Then the great Italian diplomat signified that he had seen enough. He turned to Lord Hastings.
“Would it be too great an inconvenience for you to cut short your cruise and take me back to Naples?” he asked.
“Certainly not,” was the reply. “But what is it you plan to do, signor?”
“I must report this strange proceeding to the Italian Foreign Office,” declared the Italian excitedly, “too long has Italy been a tool of Germany and Austria.”
“A tool!” exclaimed Lord Hastings in surprise.
“Yes; we have been suspicious, and now our suspicions have been confirmed. Beset by three countries as she is, Germany still has time to plot trouble for Italy!
“But I have seen enough to thwart this outrage. No longer will Italy be Germany’s cat’spaw. Probably we should have gone to the Kaiser’s aid if necessary. But now—no! So far as Italy is concerned, the Triple Alliance is dead!”
One week later, having just arrived in London, Frank and Jack learned of the success of the apparently trifling adventure in which they had taken a hand.
Despite repeated demands of the Kaiser that Italy live up to her obligations under the alliance, the Italian government had refused to support the German cause and take up arms against the Allies!