"We all want money!" said the Marquis gloomily, as he rose from his
tumbled bed to take his first breakfast, and read his early morning
letters--"And to crush a small and insolent race, whose country is rich
in mineral product, is simply the act of squeezing an orange for the
necessary juice. Life would be lost, of course, but we are over-
populated; and a good war would rid the country of many scamps and
vagabonds. Widows and orphans could be provided for by national
subscriptions, invested as the Ministry think fit, and paid to
applicants after about twenty years' waiting!" He smiled sardonically.
"The gain to ourselves would be incalculable; new wealth, new schemes,
new openings for commerce and speculation in every way! And now the
King sets himself up as an obstacle to progress! If he were fond of
money, we could explain the whole big combine, and offer him a share;--
but with a character such as he possesses, I doubt if it would work!
With some monarchs whom I could name, it would be perfectly easy. And
yet,--for the three years he has been on the throne, he has been
passive enough,--asking no questions,--signing such documents as he has
been told to sign,--uttering such speeches as have been written for
him,--and I was never more shocked and taken aback in my life than
yesterday morning, when he declared he had decided to think and act for
himself! Simply preposterous! An ordinary man who presumes to think and
act for himself is always a danger to the community--but a king! Good
Heavens! We should have the old feudal system back again.
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