He turned then to the waiting secretary, and letting his hand drop on Edestone's shoulder: "Mr. Williams," he said, "this is Mr. John Fulton Edestone, of New York, whose name is no doubt familiar to you. He is desirous of meeting and discussing quite informally with the potentates of Europe, a little matter which he thinks, and I more or less agree with him, will be of decided interest to them." He chuckled softly; then continued in a more serious tone: "Mr. Edestone hopes, in short, with our assistance, to bring about not only the end of the European war, but to realize my dream--Universal Peace--and his plan, as he has outlined it to me, meets with my hearty approval. "I wish you to furnish him with the credentials from this Department necessary to give him _entree_ anywhere abroad and protect him at all times and under all circumstances. "And, Mr. Williams," he halted the retiring subordinate, "when Mr. Edestone's papers have been drawn, will you kindly bring them to me? I wish to present them in person, and I know of no more appropriate occasion than this afternoon, when I am to receive a delegation of school children from the Southern Baptist Union and the Boy Scouts of the Methodist Temperance League. I will be glad to have these young Americans, as well as any others who may be calling to pay their respects--not to me but to my office--hear what I have to say on peace, patriotism, and grapes." With the departure of the secretary he unbent slightly. "Well," he smiled, "you cannot say, as did Ericsson with his monitor and Holland with his submarine and the Wrights with their aeroplane, that you could not get the support of your Government until it was too late. In fact, my dear fellow, when I think of the obstacles so many inventors have to contend with, it strikes me that you have had pretty easy sailing." "Perhaps," Edestone raised his eyebrows a trifle whimsically, "it has not been so easy as you think, Mr. Secretary." "Oh, I know, I know!" the other replied. "You still must admit that in comparison with most men you have been singularly fortunate. You have had great wealth, absolute freedom to develop your ideas as you saw fit, and finally the influence to command an immediate hearing for your claims. Do you know that perhaps you are the richest young man in the world today? It is this which, I must confess, at first rather prejudiced me against you." Edestone laughed good-naturedly. "It is lucky that my photographs were able to speak for me."