"This is fine," he cried—"just fine. What a splendid fellow Sir
Edward Grey is! It was he who proposed a Conference in the
Turco-Balkan difficulty, and now it is he again who is going to settle
this."
"I am afraid the Turco-Balkan Conference didn't help much," I replied.
"Ah, but this will. After all, what's the heart of the quarrel? The murder of the heir to the Austrian throne. A ghastly affair, I'll admit, but everything can be settled."
"Has Admiral Tresize mentioned a letter which he received from Vienna a day or two ago?" I asked.
"Yes," replied Bob, "but of course it was pure imagination. Do you know, I admire the Kaiser. He's a good man, a religious man."
I coughed.
"Of course it is easy to imagine a case against him," he went on lightly; "but it has no foundation in fact. I told the Admiral so. We had quite an argument about it, and I maintained that whatever the circumstances, England had no occasion to be dragged in, and that it would be criminal on the part of our statesmen if they allowed it. Evidently Sir Edward Grey thinks the same. Of course you've seen that he has proposed a Conference. He has suggested that Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain, who are not directly connected with the quarrel, should meet, and settle it."
"Will Germany accept?"
"Of course she will," replied Bob confidently, "we shall soon hear that the trouble is at an end."
"I hope you are right, but if the Kaiser holds the views expressed by the Admiral's friend, I very much doubt it," was my rejoinder.