"But his instrument—his invention?"
"Is destroyed, fused, burnt to a mere mass of metal," and Marbeau told the story of that last moment.
"But what happened? What occurred?" asked the Minister dazedly.
"I do not know—I was staring at the fort. He may have had a seizure and fallen across his instrument, or he may have broken the circuit in some way—displaced a wire, perhaps—and received the full shock himself. It was over in an instant. He was dead when I dragged him away."
For some time Delcassé walked thoughtfully up and down.
"You could not, by any possibility, reconstruct it?" he asked at last.
"I fear not, sir; he told me nothing. I do not even know the principle involved."
Again Delcassé paced back and forth; then he sat down before his desk, with a gesture of acquiescence.
"So that dream is ended," he said. "It was too great, no doubt, to be accomplished. God willed otherwise. But at least we are richer than we were. From time to time we will terrify these Germans with a little blast of wireless. That will be amusing, and it may cost them some ammunition. And in the struggle over Morocco France wins! That is assured! Good night, General. You need rest."
All the world knows now, of course, that France did win. On November fourth, the question of her supremacy in Morocco was settled once for all by the treaty signed at Berlin. When Europe learned the terms of that treaty, it was shaken with amazement. For Germany had receded, after swearing that she would never recede; had guaranteed to France a free hand in Morocco, with the right to establish a protectorate if she thought proper;—and in exchange for all this received a small strip of the French Congo! Yes, there was one other thing she received of which the treaty made no mention. When Herr von Kiderlen-Waechter had affixed his signature, Ambassador Cambon, who acted for France, gave him silently an envelope sealed with a black seal. He glanced at the signature of the paper it contained, and placed it carefully in his pocket. An hour afterwards, he handed it to his Emperor.