The various governments all solemnly stipulated to abide by
the decision of the congress.
But, after spending months in hard but fruitless labor, that body was
no nearer the end of its undertaking than when it first assembled. The
entire world awaited its decision with bated breath, and yet the
decision was not formed.
At this paralyzing crisis a most unexpected event suddenly opened the
way.
II
THE MAGICIAN OF SCIENCE
An attendant entered the room where the perplexed financiers were in
session and presented a peculiar-looking card to the president,
Mr. Boon. The president took the card in his hand and instantly fell
into a brown study. So complete was his absorption that Herr Finster,
the celebrated Berlin banker, who had been addressing the chair for
the last two hours from the opposite end of the long table, got
confused, entirely lost track of his verb, and suddenly dropped into
his seat, very red in the face and wearing a most injured expression.
But President Boon paid no attention except to the singular card,
which he continued to turn over and over, balancing it on his fingers
and holding it now at arm's-length and then near his nose, with one
eye squinted as if he were trying to look through a hole in the card.
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