“Now, I do not care. I mean to force it on you; I will make it necessary to you. You have shown me the road in what you’ve said. You will marry me when I have helped you to revenge upon old Kalkov. Very well.”
“No, no, I said I would never marry you.”
“I know you did, but that was because you declared I was no use to you. I will make myself of use. I accept your own terms, and from now on I take hold of the thing and handle it in my way.”
“You are very masterful,” she cried.
“No, only American. I’ve a large interest in it now, and on our side we believe in good management. You’ve bungled things awfully, you see, made a holy mess of them all round and wasted no end of opportunities. For all I know you may have spoilt every chance. But there’s still one way, and I shall try that.”
“I can manage my own affairs,” she protested.
“You can mismanage them, you mean; I’m too deep in now to trust your methods any longer. We go my way from now.”
“Indeed, and what is your way?”
I believe all women at heart like to be forced to submit, and Helga’s manner now was a curious mixture of the resentment which her pride dictated and pleasure at meeting a will just a bit stronger than her own.
“I am going to get you to the Emperor before the Duchess can prejudice him.”