"Yes; but not castles or yachts: and not enough jewels to please princesses who haven't spent eighteen years in a glass retort."
"Well," I said, "I may be no judge, but I think jewels and castles would be a bother, and I should be seasick in yachts. Give me a man who brings beautiful things out of his soul, not out of his pockets. You're very nice now; but you must have been much nicer before you buried your talents under the shields and bracelets you told me about. Even I know what you mean by them—and what happened to Tarpeia."
"Even you! I begin to think you were born knowing about a good many things besides motor-cars. And you are entirely right. I was much nicer before I began to collect the shields and bracelets."
"Can't you give a lot of them away, and do what I said—go back to the time before you bargained for them?"
"You don't understand how difficult it is to go back."
"But you are back—in Scotland."
"You're right. Now's my one chance to return to my youth and ideals. Bright little Princess, thank you for polishing up the dulled surface of my soul."
"It's only the surface that needs polishing," said I. "The inside part is shining, even when the outside looks dim. But I'm afraid you're making fun of me?"
"I was never more in earnest. I'm crossing more than one border with you to-day."
"Borders you like crossing?"