“You believe Germany will be brought into this war?  Against whom should we fight?”

“If our Emperor is really the sharp-sighted and energetic spirit for which I take him—­”

The monarch did not care to let the gentlemen talk on longer in ignorance of his presence.

“Hallo! gentlemen!” he called out merrily.  “Do not betray your secrets without knowing who is listening!”

“His Majesty!” the Count said under his breath, taking off his hat and bowing low.  His companion followed his example, and as the Emperor looked at him with a questioning glance, said—­

“At your Majesty’s command; Grubenhagen, of Hamburg.”

The monarch’s eyes travelled over the tall, broad-shouldered figure of the fine man, and he asked smilingly—­

“You have been in the service?”

“Yes, your Majesty—­as lieutenant in the Royal Hanoverian Garde du Corps.”

“There were then commoners as officers in that regiment.”

“May it please your Majesty, my name is Baron von Grubenhagen, but the ‘Baron’ was in the way of the merchant.”

The open and manly bearing of the Baron, combined with the deference due to his sovereign, appeared to please the Emperor.  He gazed long into the clear-cut, energetic face, with its bold and intelligent eyes.

“You have seen much of the world?”

“Your Majesty, I was in America, and for many years in England, before entering business.”

“A good merchant often sees more than a diplomatist, for his view is unbiassed, and freer.  I love your Hamburg; it is a loyal city, full of intelligence and enterprise.”

“The Alster people would reckon themselves happy to hear your Majesty say so.”

“Do not the Hamburgers suffer great losses from the war?”

“Many people in Hamburg think as I do, your Majesty.”

“And what is your opinion?”

“That, under the glorious reign of your Majesty, all Germans on the Continent will be united to one whole grand nation, to which all Germanic races of the north will be attracted by the law of gravitation—­Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians.”

“You have the courage of your opinions.”

“Your Majesty, we live in an age, the characteristic of which is the formation of great empires.”

The monarch interrupted him with a friendly movement of his hand.

“Let us go in to breakfast, gentlemen.  Baron von Grubenhagen, you are my guest.  I shall be interested to hear more of your bold ideas.”

Immediately after his return to the hunting-box, the Imperial Chancellor, who had arrived from Berlin by a night train, had been announced to the Emperor.  With the monarch’s suite he also was present at the breakfast-table, probably not a little surprised to find a strange guest in the company of the Emperor, who was evidently very kindly disposed to him.

After breakfast, when the company were seated around the table in the smoke-room, and when, upon a sign from the Emperor, the aide-de-camp du jour had ordered the servants to withdraw, the Emperor William turned with a grave face to Baron von Grubenhagen.