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THE great sea-dragon of the changing colours that wriggles round the world like a chameleon, waspale green as it washed on Pebblewick, but strong blue where it broke on the Ionian Isles. One ofthe innumerable islets, hardly more than a flat white rock in the azure expanse, was celebrated as theIsle of Olives; not because it was rich in such vegetation, but because, by some freak of soil orclimate, two or three little olives grew there to an unparalleled height. Even in the full heat of theSouth it is very unusual for an olive tree to grow any taller than a small pear tree; but the three olivesthat stood up as signals on this sterile place might well be mistaken, except for the shape, formoderate sized pines or larches of the north. It was also connected with some ancient Greek legendabout Pallas the patroness of the olive; for all that sea was alive with the first fairyland of Hellas; andfrom the platform of marble under the olive trees could be seen the grey outline of Ithaca.On the island and under the trees was a table set in the open air and covered with papers andinkstands. At the table were sitting four men, two in uniform and two in plain black clothes. Aidesde-camps, equerries and such persons stood in a group in the background; and behind them a stringof two or three silent battle-ships lay along the sea. For peace was being given to Europe.There had just come to an end the long agony of one of the many unsuccessful efforts to breakthe strength of Turkey and save the small Christian tribes. There had been many other suchmeetings in the later phases of the matter as, one after another, the smaller nations gave up thestruggle, or the greater nations came in to coerce them. But the interested parties had now dwindledto these four. For the Powers of Europe being entirely agreed on the necessity for peace on aTurkish basis, were content to leave the last negotiations to England and Germany, who could betrusted to enforce it; there was a representative of the Sultan, of course; and there was arepresentative of the only enemy of the Sultan who had not hitherto come to terms.

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