‘I have seen Baron Blumenstrauss.’
‘Well, what did he say?’
‘He made an offer. He volunteered to buy all the Prince’s rights for 500,000l. a year.’
‘Then, surely, you have realised it?’
‘No, sir, I have not.’
‘You don’t mean that you refused his offer? You weren’t expecting anyone to offer more, I suppose?’
‘I refused his offer.’
‘On what ground?’
‘I regard Baron Blumenstrauss as an immoral man. I regard his business methods as immoral. If I had accepted the offer on the Prince’s behalf, I should have been advising him to lend himself to a vile system of exploitation, which I regard as one of the most infamous curses of our modern civilisation. I would rather see Dwala starve.’
‘You have taken a very great responsibility on yourself, Mr. Cato.’