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Chapter 7
“Heisrightaboutonething—whatisgoingtohappenthedayaftertomorrow.Howthedevilcanithavegotknown?Thatisuglyenoughinitself.ButallthisaboutwarandtheBlackStone—itreadslikesomewildmelodrama.IfonlyIhadmoreconfidenceinScudder’sjudgement.Thetroubleabouthimwasthathewastooromantic.Hehadtheartistictemperament,andwantedastorytobebetterthanGodmeantittobe.Hehadalotofoddbiases,too.Jews,forexample,madehimseered.Jewsandthehighfinance.
“TheBlackStone,”herepeated.“DerSchwarzeStein.It’slikeapennynovelette.AndallthisstuffaboutKarolides.Thatistheweakpartofthetale,forIhappentoknowthatthevirtuousKarolidesislikelytooutlastusboth.ThereisnoStateinEuropethatwantshimgone.Besides,hehasjustbeenplayinguptoBerlinandViennaandgivingmyChiefsomeuneasymoments.No!Scudderhasgoneoffthetrackthere.Frankly,Hannay,Idon’tbelievethatpartofhisstory.There’ssomenastybusinessafoot,andhefoundouttoomuchandlosthislifeoverit.ButIamreadytotakemyoaththatitisordinaryspywork.AcertaingreatEuropeanPowermakesahobbyofherspysystem,andhermethodsarenottooparticular.Sinceshepaysbypieceworkherblackguardsarenotlikelytostickatamurderortwo.TheywantournavaldispositionsfortheircollectionattheMarineamt;buttheywillbepigeon-holed—nothingmore.”
Justthenthebutlerenteredtheroom.
“There’satrunk-callfromLondon,SirWalter
