Принц и нищий
Disowned
"Mightitnotbebest,myPrince,thatwewaithereuntilIprovemyselfandmakemyrightssecuretomydomains?Ishouldbesomuchthebetterablethento—"
TheKinginterruptedhimimperiously—
"Peace!Whatarethypaltrydomains,thytrivialinterests,contrastedwithmatterswhichconcernthewealofanationandtheintegrityofathrone?"Then,headded,inagentlevoice,asifheweresorryforhisseverity,"Obey,andhavenofear;Iwillrightthee,Iwillmaketheewhole—yes,morethanwhole.Ishallremember,andrequite."
Sosaying,hetookthepen,andsethimselftowork.Hendoncontemplatedhimlovinglyawhile,thensaidtohimself—
"An’itweredark,Ishouldthinkitwasakingthatspoke;there’snodenyingit,whenthehumour’supononhimhedoththunderandlightenlikeyourtrueKing;nowwheregothethattrick?Seehimscribbleandscratchawaycontentedlyathismeaninglesspot-hooks,fancyingthemtobeLatinandGreek—andexceptmywitshallservemewithaluckydevicefordivertinghimfromhispurpose,Ishallbeforcedtopretendtopostawayto-morrowonthiswilderrandhehathinventedforme."
ThenextmomentSirMiles’sthoughtshadgonebacktotherecentepisode.Soabsorbedwasheinhismusings,thatwhentheKingpresentlyhandedhimthepaperwhichhehadbeenwriting,hereceiveditandpocketeditwithoutbeingconsciousoftheact."Howmarvellousstrangesheacted,"hemuttered."Ithinksheknewme—andIthinkshedidnotknowme.
