“I can’t for the life of me see why you should succeed,” said Wylie.
“Because I am not handicapped by the favour of Scythia, if for no other reason. You cannot deny that Princess Theophanis was the playmate of the Emperor’s sisters, or that the Scythian court is showing the kindest interest in her. Now no one can say that I have a wife at all, far less one connected in any way with royalty, so that I stand upon my own merits—a poor foundation, perhaps, but less slippery than the Scythian iceberg.”
Not less perturbed than Maurice and Wylie by the unaccountable benevolence of Scythia were the former’s supporters among the delegates, who were now beginning to pour into the city. Most of the men who survived the fall of Hagiamavra seemed to have contrived to get themselves elected, and they gravitated naturally to the house (little more than a broad verandah approached by steps and with some cupboards beneath and in the rear), which was the headquarters of the Theophanis cause. Here Maurice and Wylie were generally to be found, with Dr Terminoff, and Professor Panagiotis when he could spare time from his wire-pulling, and the delegates became accustomed after a time to see Prince Romanos there also. This friendly association of the two candidates, which at first revolted their sense of propriety, began to recall the days at Hagiamavra, over which a glamour was already tending to gather, and the delegates applied themselves to well-meant efforts for perpetuating the happy state of things that had reigned there, quite oblivious of the fact that an arrangement which had not even answered particularly well temporarily might be a disastrous failure if adopted in permanency. To their practical minds it seemed now quite beside the question to determine which of the candidates had the greater right on his side; the important thing was to compose an unhappy family feud in such a way that all parties should, if possible, be satisfied. Early one morning a number of them invaded the verandah, and when Maurice had been established in his chair in their midst, and coffee and cigarettes brought in, the spokesman demanded one more assurance that he was not in any way pledged to Scythia in the event of his being elected.
“It is not that we doubt the Prince’s word,” said the old man; “but we desire to treat the Lord Romanos with all fairness, and we have a word to say for him to-day.”
Prince Romanos, leaning against the wall with a cigarette in his hand, smiled, and acknowledged the kind intention lazily.
“The Lord Romanos is the younger man, and unmarried,” pursued the spokesman. Prince Romanos started involuntarily. “Let him marry the sister of the Lord Mavrikios, and they two shall be next heirs after him and his wife.”
“My sister is already betrothed, with my full consent, to the Lord Glafko here,” said Maurice, keeping a grave face. A look of dismay went round the assembly.
“Yet another prince!” muttered the spokesman. “There were two kings in Sparta, but who ever heard of three?”
“I am the Prince’s servant, and desire no more,” said Wylie.
The old man’s face cleared. “But it is beneath the dignity of the Lady Zoe to wed a servant. Will the Lord Glafko stand in the way of this excellent arrangement?”