登陆注册
5243800000092

第92章 CHAPTER XXXVI

Mr. John P. Dunster removed the cigar from his teeth and gazed at the long white ash with the air of a connoisseur. He was stretched in a long chair, high up in the terraced gardens behind the Hall.

At his feet were golden mats of yellow crocuses; long borders of hyacinths - pink and purple; beds of violets; a great lilac tree, with patches of blossom here and there forcing their way into a sunlit world. The sea was blue; the sheltered air where they sat was warm and perfumed. Mr. Dunster, who was occupying the position of a favoured guest, was feeling very much at home.

"There is one thing," he remarked meditatively, "which I can't help thinking about you Britishers. You may deserve it or you may not, but you do have the most almighty luck."

"Sheer envy," Hamel murmured. "We escape from our tight corners by forethought."

"Not on your life, sir," Mr. Dunster declared vigorously. "A year or less ago you got a North Sea scare, and on the strength of a merely honourable understanding with your neighbour, you risk your country's very existence for the sake of adding half a dozen battleships to your North Sea Squadron. The day the last of those battleships passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, this little Conference was plotted. I tell you they meant to make history there.

There was enough for everybody - India for Russia, a time-honoured dream, but why not? Alsace-Lorraine and perhaps Egypt, for France;

Australia for Japan; China and South Africa for Germany. Why not?

You may laugh at it on paper but I say again - why not?"

"It didn't quite come off, sir," Gerald observed.

"It didn't," Mr. Dunster admitted, "partly owing to you. There were only two things needed: France to consider her own big interests and to ignore an entente from which she gains nothing that was not assured to her under the new agreement, and the money. Strange,"

Mr. Dunster continued, "how people forget that factor, and yet the man who was responsible for The Hague Conference knew it. We in the States are right outside all these little jealousies and wrangles that bring Europe, every now and then, right up to the gates of war, but I'm hanged if there is one of you dare pass through those gates without a hand on our money markets. It's a new word in history, that little document, news of which Mr. Gerald here took to The Hague, the word of the money kings of the world. There is something that almost nips your breath in the idea that a dozen men, descended from the Lord knows whom, stopped a war which would have altered the whole face of history."

"There was never any proof," Hamel remarked, "that France would not have remained staunch to us."

"Very likely not," Mr. Dunster agreed, "but, on the other hand, your country had never the right to put such a burden upon her honour.

Remember that side by side with those other considerations, a great statesman's first duty is to the people over whom he watches, not to study the interests of other lands. However, it's finished. The Hague Conference is broken up. The official organs of the world allude to it, if at all, as an unimportant gathering called together to discuss certain frontier questions with which England had nothing to do. But the memory of it will live. A good cold douche for you people, I should say, and I hope you'll take warning by it. Whatever the attitude of America as a nation may be to these matters, the American people don't want to see the old country in trouble. Gee whiz! What's that?"

There was a little cry from all of them. Only Hamel stood without sign of surprise, gazing downward with grim, set face. A dull roar, like the booming of a gun, flashes of fire, and a column of smoke - and all that was left of St. David's Tower was one tottering wall and a scattered mass of masonry.

"I had an idea," Hamel said quietly, "that St. David's Tower was going to spoil the landscape for a good many years. My property, you know, and there's the end of it. I am sick of seeing people for the last few days come down and take photographs of it for every little rag that goes to press."

Mr. Dunster pointed out to the line of surf beyond. "If only some hand," he remarked, "could plant dynamite below that streak of white, so that the sea could disgorge its dead! They tell me there's a Spanish galleon there, and a Dutch warship, besides a score or more of fishing-boats."

Mrs. Fentolin shivered a little. She drew her cloak around her.

Gerald, who had been watching her, sprang to his feet.

"Come," he exclaimed, "we chose the gardens for our last afternoon here, to be out of the way of these places! We'll go round the hill."

Mrs. Fentolin shook her head once more. Her face had recovered its serenity. She looked downward gravely but with no sign of fear.

"There is nothing to terrify us there, Gerald," she declared. "The sea has gathered, and the sea will hold its own."

Hamel held out his hand to Esther.

"I have destroyed the only house in the world which I possess," he said. "Come and look for violets with me in the spinney, and let us talk of the houses we are going to build, and the dreams we shall dream in them."

同类推荐
  • 刑幕要略

    刑幕要略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica

    Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 送房杭州

    送房杭州

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Under the Greenwood Tree

    Under the Greenwood Tree

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 正行集

    正行集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 中国当代文学经典必读:2010中篇小说卷

    中国当代文学经典必读:2010中篇小说卷

    本书收录了2010中篇小说卷。切实地为21世纪中国文学的“经典化”作出自己的贡献。与时下各种版本的“小说选”或“小说排行榜”不同,我们不羞羞答答地使用“最佳小说”之类的字眼,而是直截了当、理直气壮地使用了“经典”这个范畴。我觉得,我们每一个作家都首先应该有追求“经典”、成为“经典”的勇气。我承认,我们的选择标准难免个人化、主观化的局限,也不认为我们所选择的“经典”就是十全十美的,更不幻想我们的审美判断和“经典”命名会得到所有人的认同。
  • 锦绣重生之庶女毒妃

    锦绣重生之庶女毒妃

    她是轩辕国第一美人,更是后宫之中集万千宠爱于一身的宠妃。苏国公府有双姝,嫡女为后,庶女为妃,娥皇女英,共侍一夫,在坊间被传成了一段佳话,然而——七年的相依相伴,最终只换来了一杯毒酒!苏夭夭直到毒酒入腹那一刻,才知道自己有多傻。乖巧顺从了一生,到了最后也只落得个母死子亡,亲弟早逝的下场。梦回十年,她终是冷了心肠,既然天地不公,那欠下她的债,就由她亲自来讨!嫡母伪善?那就揭了她的面皮!嫡姐阴狠?那就毁了她的声誉!善人不长命,不如就做一个彻头彻尾的恶人,敢算计她的,敢动她所在乎的人,都要拿命来偿!人物语录:苏夭夭——我的心是黑的,我的手是红的,曾经我日思夜念的,就是将所有负我之人都拖进阿鼻地狱,永世不得超生!楚枭——女人,本王看上的东西,只能先由本王厌弃,在此之前,你是逃不掉的。轩辕樊——都说帝王无情,可朕终归是爱上了你,夭夭,朕愿许你一世繁华,换这一生的相依相伴!……浮世繁华,她又终将与谁人携手,共度余生?爱恨之间苦苦挣扎,又是谁拂去了她心底的沉灰,成了她此生的救赎?(本文双洁,女主心狠手辣,绝非善类。男主前期阴晴不定,后期忠犬!宠文!!!1v1)
  • 途复

    途复

    有些人,一辈子也等不到,却总在不经意间擦肩而过。瑜夏曾卑微、软弱,遇见他的那一刻才知晓,原来人生还可如此大放光彩。
  • 好好开你的车

    好好开你的车

    连冬骑着自行车去驾校学开汽车。三个月后他的胸前口袋里揣了一张小型机动车驾驶证(C型),依旧骑自行车。这段短暂的经历却足以令他在未来的路上不时回首张望,并且总是会有难以置信、恍若梦中的感觉。 亮相演出 练车场上画出了许多小场地。连冬找到自己的那一组。二十多个人聚在场地上等着教练,大多数是女性。
  • The Augsburg Confession

    The Augsburg Confession

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 系统重生之国民男神

    系统重生之国民男神

    【正文完结番外中】重生不可怕,就怕重生妖孽化,舒澄就是这个妖孽化的典范。【叮——系统发现病毒,正在清理病毒......】【叮——病毒清理失败......】【警报!警报!绑定宿主失败,穿越功能出现故障……】舒澄曾经是一个系统,上知天文下知地理无所不能,再世为人,她许誓必要活得璀璨夺目!网文至高、科幻大神、武侠皇帝、国际影后乃至灵魂乐者……女扮男装女强男强一对一男女主身心干净男主颜值高,“能力”强,性格高冷,喜欢赚钱和宠老婆,赚到钱后把钱都给老婆花掉。欢迎加入九苑,群聊号码:906141003
  • 焚天之怒

    焚天之怒

    【新书不灭龙帝发布】少年江逸,丹田被封,受尽欺辱。一朝觉醒,破封印,得奇功,炼九天神火,走上惊天逆袭路。地盘是我的,功法是我的,宝贝也是我的,全是我的。人道不公,伏尸百万!天道不公,焚灭诸天!【yaoye588】—→同名手游火爆公测中,各大商店均可下载!点击进入游戏官网>>
  • 文化入侵异世界

    文化入侵异世界

    一群巨龙搬着小板凳日夜追看《权力游戏》。精灵大德鲁伊们因为《忠犬八公的故事》而潸然泪下。人类与矮人在《炉石传说》酒馆中为一张传说卡牌而大大出手。甚至就连神明也亲自来到凡间催更小说《福尔摩斯探案集》的连载。最终大德鲁伊们做起了‘一键打德’的生意,地精与侏儒全线加盟互联网商店的建设。在异世界掀起一场来自地球的文化入侵!PS:这次不走靠武力的征服胜利了,这次走文化胜利,简而言之就是以折腾互联网和游戏为主,拍电影画漫画为辅的故事。PS1:书友群641081470。PS2:VIP书友群653828383,入群需要学徒以上的粉丝值!
  • 魔帝归来

    魔帝归来

    一代魔帝归来,为了重塑道心,守护亲人,我不介意让这天下陪葬!
  • 霸总你逃不掉了

    霸总你逃不掉了

    【新文:霸总又让我继承亿万家产】“霍先生,媒体都说,你跟我是金主和情人的关系。”她打趣的跟他说。第二天,他将名下所有资产都转移到了她名下,“你现在可以跟媒体说,你才是金主。”——霍南琛跟顾偏偏是所有人眼中最不可能成的一对,可有一天两本结婚证亮瞎了所有人的狗眼!传闻中霍太太凶恶泼辣,众人纷纷同情霍先生家有恶妻。得知此事,霍先生十分不满,“胡说八道!我太太温柔贤惠,以夫为天,我说一她从来不敢说二!”一旁助理小声嘟囔:“先生,您要不先从搓衣板上起来再说?”