"You know that a special envoy from China is on his way here at the present moment to meet Immelan?"
"Oscar Immelan, the German Commissioner?"
"The same," Nigel assented.
"A most delightful fellow," the Prime Minister declared warmly, "and a great friend to this country."
"I must take the liberty of disagreeing with you," Nigel rejoined, "because I know very well that he is our bitter enemy. Prince Shan, who is on his way from China to meet him, is the envoy of the one country outside Europe whom we might fear. We sit still and do nothing. We have no means of knowing what may be plotted against us here in London. At least a polite request might be sent to Prince Shan to ask him to pay you a visit and disclose the nature of his conference with Immelan."
"If he cares to come, we shall be glad to see him," Mervin Brown replied, "but I for one shall not go out of my way to talk politics."
"Do you know what politics are, sir?" Nigel asked, in a sudden fury.
The Prime Minister's eyes flashed for a moment. He controlled himself, however, and rang the bell.
"I have an idea that I do," he answered. "A few millions of my fellow countrymen believe the same thing, or I should not be here. I think that you know what my principles are, Lord Dorminster. I am here to govern this country for the benefit of the people. We don't want to govern any one else's country, we don't want to meddle in any one else's affairs. Least of all do we want to revert to the times when your uncle was a young man, and every country in Europe was sitting with drawn sword, trusting nobody, fearing everybody, living in a state of nerves, with the roll of the drum always in their ears. The best preventative of war, in my opinion, is not to believe in it. Good morning, Lord Dorminster."
It was a dismissal against which there was no appeal. Nigel followed the secretary from the room.