invented each evening in the office of the Times； but the proceedings
of the day following showed the public this was not so。
Some one actually present at the conference was telling tales out
of school。 These tales were cabled to Belgrade； Sofia； Athens；
Constantinople； and hourly from those capitals the plenipotentiaries
were assailed by advice； abuse； and threats。 The whole world began
to take part in their negotiations； from every side they were attacked；
from home by the Young Turks； or the On to Constantinople Party；
and from abroad by peace societies； religious bodies； and chambers
of commerce。 Even the armies in the field； instead of waiting for the
result of their deliberations； told them what to do； and that unless
they did it they would better remain in exile。 To make matters worse；
in every stock exchange gambling on the news furnished by the Times
threatened the financial peace of Europe。 To work under such
conditions of publicity was impossible。 The delegates appealed to
their hosts of the British Foreign Office。
Unless the chiel amang them takin' notes was discovered and the
leak stopped； they declared the conference must end。 Spurred on
by questions in Parliament； by appeals from the great banking world；
by criticisms not altogether unselfish from the other newspapers；
the Foreign Office surrounded St。 James's Palace and the office
of the Times with an army of spies。 Every secretary； stenographer；
and attendant at the conference was under surveillance； his past
record looked into； his present comings and goings noted。 Even
the plenipotentiaries themselves were watched； and employees of
the Times were secretly urged to sell the government the man who
was selling secrets to them。 But those who were willing to be 〃urged〃
did not know the man； those who did know him refused to be bought。
By a process of elimination suspicion finally rested upon one
Adolf Hertz； a young Hungarian scholar who spoke and wrote all
the mongrel languages of the Balkans； who for years； as a copying
clerk and translator； had been employed by the Foreign Office；
and who now by it had been lent to the conference。 For the reason
that when he lived in Budapest he was a correspondent of the
Times； the police； in seeking for the leak； centred their attention
upon Hertz。 But； though every moment he was watched； and though
Hertz knew he was watched； no present link between him and the
Times had been established… and this in spite of the fact that the
hours during which it was necessary to keep him under closest
observation were few。 Those were the hours between the closing
of the conference； and midnight； when the provincial edition of the
Times went to press。 For the remainder of the day； so far as the
police cared； Hertz could go to the devil！ But for those hours；
except when on his return from the conference he locked himself
in his lodgings in Jermyn Street； detectives were always at his elbow。
It was supposed that it was during this brief period when he was
locked in his room that he wrote his report； but how； later； he
conveyed it to the Times no one could discover。 In his rooms there
was no telephone； his doors and windows were openly watched；
and after leaving his rooms his movements wereas they always
had beenmethodical； following a routine open to observation。
His programme was invariably the same。 Each night at seven from
his front door he walked west。 At Regent Street he stopped to buy
an evening paper from the aged news…vender at the corner； he then
crossed Piccadilly Circus into Coventry Street； skirted Leicester
Square； and at the end of Green Street entered Pavoni's Italian
restaurant。 There he took his seat always at the same table； hung
his hat always on the same brass peg； ordered the same Hungarian
wine； and read the same evening paper。 He spoke to no one； no one
spoke to him。
When he had finished his coffee and his cigarette he returned to
his lodgings； and there he remained until he rang for breakfast。
From the time at which he left his home until his return to it he
spoke to only two personsthe news…vender to whom he handed
a halfpenny； the waiter who served him the regular table d'hote
dinnerbetween whom and Hertz nothing passed but three and six
for the dinner and sixpence for the waiter himself。
Each evening； the moment he moved into the street a plain…clothes
man fell into step beside him； another followed at his heels； and
from across the street more plain…clothes men kept their eyes on
every one approaching him in front or from the rear。 When he
bought his evening paper six pairs of eyes watched him place a
halfpenny in the hand of the news…vender； and during the entire
time of his stay in Pavoni's every mouthful he ate was noted…
…
every direction he gave the waiter was overheard。
Of this surveillance Hertz was well aware。 To have been ignorant
of it would have argued him blind and imbecile。 But he showed no
resentment。 With eyes grave and untroubled； he steadily regarded
his escort； but not by the hastening of a footstep or the acceleration
of a gesture did he admit that by his audience he was either distressed
or embarrassed。 That was the situation on the morning when the
Treaty of London was to be signed and sealed。
In spite of the publicity given to the conference by the Times；
however； what the terms of the treaty might be no one knew。 If
Adrianople were surrendered； if Salonika were given to Greece； if
Servia obtained a right…of…way to the Adriaticpeace was assured；
but； should the Young Turks refuseshould Austria prove obstinate…
not only would the war continue； but the Powers would be involved；
and that greater； more awful warthe war dreaded by all the Christian
worldmight turn Europe into a slaughter…house。
Would Turkey and Austria consent and peace ensue？ Would they
refuse and war follow？ That morning those were the questions on
the lips of every man in London save one。 He was Sam Lowell； and
he was asking himself another and more personal question： 〃How
can I find five pounds and pacify Mrs。 Wroxton？〃
He had friends in New York who would cable him money to pay his
passage home； but he did not want to go home。 He preferred to
starve in London than be vulgarly rich anywhere else。 That was
not because he loved London； but because above everything in life
he loved Polly Sewardand Polly Seward was in London。 He had
begun to love her on class day of his senior year； and； after his
father died and left him with no one else to care for； every day
he had loved her more。
Until a month before he had been in the office of Wetmore &
Hastings； a smart brokers' firm in Wall Street。 He had obtained
the position not because he was of any use to Wetmore & Hastings；
but because the firm was the one through which his father had
gambled the money that would otherwise have gone to Sam。 In
giving Sam a job the firm thought it was making restitution。 Sam
thought it was making the punishment fit the crime； for he knew
nothing of the ways of Wall Street； and having to learn them bored
him extremely。 He wanted to write stories for the magazines。 He
wanted to bind them in a book and dedicate them to Polly。 And
in this wish editors humored himbut not so many editors or with
such enthusiasm as to warrant his turning his back on Wall Street。
That he did later when； after a tour of the world that had begun
from the San Francisco side； Polly Seward and her mother and
Senator Seward reached Naples。 There Senator Seward bought
old Italian furniture for his office on the twenty…fifth floor of the
perfectly new Seward building。 Mrs。 Seward tried to buy for Polly
a prince nearly as old as the furniture； and Polly bought picture
post…cards which she sent to Sam。
Polly had been absent six months； and Sam's endurance had been so
timed as just to last out the half…year。 It was not guaranteed to
withstand any change of schedule； and the two months' delay in
Italy broke his heart。 It could not run overtime on a starvation
diet of post…cards； so when he received a cable reading； 〃Address
London； Claridge's；〃 his heart told him it could no longer wait…
and he resigned his position and sailed。
On her trip round the world Polly had learned many things。 She
was observant； alert； intent on asking questions； hungering for
facts。 And a charming young woman who seeks facts rather than
attention will never lack either。 But of all the facts Polly collected；
the one of surpassing interest； and which gave her the greatest
happiness； was that she could not live without Sam Lowell。 She
had suspected this； and it was partly to make sure that she had
consented to the trip round the world。 Now that she had made
sure； she could not too soon make up for the days lost。 Sam had
spent his money； and he either must return to New York and earn
more or remain near Polly and starve。 It was an embarrassing
choice。 Polly herself made the choice even more difficult。
One morning when they walked in St。 James's Park to feed the
ducks she said to him：
〃Sam； when are we to be married？〃
When for three years a man has been begging a girl to marry him；
and she consents at the