Королі та капуста

           Extremefatiguewassignifiedineverylineofherfigure;anduponhercountenanceadeepperplexitywaswritten.Hereyesweregray-irised,andofthatmouldthatseemstohavebelongedtotheorbsofallthefamousqueensofhearts.Theirwhitesweresingularlyclearandbrilliant,concealedabovetheirisesbyheavyhorizontallids,andshowingasnowylinebelowthem.Sucheyesdenotegreatnobility,vigour,and,ifyoucanconceiveofit,amostgenerousselfishness.ShelookedupwhentheAmericanenteredwithanexpressionofsurprisedinquiry,butwithoutalarm.

           Goodwintookoffhishatandseatedhimself,withhischaracteristicdeliberateease,uponacornerofthetable.Heheldalightedcigarbetweenhisfingers.HetookthisfamiliarcoursebecausehewassurethatpreliminarieswouldbewasteduponMissGuilbert.Heknewherhistory,andthesmallpartthattheconventionshadplayedinit.

           "Goodevening,"hesaid."Now,madame,letuscometobusinessatonce.YouwillobservethatImentionnonames,butIknowwhoisinthenextroom,andwhathecarriesinthatvalise.Thatisthepointwhichbringsmehere.Ihavecometodictatetermsofsurrender."

           Theladyneithermovednorreplied,butsteadilyregardedthecigarinGoodwin’shand.

           "We,"continuedthedictator,thoughtfullyregardingtheneatbuckskinshoeonhisgentlyswingingfoot—"Ispeakforaconsiderablemajorityofthepeople—demandthereturnofthestolenfundsbelongingtothem.Ourtermsgoverylittlefurtherthanthat.Theyareverysimple.