My mother probably would tell
you, 'too many cigarettes.' Perhaps she is right. Thank you for
listening to all this rot, ladies and gentlemen. You are very kind
to have given me this undeserved honour."
Not once during his remarks did he allow his gaze to rest upon Alix
Crown. It was his means of informing her that she had not made the
slightest impression upon him.
As he resumed his seat beside Mr. Pollock, and while the generous
hand-clapping was still going on, Pastor Mavity arose and benignly
waited for the applause to cease. Mr. Mavity invariably claimed
the ecclesiastical privilege of speech. No meeting was complete,
no topic exhausted, until he had exercised that right. It did not
matter whether he had anything pertinent to say, the fact still
remained that he felt called upon to say something:
"I should like to ask Mr. Thane if he thinks the Germans are
preparing for another war. We have heard rumours to that effect.
Many of our keenest observers have declared that it is only a
matter of a few years before the Germans will be in a position to
make war again, and that they will make it with even greater ferocity
than before. We all know of the conflict now raging in Russia,
and the amazing rebellion of De Annunzio in Fiume, and the--er--as
I was saying, the possibility of the Kaiser seizing his bloody
throne and calling upon his minions to--ah--er--renew the gigantic
struggle.
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