"Children and disgruntled aristocrats tell the truth," commented the War Lord; "sometimes, at least," he added after a while. Then suddenly facing Bülow, he continued in an angry tone: "That black baggage, wherever one turns. Unless there be a Lutheran Pope, Monsieur l’Abée de Rome will try and catholicise Prussia, even as Benedict XIV. tried to do through Maria Theresa."
"It was another Benedict, was it not, who offered public prayers that Heaven be graciously pleased to foment quarrels between the heretic Powers?" suggested Bülow, pulling a volume on historic dates from the shelf as if to verify his authority.
"What of it?" demanded the War Lord impatiently.
"One of the heretic Powers prayed against was England, Your Majesty."
"And you want to insinuate that I must pocket all the insults Edward may find it expedient to heap upon me?"
"Nothing is farther from my mind, of course. I merely meant to point to the historic fact that the Catholics always pool their interests, always fight back to back, while the disunity and open rivalries among non-Catholic Powers——"
"I know the litany," interrupted the War Lord rudely; "but let’s return to Este. What do you intend to do with that chap?"
"Make him work for us tooth and nail," said Bülow, "and as for any extra dances with the Saxon or His Holiness—well, Udo will keep an eye on him. From this hour on he must be kept under constant observation, whether at home or abroad, in his family circle or the army mess, at manoeuvre or the chase, at the Hradschin or at Konopischt."
The War Lord, visibly impressed, laid his massive right hand on Count von Wedell’s shoulder.
"Where is Este now?" looking at the clock.
"Bishop Tank of Gross-Wardein? And who is watching them?"
"Number 103, garlic and _bartwichse_ to the backbone."
"No, Your Majesty; in it. I varied the programme for His Highness’s sake. Like an old maid who persists in the hope of catching a man sometime, he never misses looking under the bed."
"I will examine ’103’ in Königgrätzerstrasse at 9 A.M. to-morrow," commanded the War Lord; "and, Udo, if you love me, have him well aired. An hour or two of goose-step would do the garlic-eater the world of good."
The number, of course, referred to a Secret Service man. They have no names so far as the Government knows, or wants to know, and, despite their usefulness, are looked upon as _mauvais sujets_. To make up for this their pay is rather better than that of the average German official. They get a little less than the equivalent of £4 a week and 10s. a day for expenses. These sums constitute the retaining fee; their main income depends on the jobs they are able to pull off. They get paid for all business transacted, in accordance with its importance. When on a foreign mission, they may send in bills up to £2 per day for personal expenses, but in all ordinary circumstances the 10s. per diem must suffice.