made.  I, for one, can hardly blame your nation for entertaining a certain degree of hostility towards us.  We possess diverse territories geographically belonging more naturally to Germany.  If your country could take eight million peasants from your superfluous population and settle them in Poland it would be a grand thing for her.  Were I at the head of your Government I should, first, with Austria’s consent, seize Russian Poland, and then crush Austria, annex Bohemia, Moravia, Carinthia, Styria and the Tyrol as German territory, and limit the Austrian dynasty to Transleithania.”

Heideck could not help smiling.

“Those are bold fancies, Prince!  Rest assured that nobody in Germany seriously entertains such plans.”

“Strange, if that is so.  I should think it would seem the most natural thing for you.  What, then, do you mean by a German Empire, if the most German countries do not belong to it?  Do you not consider the population of Austria’s German provinces is more closely related to you than that of North-East Prussia?  But possibly you are too conscientious and too treaty-abiding to carry out a policy of such dimensions.”