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 on your British nationality—which, by the way, I question entirely—I should have known how to deal with you. Instead of dealing frankly with me, you chose to remain in Sofia, mixing yourself up with intrigues against me, and doing other ridiculous things, until I repeat I cannot any longer allow you to remain at large. I shall send you to Tirnova, that you may have time to cool your inconvenient passions and clear your head."

"Very well, I am content to go. It will be an excellent illustration for the guidance of Europe as to Russian policy in the Balkans."

"When Europe hears of it," he returned significantly.

I blessed my prudence as I thought of the despatch I had sent by Spernow, and at the thought a smile flitted across my face. He stared at me in some doubt, not understanding my confidence.

"I am afraid you think I am only a short-sighted fool, after all, General."

"I have not formed a very high opinion of your foresight. I know you to be brave and hold you to be clever in your way; but a little longer foresight would have shown you that such an ending as this was inevitable when you decided to meddle with politics here and to act as my secret opponent."

I began to wonder how much he knew of our plans.

"I did not so lack foresight as to come to this meeting unprepared, at any rate," said I, significantly. "And if you throw me into one of your confounded prisons, the news will soon be buzzing in every Foreign Office in Europe that Englishmen must be deprived of their liberty in order to prove Russia's devotion to the cause of freedom in the Balkans." I threw the words at him recklessly, and all his self-restraint could not help his