eech.

At last I flung away idleness and came to a good resolution; and I
carried it through. I studied at a famous German university, not far from
Hanover. My father, after discussing my project with me from the point of
view of amazement, settled himself in the University town, a place of
hopeless dulness, where the stones of the streets and the houses seemed
to have got their knotty problem to brood over, and never knew holiday. A
fire for acquisition possessed me, and soon an ungovernable scorn for
English systems of teaching--sound enough for the producing of gentlemen,
and perhaps of merchants; but gentlemen rather bare of graces, and
merchants not too scientific in finance. Mr. Peterborough conducted the
argument against me until my stout display of facts, or it may have been
my insolence, combined with the ponderous pressure of the atmosphere upon
one who was not imbibing a counteracting force, drove him on a tour among
German cathedrals.

Letters from Riversley informed me that my proceedings were approved,
though the squire wanted me near him. We offered entertainments to the
students on a vast scale. The local newspaper spoke of my father as the
great Lord Roy. So it happened that the margravine at Sarkeld heard of
us. Returning from a visit to the prince's palace, my father told me that
he saw an opportunity for our being useful to the prince, who wanted
money to work a newly-discovered coal-mine in his narrow dominions, and
he suggested that I might induce the squire to supply it; as a last
extremity I could advance the money. Meanwhile he had engaged to
accompany the prince in mufti to England to examine into the working of
coal-mines, and hire an overseer and workmen to commence operations on
the Sarkeld property. It would be obligatory to entertain him fitly in
London.

'Certainly,' said I.

'During our absence the margravine will do her best to console you,
Richie. The prince chafes at his poverty. We give him a display of wealth
in England; here we are particularly discreet. We shall be surer of our
ground in time. I set Dettermain and Newson at work. I have written for
them to hire a furnished mansion for a couple of months, carriages,
horses, lacqueys. But over here we must really be--goodness me! I know
how hard it is!--we must hold the reins on ourselves tight. Baroness
Turckems is a most estimable person on the side of her duty. Why, the
Dragon of Wantley sat on its eggs, you may be convinced!