"You mean that I, like Carpazzi, should live on the illustriousness of my name? If I were very poor, perhaps I should."
"How curious!" Nina exclaimed. "Does not a career mean making money?"
"On the contrary, it means spending it! One must have a great deal of money to go to any height in diplomacy."
"Then you are rich?" Nina already had acquired a brutal frankness of direct interrogation through her Italian sojourn.
"Not exactly." He looked bored again. "But I have a little—though perhaps not enough for my ambition. If only there were a serious war, I'd have a good chance." Then he added simply, "I am a good soldier!"
The princess, who had been summoned to the telephone, now returned and seated herself beside Nina on the sofa. "I have just been talking with the Marchesa Valdeste, and she told me that the Queen said most gracious things of you, dear; called you the 'charming little American.'" The prince entered while the princess was speaking. He kissed his wife's hand and began, at great length, to tell her exactly where and how he had spent the afternoon. After a while, however, as one or two other friends dropped in, Sansevero talked aside with Tornik.
"You were not at Savini's last night, were you?" he asked.
Tornik looked interested. "No," he said, "but I hear they had a very high game."
"Yes. Young Allegro was practically cleaned out."
"Who won?"