"Then you mean to say that socialism and monarchism do not negative each other?"
"No more than the silver of one side of the shield negatives the gold of the other."
"You are a vain theorist!"
"It is you who are a vain theorist; my position is based on history. I know the record of the attempts to put the visionary theory of popular government into practice."
"We have never had a true popular government yet."
"I agree with you; but we have had true princes."
"Where?"
For answer Wentworth turned his head a little and raised his eyes toward a great picture hanging in the shadow. McCann followed his glance, and found himself looking at the sad face with the mournful eyes of Vandyke's portrait of King Charles I. of England. Curtains of old purple velvet wrought with Bourbon lilies of tarnished gold hung on either side, and from their midst the King seemed looking on them as in a vision. The picture annoyed McCann; it was the presentment of a King, a tyrant; he scowled at it ill-naturedly.
"You keep that there because it is a good picture, I suppose," he said, turning to Aurelian, who had been listening silently.
"Because it is a copy of a good picture of a glorious King," replied Aurelian.