And that the storm will
burst, in spite of the so-excellently-advertising Kaiser is evident!
Hoch!--or _Ach_? Which should it be to salute the Kaiser! I know
not at all,--but I admit it is clever of him to put up a special
Hoarding-announcement for the private view of the Almighty God, each
time he addresses his troops! And he will come in for a chapter of my
history--for he also is Hungry!--he would fain eat a little of the loaf
of Britain!--yes!--he will fit into my work very well for the
instruction of the helpless unborn generations!"
He wrote on for a while, and then laid down his pen. His eyes grew
dreamy, and his rough features softened.
"What has become of the child, I wonder!" he mused; "Where has she
gone, the 'Glory-of-the-Sea'! I would give all I have to look upon her
beautiful face again;--and Ronsard--he, poor soul--silent as a stone,
weakening day after day in the grasp of relentless age,--would die
happy,--if I would let him! But I do not intend to give him that
satisfaction. He shall live! As I often tell him, my science is of no
avail if I cannot keep a man going, till at least a hundred and odd
years are past. Barring accidents, or self-slaughter, of course!" Here
he became somewhat abstracted in his meditations. "The old fellow is
brave enough,--brave as a lion, and strong too for his years;--I have
seen him handle a pair of oars and take down a sail as I could never do
it,--and--he has accepted a strange and difficult situation heroically.
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