The reader had transformed his face to an expressionless mask that might have been wrought in stone or metal. Now the tell-tale huskiness of fierce emotion cleared from his voice. He resumed:
"This closes His Majesty's personal communication. Herr Privy Councillor Abeken continues to the end."
Said Moltke: "Let us hear what little Abeken has got to say to you."
The cold, incisive voice recommenced reading:
"His Majesty commands me to inform you, that he has since received a letter from the Prince. His Majesty, having told Count Benedetti that he was awaiting news from the Prince, has decided, upon the representation of Count Eulenburg and myself, not to receive Count Benedetti again, but only to let him be informed through an aide-de-camp that His Majesty has now received from the Prince confirmation of the news Benedetti has already received from Paris, and has nothing further to say to the Ambassador. His Majesty leaves it to Your Excellency whether Benedetti's fresh demand and its rejection should not be at once communicated both to our Ambassadors and to the Press representatives."
The close of the Royal communication plopped into a pool of silence. The Chancellor coughed, and said with his characteristic stutter:
"The-the laxity and diffuseness of the verbiage of this dispatch l-lul-leave me in no doubt as to the favorable effect the Ems waters have already wrought upon the constitution of His Majesty!"
Roon barked his laugh. Moltke raised his thoughtful head from his breast and said laconically:
"It gives me the belly-ache to listen to such rubbish. Are we German men or German mice?"
The Chancellor shrugged and said: