As I listened I felt myself falling under the spell of the Admiral's
eloquence. He was so sure of what he said. These dangers unquestionably
existed, but--were they about to descend upon America? Must we really
face the horrors of a war of invasion?

"Your arguments are very convincing, sir, and yet--" I hesitated.

"Well?"

"You speak as if these things were going to happen _right now,_ but there
are no signs of war, no clouds on the horizon."

The Admiral waved this aside with an impatient gesture.

"I tell you the blow will come suddenly. Were there any clouds on the
European horizon in July, 1914? Yet a few persons knew, just as I have
known for months, that war was inevitable."

"Known?" I repeated.

Very deliberately the grizzled sea fighter lighted a fresh cigar before
replying.

"Mr. Langston, I'll tell you a little story that explains why I am posing
as a prophet. You can put it in your memoirs some day--if my prophecy
comes true. It's the story of an American naval officer, a young
lieutenant, who--well, he went wrong about a year ago. He got into the
clutches of a woman spy in the employ of a foreign government. He met
this woman in Marseilles on our last Mediterranean cruise and fell in