Poor Roche was only able to falter a few words, but what he said was enough to give us the key-note to the whole thing.

The long and short of it all is that Russia turned her face westward so long as Constantinople was possible.

Now that this war has come about and ended as it has done, Russia's chance has gone.

There is no longer any _quid pro quo_ for her alliance with France.

There is no friendship, of course, between Russia and Germany, but at any rate Russia has nothing to fear from Germany, and she knows it.