‘Oh, but it does,’ he allowed me to plead.

‘Ay, through your love for your dada.’

He shook me by both hands.  I was touched with pity, and at the same time in doubt whether it was not an actor that swayed me; for I was discontented, and could not speak my discontent; I was overborne, overflowed.  His evasion of the matter of my objections relating to the princess I felt to be a palpable piece of artfulness, but I had to acknowledge to myself that I knew what his argument would be, and how overwhelmingly his defence of it would spring forth.  My cowardice shrank from provoking a recurrence to the theme.  In fact, I submitted consciously to his masterful fluency and emotional power, and so I was carried on the tide with him, remaining in London several days to witness that I was not the only one.  My father, admitting that money served him in his conquest of society, and defying any other man to do as much with it as he did, replied to a desperate insinuation of mine, ’This money I spend I am actually putting out to interest as much as, or more than, your grandad.’  He murmured confidentially, ’I have alarmed the Government.  Indeed, I have warrant for saying I am in communication with its agents.  They are bribing me; they are positively bribing me, Richie.  I receive my stipend annually.  They are mighty discreet.  So am I. But I push them hard.  I take what they offer:  I renounce none of my claims.’

Janet wrote that it would be prudent for me to return.

‘I am prepared,’ my father said.  ’I have only to meet Mr. Beltham in a room—­I stipulate that it shall be between square walls—­to win him.  The squire to back us, Richie, we have command of the entire world.  His wealth, and my good cause, and your illustrious union—­by the way, it is announced definitely in this morning’s paper.’

Dismayed, I asked what was announced.

‘Read,’ said he.  ’This will be something to hand to Mr. Beltham at our meeting.  I might trace it to one of the embassies, Imperial or Royal.  No matter—­there it is.’

I read a paragraph in which Ottilia’s name and titles were set down; then followed mine and my wealthy heirship, and—­woe was me in the perusing of it!—­a roundabout vindication of me as one not likely to be ranked as the first of English commoners who had gained the hand of an hereditary foreign princess, though it was undoubtedly in the light of a commoner that I was most open to the congratulations of my countrymen upon my unparalleled felicity.  A display of historical erudition cited the noble inferiors by birth who had caught princesses to their arms—­Charles, Humphrey, William, John.  Under this list, a later Harry!

The paragraph closed by fixing the nuptials to take place before the end of the Season.

I looked at my father to try a struggle with him.  The whole man was efflorescent.

‘Can’t it be stopped?’ I implored him.