The result of this bold and candid reliance on the Nation was one which could never have been foreseen by so-called ‘diplomatic’ statesmen, who are accustomed to juggle with simple facts, and who strive to cover up and conceal the too distinct plainness of truth. An electric thrill of chivalrous enthusiasm pulsated through the entire country; and the unanimous vote of the people was returned to the King in entire favour of the Crown Prince and his chosen bride. Perhaps no one was more astonished at this than the King himself. He had been prepared for considerable friction; he had been quite sure of opposition on the part of ‘Society,’ but, Society, moved for once from its usual selfishness by the boldness and daring of a heroic king, had ranked itself entirely on his side, and was ready and even anxious to accept in Prince Humphry a new kind of ‘Cophetua,’ even if he had chosen to wed a beggar-maid! And it so chanced that there were many persons who had seen Gloria,—and among these was Sergius Thord, He had not only seen her, but known her;—he had studied her character and qualities,—and was aware that she possessed one of the most pure and beautiful of womanly souls;—and though taken by surprise at the discovery that the young ‘sailor’ she had wedded was no other than the Crown Prince, yet, after the experience he had personally gone through with one ‘Pasquin Leroy,’ he could scarcely feel that any news, even of the most wonderful kind, was so wonderful after all! So that, as soon as he learned the truth, he brought all his enormous ‘following’ into unanimity as regarded the Prince’s romantic love-story; and ere long there was not one in the metropolis at least, who did not consider the marriage a good thing, and likely to weld even more closely together the harmonious relationship between people and Throne.
And so it chanced, that even while the General Election was still going on all over the country, an incessant popular clamour was made for the instant return of the Prince to his native land. The papers teemed with suggestions as to the ‘welcoming home’ of the young hero of romance and his bride, and Professor von Glauben, mentally giddy with the whirl of events, was nevertheless triumphantly elated.
“Now that you know everything,” he said to Sir Roger de Launay, “I hope you are satisfied! My ‘jam-pot’ that you spoke of, has turned out to be a special Sweetmeat for the whole nation!”
“I am very much surprised, I confess!” said Sir Roger slowly; “I should hardly have thought such a love-story possible in these modern days. And I should certainly never have given the nation credit for so much sentiment!”
“A nation is always sentimental!” declared the Professor; “What does a Government exist for? Merely to keep national sentiment in order. Ministers know well enough, that despite the various ‘Bills’ brought in for material advantage and improvement, they have always to deal with the imaginative aspiration of the populace, rather than their conception of logic. For truly, the masses have no logic at all; they will not stop to count the cost of an Army, but they will shout themselves hoarse at the sight of the Flag! The Flag is the Sentiment; the Army is the Fact. The King has secured all the votes of the nation on a question of Sentiment only,—but there is this pleasant scientific ‘fact underlying the sentiment,—Gloria is fit to be the mother of kings! And that is what I will not say of any royally-born woman I know!”
Sir Roger was silent.
“Consider our present Queen as a mother only!” he went on; “Beautiful and impassive as a snow-peak with the snow shining upon it! What of her sons? The Crown Prince is the best of them,—but he has only been saved from inherited mischief by his love for Gloria. The other two boys, Rupert and Cyprian, will probably be selfish libertines!”
Sir Roger opened his eyes in astonishment.
“Why do you say that?” he asked; “They are harmless lads enough! Cricket and football are enough to make them happy.”
“For the present, no doubt!” agreed Von Glauben; “But it sometimes happens that the young human animal who expends all his brains on kicking a football, is quite likely to expend another sort of force when he grows up, in morally kicking other things! At least, that is how I regard it. The over-cultivation of physical strength leads to mental callousness and brutality. These are scientific points which require discussion,—not with you,—but with a scientist. Nothing should be overdone. Too much enervation and lack of athleticism leads to moral deterioration certainly,—but so does too much ‘sport’ as they call it. There is a happy medium to be obtained on both sides, but human beings generally miss it. Prince Humphry, born of a beautiful, introspective, selfish—yes, I repeat it!—selfish mother, would, if he had married a hard-natured, cold and conventional wife, probably have been the most indifferent, casual, and careless sovereign that ever reigned; but, united as he is to a trusting, warm-hearted, loving, womanly woman like Gloria, he will probably make himself the idol of the Nation.”