Принц і жебрак

           "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.