The Prince of Graustark | Page 5

the rest. That's the kind of a man I am, Lou. You
say you don't want Count What's-His-Name,--that is, you don't want
him as much as you did,--and you do say that it would be the grandest
thing in the world if Maud could be the Princess of Grosstick--"
"Graustark, Will."
"That's what I said. Well, if you want her to be the Princess of THAT,
I'll see that she is, providing this fellow is a gentleman and worthy of
her. The only Prince I ever knew was a damned rascal, and I'm going to
be careful about this one. You remember that measly--"
"There is no question about Prince Robin," said she sharply.
"I suppose the only question is, how much will he want?"

"You mean--settlement?"
"Sure."
"Have you no romance in your soul, William Blithers?"
"I never believed in fairy stories," said he grimly. "And what's more, I
don't take any stock in cheap novels in which American heroes go
about marrying into royal families and all that sort of rot. It isn't done,
Lou. If you want to marry into a royal family you've got to put up the
coin."
"Prince Robin's mother, the poor Princess Yetive, married an American
for love, let me remind you."
"Umph! Where is this Groostock anyway?"
"'Somewhere east of the setting sun,'" she quoted. "You must learn how
to pronounce it."
"I never was good at foreign languages. By the way, where is Maud
this afternoon?"
"Motoring."
He waited for additional information. It was not vouchsafed, so he
demanded somewhat fearfully:
"Who with?"
"Young Scoville."
He scowled. "He's a loafer, Lou. No good in the world. I don't like the
way you let--"
"He is of a very good family, my dear. I--"
"Is he--er--in love with her?"

"Certainly."
"Good Lord!"
"And why not? Isn't every one she meets in love with her?"
"I--I suppose so," he admitted sheepishly. His face brightened. "And
there's no reason why this Prince shouldn't fall heels over head, is there?
Well, there you are! That will make a difference in the settlement,
believe me--a difference of a couple of millions at least, if--"
She arose abruptly. "You are positively disgusting, Will. Can't you
think of anything but--"
"Say, ain't that Maudie coming up the drive now? Sure it is! By
gracious, did you ever see anything to beat her? She's got 'em all beat a
mile when it comes to looks and style and--Oh, by the way," lowering
his voice to a hoarse, confidential whisper, "--I wouldn't say anything
to her about the marriage just yet if I were you. I want to look him over
first."
CHAPTER II
TWO COUNTRIES DISCUSS MARRIAGE
Prince Robin of Graustark was as good-looking a chap as one would
see in a week's journey. Little would one suspect him of being the
descendant of a long and distinguished line of princes, save for the
unmistakeable though indefinable something in his eye that exacted
rather than invited the homage of his fellow man. His laugh was a free
and merry one, his spirits as effervescent as wine, his manner blithe and
boyish; yet beneath all this fair and guileless exposition of carelessness
lay the sober integrity of caste. It looked out through the steady,
unswerving eyes, even when they twinkled with mirth; it met the gaze
of the world with a serene imperiousness that gave way before no
mortal influence; it told without boastfulness a story of centuries. For
he was the son of a princess royal, and the blood of ten score rulers of
men had come down to him as a heritage of strength.

His mother, the beautiful, gracious and lamented Yetive, set all royal
circles by the ears when she married the American, Lorry, back in the
nineties. A special act of the ministry had legalised this union and the
son of the American was not deprived of his right to succeed to the
throne which his forebears had occupied for centuries. From his mother
he had inherited the right of kings, from his father the spirit of freedom;
from his mother the power of majesty, from his father the power to see
beyond that majesty. When little more than a babe in arms he was
orphaned and the affairs of state fell upon the shoulders of three loyal
and devoted men who served as regents until he became of age.
Wisely they served both him and the people through the years that
intervened between the death of the Princess and her consort and the
day when he reached his majority. That day was a glorious one in
Graustark. The people worshipped the little Prince when he was in
knickerbockers and played with toys; they saw him grow to manhood
with hearts that were full of hope and contentment; they