“Which means——” Trollope began.
“The same old tie-up,” added Finacune. “Only closer to the cutting. Cable to the Pan-Anglo this afternoon declares that Japan has already granted the inevitability of war.”
“Russia suggests,” Benton Day observed carefully, “that Japan offer no military demonstration in Korea from the Yalu down to 40°. Japan says in reply that she must have a similar zone of gunless activity, then, north of the Yalu.”
“And the fact is,” said Feeney, “they’ll be shooting at each other from bank to bank before the ice is out in the spring.”
“It’s a theory of mine,” Trollope offered, “that Japan will sink a Russian battleship or blow up a Russian troop-train, and then observe playfully that further negotiations are uncalled-for.”
Jerry was staring at the carpet, apparently in deep thought. Noreen was close to Finacune.
“Don’t ask him again to go to Tetley’s with you to-night,” she whispered. “He is far from well.”
“I thought it would cheer him up—to preside over an old-fashioned session of prayer for action.”
She shook her head. Her father now stared about from face to face and finally fixed upon her the nervous smile.
“There’s a deere,” he said, “run and see if the dinner things are cleared away. We must get about the board—for a toast to the work ahead.... Come, boys, to the dining-room.”