‘A million,’ Levi acquiesced, toying with his enormous watch chain.
‘Everything is now in order. Here are the papers and I should like to finish the matter up at once.’
‘Exactly, your Highness, but—’
‘But what? You months ago expressed the warmest satisfaction at the security, though I am quite prepared to admit that the security, is of rather an unusual nature. You also agreed to the rate of interest. It is not everyone, Mr Levi, who can lend out a million at 5-1/2 per cent. And in ten years the whole amount will be paid back. I—er—I believe I informed you that the fortune of Princess Anna, who is about to accept my hand, will ultimately amount to something like fifty millions of marks, which is over two million pounds in your English money.’ Prince Eugen stopped. He had no fancy for talking in this confidential manner to financiers, but he felt that circumstances demanded it.
‘You see, it’s like this, your Royal Highness,’ began Mr Sampson Levi, in his homely English idiom. ‘It’s like this. I said I could keep that bit of money available till the end of June, and you were to give me an interview here before that date. Not having heard from your Highness, and not knowing your Highness’s address, though my German agents made every inquiry, I concluded, that you had made other arrangements, money being so cheap this last few months.’
‘I was unfortunately detained at Ostend,’ said Prince Eugen, with as much haughtiness as he could assume, ‘by—by important business. I have made no other arrangements, and I shall have need of the million. If you will be so good as to pay it to my London bankers—’
‘I’m very sorry,’ said Mr Sampson Levi, with a tremendous and dazzling air of politeness, which surprised even himself, ‘but my syndicate has now lent the money elsewhere. It’s in South America—I don’t mind telling your Highness that we’ve lent it to the Chilean Government.’
‘Hang the Chilean Government, Mr Levi,’ exclaimed the Prince, and he went white. ‘I must have that million. It was an arrangement.’
‘It was an arrangement, I admit,’ said Mr Sampson Levi, ‘but your Highness broke the arrangement.’
There was a long silence.