Manchurian Books

"Great loyalty it is that sets up the
loss of their trumpery treasure over and above the loss of their
king, my brother Otho! If," she shrilled indignantly, "we are not
unwise to listen to this at all. What is it you think? What is it
your people think?"
She raised her head until she had framed the prince in
tortoise-shell. Mrs. Hastings never held her head quite still. It
continually waved about a little, so that usually, even in peace, it
intimated indignation; and when actual indignation set in, the jet
on her bonnet tinkled and ticked like so many angry sparrows.
"Madame," said the prince, "there are those among his Majesty's
subjects who would willingly lay down their lives for him. But he is
a stranger to us--come of an alien race; and the double
disappearance is a most tragic occurrence, which the burden of the
tax has emphasized. To be frank, were his Majesty to reappear in
Yaque without the treasure having been found--"
"Oh!" breathed Mrs. Hastings, "they would kill him!"
The prince shuddered and set his white teeth in his nether lip.


Pages:
85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109