The Shadow of Tyburn Tree

worldly striving is not out of keeping with your char­acter. You are intolerant of discipline, and have no desire for public office or to make a career for yourself in one of the Services. Your ambition is rather to indulge your tastes for travel and the society of cultured people; but to do that in comfort you need a greater income than the three hundred a year your father gives you. The assets you have to offer are a good presence, a ready tongue and pen, fluent Latin and French, some Greek and a smattering of German; a specialised knowledge of French foreign policy and the affairs of the Dutch Netherlands; sufficient industry to have held an arduous secretarial post and sufficient courage to wield a pretty blade effectively. Am I right?'

'Apart from the fact that in some respects you flatter me, Sir, I marvel at the excellence of your memory.'

They had reached the little tree, and Roger held it steady while Pitt completed the filling-in of the earth' about its roots, as he went on thoughtfully: 'The thing I had in mind for you was a somewhat nebulous post as my personal agent on the continent. Her Majesty's diplomatic representatives are, on the whole, a very able body of men; but their facilities for obtaining information are limited to what they can pick up themselves and what their paid spies can obtain for them. In the first case they are at a natural disadvantage from their obvious connection with the Court of St. James, and in the second, the type of person they employ, while well enough for counting the number of ships ready for war in a potential enemy's dockyard, are rarely of the social status to probe out diplomatic secrets at a foreign court.'

'You propose that I should become a professional spy,' Roger said bluntly.

'Yes. Does the idea offend you?'

Roger considered for a moment. The idea of a gentleman soiling his hands with such work was entirely against the canons of the age. On the other hand the offer would enable him to lead the type of life he desired, unfettered by any routine drudgery or subservience to a possibly uncongenial master.

Seeing his hesitation, Pitt added: 'After our last interview I made inquiries about you, and learned that, quite apart from your spec­tacular coup concerning French intentions in the United Provinces, your father had already placed you in touch with our collator of secret information, Mr. Gilbert Maxwell; and that you had sent him valuable data regarding both the new fortifications at Cherbourg and Monsieur de la Peyrouse's expedition to New Zealand. Since you did so without instructions from anybody, why should you not continue such activities, but to a far more useful tune from receiving guidance as to the matters about which it is most urgent that we should know?'

'I acted spontaneously in the first instance, and later refused all payment for my small services; whereas your proposal, Sir, would place me on a very different footing.'

'True. Yet it is clear that you possess both the ability and temper­ament to serve your country in this manner. If you were a young man of fortune I would ask you to do so out of patriotism, and I've little doubt but that you would agree. As you are not, I merely propose to make good the deficiency to an extent which would enable you to cut a decent figure at the foreign Courts; since unless you can do that, you are likely to be of little value to me.'

Roger smiled. 'Your arguments are well designed to dissipate my scruples, Sir.'

'Let me clinch the matter then, by saying that, can you but un­cover to us once every few years secrets as valuable as that which you brought home last autumn, I shall count you no less an asset to the nation than a regiment of foot or a ninety-four gun ship.'

'Then I am your man, and will do my damnedest to deserve your good opinion of me.'

The tree was planted and the earth around it well stamped down. Pitt was perspiring slightly, for he was far from strong and any phy­sical exertion soon took its toll of him. As he mopped his high forehead he said: 'Let us return to the house and take a glass of Shrub after our exertions. Then I will outline to you my views on the foreign policy that Britain should pursue. You'll stay to dinner, of course?'

'You are most kind, Sir,' Roger replied, and as they walked back across the grass he marvelled that anyone could regard the tall, thin Prime Minister as cold, aloof and boorish.

It was true that, being a born aristocrat, he counted the applause or scorn of the mob as of so little moment that when he drove through the streets he kept his head held superciliously high, and would not even vouchsafe a nod to his most ardent supporters. It was also true that, as a child and youth, his extreme precocity had debarred him from enjoying the society of young people of his own age, so that he had never succeeded in overcoming a certain awkwardness of manner in mixed company. His major fault, if fault it was, but also his greatest strength, lay in his unquestioning belief that he alone was capable of guiding Britain's destinies to her best advantage. At the early age of seven, on learning that his great father had been raised to the Peerage, he had declared that 'he was glad that he was not the eldest son, but that he would still be able to serve his country in the House of Commons like papa'; and this superb self-confidence, mistaken by lesser men for vanity, had earned him many enemies. But he was by nature kindly, tolerant and generous; and in the scant leisure that he allowed himself for relaxation he made a charming host and most stimulating companion.

Over the spiral-stemmed glasses of their orange-flavoured cordial Pitt made his beliefs and ambitions clear.

'Mr. Brook,' he said. 'I have never subscribed to the doctrine that wars are a necessary evil. In every age they have brought famine, desolation, pestilence and death to the common people, whose only desire is to be left to till their land and go about their usual avocations in peace. That the rulers and nobility of the stronger nations have, in the past, profited by waging war upon their weaker neighbours, I will admit. To them has gone the captured lands and the loot of de­spoiled cities; but the era in which war offered, even to the upper classes, something of the mixed attractions of a bloody gamble and a glorified hunt, has gone for ever.

'With the passage of time each succeeding European convulsion has resulted in a more thorough mobilisation of the resources of the countries involved. In medieval times the feudal lords went out to battle taking only their personal retainers and a modest percentage of their serfs; agriculture and commerce were able to continue almost undisturbed. To-day matters are very different. A nation at war soon becomes affected in all its parts and the strain of conflict eats so deeply into its vitals that whether it emerge as victor or van­quished it is still a loser. With the growth of industrialism, and our dependence on foreign markets for raw materials and supplies, this tendency must continue to increase; until a war of only a few years' duration between two great nations will suffice to bring starvation and bankruptcy to both. Therefore, we must seek by every means in our power, short of bowing our necks to a foreign yoke, to avoid wars in the future. And more; wherever we can, by offers of mediation or threats of intervention, seek to prevent hostilities breaking out be­tween other nations.'

' 'Tis a great conception, Sir; and no one could dispute the sound­ness of your reasoning,' Roger agreed.

'Time,' Pitt went on, 'is the governing factor in all diplomacy designed to prevent war. 'Tis sudden, unexpected moves, leading to ill-considered counter moves, that inflame the tempers of nations and result in armed hostilities. Given early intelligence of the secret in­tentions of a foreign power there is time to consider matters calmly, and exercise a restraining influence before the potential aggressor feels that he has gone so far that he cannot turn back without loss of face. 'Tis the province of the Foreign Department to procure for us that information, but as it oft lies hid in the cabinets of Kings 'tis far from easy to come by. Your province, then, will be to supplement their efforts in special cases. But I pray you, from this moment on, to carry engraved upon your heart the prime object which will apply to all your journeyings. Information upon military matters, internal affairs, the dispositions of high personages, and Court intrigues, will always be of value; but you should not expose yourself to risk in order to obtain any of these things. Your task is to ferret out for me such secret ambitions of the sovereigns and their advisors, as might jeopardise the peace of Europe; and, wherever you are able, to advise me on such measures as you feel would assist in the preservation of a balance of power, so that steps can be taken in time to prevent these ambitions leading to an outbreak of hostilities.'

Roger made a little grimace. 'I am most sensible of the compli­ment you pay me, Sir, in charging me with so great an undertaking; but I fear you rate my powers over-high.'

'Nay, Mr. Brook, I am the best judge of that. Last summer you made no small contribution to saving us from a war, on this same principle that a stitch in time saves nine. The country is still in your debt on that account; so if our Secret Service funds become the poorer by a thousand guineas, from maintaining you for some months in St. Petersburg without result, you'll have no cause to blame yourself but may count it as a holiday already earned.'

'St. Petersburg!'

'Yes. 'Tis there that I have it in mind to send you; for Russia now provides the greatest enigma in the