"Monsieur le President," he said, "the reports which have reached you
have been much exaggerated. It is necessary for us to back up our
protests to England by a show of force!"
Monsieur Grisson smiled.
"Enough of this, gentlemen!" he said. "We will now talk to one another
as men who have weighty affairs to deal with simply and directly. The
story of the meeting between your two rulers which you, Prince Korndoff,
have alluded to as a fairy tale, was a perfectly true one. I have known
of that meeting some time, and I have certain proof of what transpired
at it. The North Sea incident was no chance affair. It was a
deliberately and skilfully arranged _casus belli_, although your
admiral, Prince Korndoff, had to go one hundred miles out of his way to
find the Dogger Bank fishing-fleet. You spoke to me last night of
Cherbourg, Prince. I think that after all your secret service is
scarcely so successful as mine, for I can assure you that you will find
there all that is to be found to-day at Kiel."
The Prince was amazed.
"But, Monsieur le President," he exclaimed, "you cannot mean--you, our
ally----"
The President extended a forefinger.
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