"I do not know," said the General. "Nicholas has just said so."
"A man is beginning to fall in love when he shows signs of forgetfulness," said Nick. "He is most forgetful of late."
"I warn you, Dale," he continued turning to me, "that a woman will come between us yet. If I am not mistaken the Princess Solonika will be that woman."
"The Princess can never be anything to me," I replied.
"She is the brightest woman I have ever met," said Nick to the Prince. "Why don't you travel, Your Highness, and acquire her gift of languages. Your English, for example, is not as good as hers."
"No?" smiled the Prince through his nose, like a Frenchman's "Non." "Wherein is my English not perfect?"
"It is good enough for Bharbazonia, Your Highness," said the General, pushing back his chair. "After you become king you will never speak such a useless language. Your French is all you need at court and you speak that perfectly."
"Thank you, General Palmora," said he. Then, turning again to Nicholas, he added: "Are you serious in saying you admire Solonika? Pray, what do you find to admire in her? To me she seems like an ordinary girl."
Oh, Solonika, deliberately fishing for a compliment, the eternal feminine being ever present! I could scarcely believe my ears; but this was my first day under fire and I lacked her confidence.
"Ordinary girl?" echoed Nick. "She is in the first place extraordinarily handsome. I have travelled all over the world, and seen all kinds of women; some were beautiful and some were clever, but few were both handsome and bright, as she is. I mean to become better acquainted with her when you are king."