“Of course, of course,” assented Herr Rebinok, “but while this desirable process of infiltration and assimilation goes on, how are you going to provide against the hostility of the conquered nation?  A people with a great tradition behind them and the ruling instinct strongly developed, won’t sit with their eyes closed and their hands folded while you carry on the process of Germanisation.  What will keep them quiet?”

“The hopelessness of the situation.  For centuries Britain has ruled the seas, and been able to dictate to half the world in consequence; then she let slip the mastery of the seas, as something too costly and onerous to keep up, something which aroused too much jealousy and uneasiness in others, and now the seas rule her.  Every wave that breaks on her shore rattles the keys of her prison.  I am no fire-eater, Herr Rebinok, but I confess that when I am at Dover, say, or Southampton, and see those dark blots on the sea and those grey specks in the sky, our battleships and cruisers and aircraft, and realise what they mean to us my heart beats just a little quicker.  If every German was flung out of England to-morrow, in three weeks’ time we should be coming in again on our own terms.  With our sea scouts and air scouts spread in organised network around, not a shipload of foodstuff could reach the country.  They know that; they can calculate how many days of independence and starvation they could endure, and they will make no attempt to bring about such a certain fiasco.  Brave men fight for a forlorn hope, but the bravest do not fight for an issue they know to be hopeless.”

“That is so,” said Herr Rebinok, “as things are at present they can do nothing from within, absolutely nothing.  We have weighed all that beforehand.  But, as the Germania points out, there is another Britain beyond the seas.  Supposing the Court at Delhi were to engineer a league—­”

“A league?  A league with whom?” interrupted the statesman.  “Russia we can watch and hold.  We are rather nearer to its western frontier than Delhi is, and we could throttle its Baltic trade at five hours’ notice.  France and Holland are not inclined to provoke our hostility; they would have everything to lose by such a course.”

“There are other forces in the world that might be arrayed against us,” argued the banker; “the United States, Japan, Italy, they all have navies.”

“Does the teaching of history show you that it is the strong Power, armed and ready, that has to suffer from the hostility of the world?” asked von Kwarl.  “As far as sentiment goes, perhaps, but not in practice.  The danger has always been for the weak, dismembered nation.  Think you a moment, has the enfeebled scattered British Empire overseas no undefended territories that are a temptation to her neighbours?  Has Japan nothing to glean where we have harvested?  Are there no North American possessions which might slip into other keeping?  Has Russia herself no traditional temptations