“They'll never get their Colonies back. We'll stick to them fast enough.”
Mr. Lavender stared at him for a moment, then, remembering what he had so often read, he murmured:
“Aggrandizement is not our object; but we can never forget that so long as any territory remains in the hands of our treacherous foe the arteries of our far-flung Empire are menaced at the roots.”
“Right-o,” said the Major, “we've got the chance of our lives, and we're going to take it.”
Mr. Lavender sat forward a little on his chair. “I shall never admit,” he said, “that we are going to take anything, for that would be contrary to the principles which we are pledged to support, and to our avowed intention of seeking only the benefit of the human race; but our inhuman foes have compelled us to deprive them of the power to injure others.”
“Yes,” said the Major, “we must just go on killing Germans and collaring every bit of their property we can.”
Mr. Lavender sat a little further forward on his chair, and the trouble in his eyes grew.
“After all's said and done,” continued the Major; “it's a simple war—us or them! And in the long run it's bound to be us. We've got the cards.” Mr. Lavender started, and said in a weak and wavering voice:
“We shall never sheathe the sword until——”
“The whole bag of tricks is in our hands. Might isn't Right, but Right's Might, Mr. Lavender; ha, ha!”