"Gentlemen," he said, and there was the faintest trace of a foreign
accent, "I shall speak English because I know that whatever your
nationality all of you are familiar with that tongue. And now an apology
for the theatric aspect of all this--the masks, the time and place of
meeting, and the rest of it." He paused a moment. "There is only one
person living who knows the name and position of all of you," and by a
sweep of his hand he indicated the motionless figure of the woman. "It
was by her decision that masks are worn, for, while we all know the
details of the Latin compact, there is a bare chance that some one will
not sign, and it is not desirable that the identity of that person be
known to all of us. The reason for the selection of this time and place
is obvious, for an inkling of the proposed signing has reached the
Secret Service. I will add the United States was chosen as the
birthplace of this new epoch in history for several reasons, one being
the proximity to Central and South America; and another the inadequate
police system which enables greater freedom of action."
He stopped and drew from his pocket a folded parchment.
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