Almost did he love her, as, dropping the tape, he pressed her closely for a moment ere going over to the battery of telephones. She is delightful, was his thought. There is neither guile nor malice in her, only woman, all woman, lovely and lovable alas, that Leoncia should ever and always arise in my thought between her whom I have and herself whom I shall never have!
"More magic," the Queen murmured, as Francis, getting Bascom's office, said:
"Mr. Bascom will undoubtedly arrive back in half an hour. This is Morgan talking Francis Morgan. Mr. Bascom left for his office not five minutes ago. When he arrives, tell him that I have started for his office and shall not be more than five minutes behind him. This is important. Tell him I am on the way. Thank you. Good bye."
Very naturally, with all the wonders of the great house yet to be shown her, the Queen betrayed her disappointment when Francis told her he must immediately depart for a place called Wall Street.
What is it," she asked, with a pout of displeasure, "that drags you away from me like a slave?"
"It is business and very important," he told her with a smile and a kiss.
"And what is Business that it should have power over you who are a king? Is business the name of your god whom all of you worship as the Sun God is worshipped by my people?"
He smiled at the almost perfect appositeness of her idea, saying:
It is the great American god. Also, is it a very terrible god, and when it slays it slays terribly and swiftly."
"And you have incurred its displeasure?" she queried.