“Yes.”
“What does he say?”
“Simply that a verbatim copy of the document in question will be despatched to Berlin to-morrow evening, without fail.”
“There are no secrets between us,” De Grost declared, smoothly. “What is the special importance of this document?”
De Lamborne shrugged his shoulders.
“Since you ask,” he said, “I will tell you. You know of the slight coolness which there has been between our respective Governments. Our people have felt that the policy of your ministers in expending all their energies and resources in the building of a great fleet to the utter neglect of your army is a wholly one-sided arrangement, so far as we are concerned. In the event of a simultaneous attack by Germany upon France and England, you would be utterly powerless to render us any measure of assistance. If Germany should attack England alone, it is the wish of your Government that we should be pledged to occupy Alsace-Lorraine. You, on the other hand, could do nothing for us, if Germany’s first move were made against France.”
The Baron was deeply interested, although the matter was no new one to him.
“Go on,” he directed. “I am waiting for you to tell me the specific contents of this document.”
“The English Government has asked us two questions: first, how many complete army corps we consider she ought to place at our disposal in this eventuality; and, secondly, at what point should we expect them to be concentrated. The despatch which I received to-night contains the reply to these questions.”
“Which Bernadine has promised to forward to Berlin to-morrow night,” the Baron remarked, softly.