The Prince of Graustark

uld prove to be not only feeble but actually out of place. Any attempt to define the sensation of awe by recourse to a dictionary would put one

r. In the second place, I am not qualified by experience or imagination to describe a ball that stood its promoter not a penny short of one hundred thousand dollars. I be

it appears that the Newporters at the last minute couldn't bear the idea of going to the Metropolis out of season. He actually had to

all over them; they tinkled with the clash of a million cymbals. The President of the United States almost came. Having no spangles of his own, he delegated a Major-Gener

enumerate the buttons and the spangles and even locate them precisely upon his person, but no mortal intellect can expand suffic

guests at the doors of Blitherwood, so to speak, the incomprehensible Mr. Blithers had a temporary spur of track laid from the station two miles away, employing no fewer than a tho

eakfast, and then flitted away with a thousand complaints in two hundred and fifty Pullman drawing-rooms, Nothing could have been more accurately pulled-off than the wonderful Blitherwood ball. (The sparring match on the lawn, under the glare of a stupendous cluster of lights, resulted in favour of Mr. Bullhead Brown, who successfully-if accidentall

he did not wear his crown, but was somewhat mollified by the information that he had neglected to bring it along with him in his travels. He was also considerably put out by the discovery that the Prince had left his white and gold uniform at home and had to appear in an ordinary dress-suit, which, to be sure, fitted him perfectly but did not achieve distinction. He did wear a black and silver ribbon across his shirt fron

cuse for leaving so early, but gracefully thanked his host and hostess and took himself off without the customary assertion that he had had a splendid time. Strange to say, he did not offer a single comment on the sumptuousness of t

Mrs. William W. Blithers. That incident, however, happened to be the hasty and well-managed flight of Maud Applega

spent in the employ of William W. Blithers. The resolute young lady had done precisely what she said she would do, and for the first time in his life Mr. Blithers realised that his daughter was a creation and not a mere condition

any sleep over me. I shall sleep very soundly myself at the Ritz to-night and hope you will be doing the same when I return home to-morrow afternoon, for I know

commented upon it quite expansively in the seclusion of his own bed-chamber after the last guest had sought repose. Some of the things that Mr. Bli

rom receding so much as an inch from his position, he at once set about to strengthen it in such a way that Maud would have to come to the conclusion that it was usel

nd imperative orders to obsequious superintendents and foremen, who subsequently repeated them with even greater freedom to the perspiring foreigners, and left the scene of confusion without so much as a glance behind. Wagons, carts, motortrucks and all manner of wheeled things were scuttling about Blitherwood as he shot down the long, winding avenue toward the lodge gates, but he paid no attention to them. They were removin

ad of him. To be perfectly accurate, he was walking in the middle of the

ing wail of the siren dwindling away in the whirr of the wheels. "Look where you're going!" shouted Mr. Blithers from the tonneau, as if the walker ha

brakes, and at the same time the pe

to be on the point of deserting the highway for the wood that lined it.

had gone forward, and the Prince exercised prudence whe

" he demanded curtly, as

n. I'm going your way," sa

ted 'Look where you are going,'" sa

fen a little.) "I've told him a thousand times to be careful about running up on people like that. Now this is the last time I'll warn you,

fine smile. "No harm done. I'll walk if you don't mind. Ou

bound for?" ask

ramble where my

e than I get. Is it agreeable?" He was on the ground by this time. Without wai

jaunt will do you a world of good, I'm sure. Shall we explore this little road up the moun

an ascent ahead of them, but there was also a corresponding descent at the other end. Besides, he was confident he could keep up with the long-legged youngster by the parado

erably to keep from losing more ground as they took the first steep rise. The road was full of ruts and cross ruts and littered with boulders that had ambled down the mountain-side in the spring moving. To save his life, Mr. Blithers couldn't keep to a straight course. He went from rut to rut and fr

d his pace and the chubby gentleman drew alongside,

r you, Mr. Blither

absence last night. You must have thought it very strange. Naturally it was unavoidable. The poor girl is really quite heart-broken. I beg pardon!" He stepped into a rut and came perilously near to going over on his nose

She missed

streak of thriftiness in her. Couldn't think of spending the money. Silly idea of-I beg your pardon, did I hurt you? I'm pretty heavy, you know, no light weight when I come down on

ly. "We'll keep right on if it's all the same to you. I'm

s that obtained last night," went on Mr. Blithers, with a regretful look

that your daughter is

t to have met he

s coming home to-day. I believe Mrs. Blither

some mistake," began R

ing in connection with that little affair we are arranging. It is most imperat

s. King has pla

King will let you off when she knows how important it is.

ice that Robin did not lik

. I have the power of veto, of course, but I shall be guided by the

to deal with any one except the head of a concern, if you'll pardon my way of putting it. It is

You will be amply secured. I take it that you are not coming to our assistance through any desire to be philanthr

I don't like working in the dark. You have the power of veto, as you say. Well, if I am to lend Groostork a good many millions of hard-earned dollars, I certainly don't relish the idea that you may take it into your head t

cabinet is not to be q

never failed Gr

hey contracted this debt to Russia. You will forgive me for saying it, but it was the most asinine bit of s

bin turned a pair of beami

that, Mr. Blithers

rtain

nted him the special privilege of addressing the full House of Nobles on the question, an honour that no alien had known up to that time. Of course I was a boy when all this happened, Mr. Blithers, or I might have put a stop to the-but I'll

ese days as charity among men, good will, and all that nonsense. Now, you've got a splendid start in the right direction, Prince. You've got American blood in your veins and that means a good deal. Take my advice and increase the proportion. In a couple of g

dvising me to marry

" said Ro

into the tree-tops. "I am simply looking ah

at res

e hands of your people. Isn't it natural

are honest. T

Because no one has been able to act for them as your friend Tullis is capable of acting. The day will come when they will have to settle with me, and will it be any easier to pay William W. Blithers than it is to pay Russia? Not a bit of it. As y

are you not forgetting that even the best of Americans a

pretend to say that we are a people of one strain of blood. We represent a mixture of many strains, but underneath them all runs t

make a business of it,"

ould fall in love with an American girl, is it? You w

e myself and no one else," said Robin, regarding him with a cold

ent of hard thinking, "it may interest

," said Robin. "I am

ation for a-well, for the fortune we now possess. A fortune, I may add, that is to go, every dollar of it, to my daughter. It represents nearly five hundred

to enlighten me as to your dau

you as a sensible

you regard your daughter a

" exploded

imagine, Mr. Blithers. She will doubtless marry an excellent chap who has the capacity to increase her fortune,

ore, and not from the violence of exercise. He was having some difficulty in controlling his temper. What manner of fool was this fello

rince. If I do say it myself, s

ave bee

see her

. Blithers,

th Mrs. King. D

greatly as I love her, is not invested with the p

our people to completely understand this loan of mine before yo

ers, but it is not alt

secure the mon

ble but impossible," sa

ossi

he situation. Nothing could have been clearer than the fact that Mr. Blithers believed it to be in h

ng Prince, stopping abruptly in the middle of the road a

re hurting; in the second place, he felt that he knew precisely how to handle these money-seeking scions of

choice, I will hand over to that man exactly twen

, go

y and at the same time at the top of the heap. She is

n: You would like to ha

aid Mr.

spite of himself. "You take it f

made any suc

o the man of her choice when she m

said the other, without

e of that? Has she

le that she should fall

se, provided she is not alread

love with any one, take it from me. And just to show you how fair I am to her-and to you

oing to be toget

re you've known each oth

't appeal to her, and you may be quite sure, Mr. Blithers, that you can't force me into one. I do not want you to feel that I have a single disparaging thought concerning Miss Blithers. It is possible that I could fall in love with her inside of a week, or even sooner. But I don't

have met my daughter before making a statement like that? After all, am I not the one who is taking chances? Well, I'm willing

r choice," said the other, wit

ing." He turned into the wood and was sauntering away with his chi

you to-night,

man's assurance. He retrac

Mr. Blithers, if I ask whether your daughter consents to th

at present. I'll be honest with you. She stayed away from the ball last night

you will not be able to hand over twenty millions without her consent. I believe that I should enjoy meeting

, unconsciously lowering his voice as if fearing that Maud might be somewhere within hearing distance. "This is between you and me. Don

lithers. I shall not even think of your p

til you've seen her. I kno

now that I consider her

you? Just tell her that

hers, looking very black. "You will s

ffeur to come for you up he

" said Mr. Blithers dog

let you off f