"My good people," he said blandly, "I wish you all a very
good-morning."
There was a little murmur of greetings, and before they had all
subsided the Duke spoke.
"Saxe Leinitzer," he said, "I have a few questions to ask you."
The Prince looked across the room at him.
"By all means, Duke," he said. "But is the present an opportune
time?"
"Opportune or no, it is the time which I have selected," the Duke
answered stiffly. "I do not altogether understand what is going
on in this house. I am beginning to wonder whether I have been
misled."
The Prince, as he twirled his fair moustache, glanced carelessly
enough across at the Duchess. She was looking the other way.
"I became a--er--general member of this Society," the Duke
continued, "sympathising heartily with its objects as explained to
me by you, Prince, and believing, although to confess it is somewhat
of a humiliation, that a certain amount of--er--combination
amongst the aristocracy has become necessary to resist the terrible
increase of Socialism which we must all so much deplore."
"You are not making a speech, dear," the Duchess remarked, looking
coldly across the room at him. "We are all anxious to hear what
the Prince has to say to us."
"Your anxiety," the Duke continued, "and the anxiety of our friends
must be restrained for a few minutes, for there are certain things
which I am determined to say, and to say them now.
Pages:
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270