“But I can’t speak the language, and they can’t understand English. The thing’ll be a stand-off.”
“Crump will hand it to ‘em. Here, Crump.”
“Sir?”
“Line up and shoot His Highness’s remarks into ‘em.”
“Yes, sir.
“It’s all very well for you, Crump,” said John. “You probably enjoy this sort of thing. I don’t. I haven’t felt such a fool since I sang ‘The Maiden’s Prayer’ on Tremont Street when I was joining the frat. Are you ready? No, it’s no good. I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell ‘em you’re tickled to death,” advised Mr. Scobell anxiously.
John smiled in a friendly manner at the populace. Then he coughed. “Gentlemen,” he said—”and more particularly the sport on my left who has just spoken his piece whose name I can’t remember—I thank you for the warm welcome you have given me. If it is any satisfaction to you to know that it has made me feel like thirty cents, you may have that satisfaction. Thirty is a liberal estimate.”
“‘His Highness is overwhelmed by your loyal welcome. He thanks you warmly,’” translated Mr. Crump, tactfully.
“I feel that we shall get along nicely together,” continued John. “If you are chumps enough to turn out of your comfortable beds at this time of the morning simply to see me, you can’t be very hard to please. We shall hit it off fine.”
“I—” John paused. “That’s the lot,” he said. “The flow of inspiration has ceased. The magic fire has gone out. Break it to ‘em, Crump. For me, breakfast.”
During the early portion of the ride Mr. Scobell was silent and thoughtful. John’s speech had impressed him neither as oratory nor as an index to his frame of mind. He had not interrupted him, because he knew that none of those present could understand what was being said, and that Mr. Crump was to be relied on as an editor. But he had not enjoyed it. He did not take the people of Mervo seriously himself, but in the Prince such an attitude struck him as unbecoming. Then he cheered up. After all, John had given evidence of having a certain amount of what he would have called “get-up” in him. For the purposes for which he needed him, a tendency to make light of things was not amiss. It was essentially as a performing prince that he had engaged John. He wanted him to do unusual things, which would make people talk—aeroplaning was one that occurred to him. Perhaps a prince who took a serious view of his position would try to raise the people’s minds and start reforms and generally be a nuisance. John could, at any rate, be relied upon not to do that.
His face cleared.
“Have a good cigar, Prince?” he said, cordially, inserting two fingers in his vest-pocket.
“Sure, Mike,” said His Highness affably.
Breakfast over, Mr. Scobell replaced the remains of his cigar between his lips, and turned to business.
“Eh, Prince?” he said.
“Yes!”
“I want you, Prince,” said Mr. Scobell, “to help boom this place. That’s where you come in.”
“Sure,” said John.
“As to ruling and all that,” continued Mr. Scobell, “there isn’t any to do. The place runs itself. Some guy gave it a shove a thousand years ago, and it’s been rolling along ever since. What I want you to do is the picturesque stunts. Get a yacht and catch rare fishes. Whoop it up. Entertain swell guys when they come here. Have a Court— see what I mean?—same as over in England. Go around in aeroplanes and that style of thing. Don’t worry about money. That’ll be all right. You draw your steady hundred thousand a year and a good chunk more besides, when we begin to get a move on, so the dough proposition doesn’t need to scare you any.”
“Do I, by George!” said John. “It seems to me that I’ve fallen into a pretty soft thing here. There’ll be a joker in the deck somewhere, I guess. There always is in these good things. But I don’t see it yet. You can count me in all right.”
“Good boy,” said Mr. Scobell. “And now you’ll be wanting to get to the Palace. I’ll have them bring the automobile round.”
The council of state broke up.
Having seen John off in the car, the financier proceeded to his sister’s sitting-room. Miss Scobell had breakfasted apart that morning, by request, her brother giving her to understand that matters of state, unsuited to the ear of a third party, must be discussed at the meal. She was reading her
“Well,” said Mr. Scobell, “he’s come.”
“Yes, dear?”
“And just the sort I want. Saw the idea of the thing right away, and is ready to go the limit. No nonsense about him.”
“Is he nice-looking, Bennie?”
“Sure. All these Mervo princes have been good-lookers, I hear, and this one must be near the top of the list. You’ll like him, Marion. All the girls will be crazy about him in a week.”
Miss Scobell turned a page.
“Is he married?”
Her brother started.
