If it had not been," he went on slowly, "for the complete abolition of our secret service system, you would probably have been informed before now that Prince Shan has been having continual conferences in this country with one of the most dangerous men who ever set foot on these shores--Oscar Immelan." "Immelan has no official position in this country," the Prime Minister objected.
"A fact which makes him none the less dangerous," Nigel insisted.

"He is one of those free lances of diplomacy who have sprung up during the last ten or fifteen years, the product of that spurious wave of altruism which is responsible for the League of Nations.

Immelan was one of the first to see how his country might benefit by the new regime.

It is he who has been pulling the strings in Russia and China, and, I fear, another country." "What I want to arrive at," Mr.Mervin Brown said, a little impatiently, "is something definite." "Let me put it my own way," Nigel begged.

"A very large section of our present-day politicians--you, if I may say so, amongst them, Mr.Mervin Brown--have believed this country safe against any military dangers, because of the connections existing between your unions of working men and similar bodies in Germany.