“Men in my position,” replied Dr. Gurnet, guardedly, “have very interesting little side-lights into the mentality of other nations. I don’t know whether you remember my asking you if you knew German?”
“Yes,” said Winn. “It went out of head; but now you speak of it, I do remember.”
“I am delighted,” said Dr. Gurnet, blandly, “to have reconstructed your brain-tissue up to that point. I had a certain reason for asking you this question. I have a good many German patients, some French ones, and a most excellent Belgian professor has placed himself under my care.”
“Well, what about it?” asked Winn with some sharpness. He had an idea that this queer fellow before him meant something.
“The Germans are an interesting nation,” Dr. Gurnet proceeded without hurrying, “and they have a universal hobby. I don’t know whether you have noticed, Major Staines, but a universal hobby is a very powerful thing. I am sometimes rather sorry that with us it has wholly taken the form of athletic sports. I dare say you are going to tell me that with you it is not golf, but polo; even this enlarged idea does not wholly alter my depression.
“With the Germans, you see, the hobby happens to be manœuvers — military manœuvers. I understand that this spring Alsace and Lorraine have taken on the aspect of one gigantic camp. Now, Belgium,” Dr. Gurnet proceeded, tapping Winn’s knee with his fore-finger, “is a small, flat, undefended country, and one of my French patients informs me that the French Government have culpably neglected their northern line of forts.
“I hear from my other friend, the Belgian professor, that three years ago the Belgian Government ordered big fortress guns from Krupp. They have not got them yet; but I do not believe Krupp is incapable of turning out guns. On the contrary, I hear that Krupp has, in a still shorter time, entirely renovated the artillery of the Austrian army.”
Winn leaned forward excitedly.
“I say, sir,” he exclaimed, “you ought to be in the intelligence office.”
“God forbid!” said Dr. Gurnet, piously. “Not that I believe in God,” he added; “but I cling to the formulated expletives.