Part 20 (1/2)

”Yes, I know; his power in the fae the succession to the Crown in favor of a female--more's the pity

But, while Your Majesty ive back to Hugo the rights he was deprived of by his arbitrary father”

The King se fund of senti in me, doubtless,” I replied

”Then, sir I understand that--because your great-grandfather didn't live for one hundred and forty years and so be able now to receive, in the flesh, the edict of restoration--you, his eldest hts that coh him?”

”No, that's not exactly it; it's this: For Your Majesty, now, to restore me to the Family Roll, can be done only upon the hypothesis that all of Hugo's descendants have been debruised by the bar sinister--the very act of restoration presupposes such disqualification”

”You forget I said you were legitirace; not by old Henry's,” I objected

”But, recall that Hugo hihts by his brother and that he declined them”

”Yes; that is just the point,” said I: ”he declined thear and lit it carefully, blowing the s

”I think I understand now,” he said ”You will decline our offer because it necessitates the restoration now, of Hugo's descendants, to the Fareat pity,” he said, sadly ”Otherwise, if Hugo had, in effect, never been disinherited and if the legitimacy of his descendants had been specifically preserved by Royal Decree, you would accept our offer?”

”Yes,” said I--”or, at least, I would give it serious consideration,” I added with a laugh

The King turned slowly and, for a space, kept his eyes fixed steadily onabout which his h in authority look at you so? If you have, you are likely to reme to a large vault built in a far corner, returned with a heavy black box curiously bound with brass and inlaid with silver Placing it on the table between us, he took fro it, with a queer side-motion, into the lock, it opened with a sharp snap, and he threw back the lid

”I wonder,” said he, as he lifted out a thick leather-covered book with heavy es, ”if there are many Americans whom it would be so difficult to persuade to accept a royal title?”

”I fancy it would be much the same with all the truly representative old Aed his shoulders ”Then, for the credit of America, it's a pity Europe does not know some of those same old families; if they are the Country's true nobility”

”Yes, but not nobility on European lines,” said I ”They are the _worthy_ descendants of those who founded the Nation; and the proudest patent is a coress in the Revolution”

The King smiled ”Isn't that every Nation's nobility--the descendants of the officers who helped their chief to establish a kingdom?”

”It may be so,” I answered; ”but the systems are wide apart You will observe, I said the _worthy_ descendants In A as well as gentle blood”

”While with us it needs only gentle blood, you ue over the s have no fault to find with their representative a the American nobility; it's rather he who is ashamed of his Valerian relatives”

”I am quite satisfied with the two I've met,” I protested