Some of its politicians wouldn't be over-grieved if the
local Americans underwent the same process. The British Minister
would, I'm sure, sleep easier if you were all a thousand miles
away from here."
"Tell Sir Willet that he's very ungallant," pouted Miss Polly.
"When I sat next to him at dinner last week he offered to
establish woman suffrage here and elect me next president if I'd
stay."
Sherwen hardly paid this the tribute of a smile.
"That was before he found out certain things. The Hochwald
Legation"--he lowered his voice--"is undoubtedly stirring up anti-
American sentiment."
"But why?" inquired Mr. Brewster. "There's enough trade for them
and for us?"
"For one thing, they don't like your concessions, Mr. Brewster.
Then they have heard that Dr. Pruyn is on his way, and they want
to make all the trouble they can for him, and make it impossible
for him to get actual information of the presence of plague. I
happen to know that their consul is officially declaring fake all
the plague rumors."
"That suits me," declared the magnate. "We don't want to have to
run Dutch and quarantine blockade both.
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