Again the lonely figure looked at Bob intently; the young man's words seemed to have caused him some surprise.
"Nonsense!" he said presently. "I suppose you are thinking of the
Belgian Treaty? What do you English care about the Belgian Treaty?"
"Enough to risk our very existence, sir."
"Come, tell me frankly—of course, you cannot speak for your statesmen—but do you know anything of the English people as a whole? I was informed just now that you seemed intelligent; perhaps you are. It will be interesting to hear what you regard as the general feeling in England about this war."
"The English hate it, sir—hate it as they hate the devil; they think it is the greatest crime in history. The English are a peace-loving people; they want only peace."
"Ah, then they hate this war?"
"Bitterly."
"And, as a consequence, they do not support it."
"On the contrary, sir, never was so much enthusiasm shown about any war in the history of the nation as is shown about this."
"And yet they hate it. Why then are they enthusiastic?"