BY
E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM
HODDER AND STOUGHTON LIMITED
LONDON
1920
Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner, Frome and London
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
The Man who could have Ended the War
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
The Machinations of Mr. Courlander
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
It was a few minutes after one o'clock—thebusiest hour of the day at the mostpopular bar in London. The usual little throngof Americans, journalists, men of business andloiterers, were occupying their accustomed chairsin one corner of the long, green-carpeted room.Around the bar, would-be customers werecrowded three or four deep—many of themstalwart Canadians in khaki, making the mostof their three days' leave, and a thin sprinklingof men about town on their way to lunch inthe grill-room adjoining. On the outskirts ofthe group was a somewhat incongruous figure,a rather under-sized, ill-dressed, bespectacledlittle man, neither young nor old, colourless,with a stoop which was almost a deformity.His fingers were stained to the tip of his nailsas though by chemicals or tobacco juice. Heheld the glass of vermouth which he had justsucceeded in obtaining from the bar, half-waysuspended to his lips. He was listening to theconversation around him.
'The most blackguardly trick that hasever been known in civilized warfare!' aCanadian officer declared indignantly.
'It's put the lid on all pretence of conductingthis war decently,' another assented. 'Whatabout the Hague Convention?'
'The Hague Convention!' a young journalistfrom the other side repeated sarcastically.'I should like to know when Germany hasever shown the slightest regard for the HagueConvention or any other agreement whichdidn't happen to suit her!'
The little man on the outskirts of the group,who had been listening eagerly to theconversation, ventured upon a question. His accentat once betrayed his transatlantic origin.
'Say, is there anything fresh this morning?'he inquired. 'I haven't seen the papers yet.'
The Canadian glanced down at the speaker.
'We were talking,' he said, 'about the useof poisonous gases by the Germans. Theystarted pumping them at us yesterday