m, and they read over letters and talked over the
doings of the next day. Hamilton came this night in the usual course of
things, and Ericson was delighted to see him. He was sick of trying to
study the street improvements of the metropolis of Gloria, and he was
vexed at the intrusion of Helena Langley into his mind--for he did not
suspect in the least that she had yet made any intrusion into his heart.

'Well, Hamilton, I hope you have been enjoying yourself?'

'Yes, Excellency--fairly enough. Do you know I had a long talk with Sir
Rupert Langley about you?'

'Aye, aye. What does Sir Rupert say about me?'

'Well, he says,' Hamilton began distressedly, 'that you had better give
up all notions of Gloria and go in for English politics.'

The Dictator laughed; and at the same time felt a little touched. He
could not help remembering the declaration of his life's policy he had
just been making to Sir Rupert Langley's daughter.

'What on earth do I know about English politics?'

'Oh, well; of course you could get it all up easily enough, so far as
that goes.'

'But doesn't Sir Rupert see that, so far as I understand things at all,
I should be in the party opposed to him?'

'Yes, he sees that; but he doesn't seem to mind. He thinks you would
find a field in English politics; and he says the life of the House of
Commons is the life to which the ambition of every true Englishman ought
to turn--and, you know--all that sort of thing.'

'And does he think that I have forgotten Gloria?'

'No; but he has a theory about all South American States. He thinks they
are all rotten, and that sort of thing. He insists that you are thrown
away on Gloria.'

'Fancy a man being thrown away upon a country,' the Dictator said, with
a smile. 'I have often heard and read of a country being thrown away
upon a man, but never yet of a man being thrown away upon a country. I
should not have wondered at such an opinion from an ordinary Englishman,
who has no idea of a place the size of Gloria, where we could stow away
England, France, and Germany in a little unnoticed corner. But Sir
Rupert--who has been there! Give us out the cigars, Hamilton--and ring
for some drinks.'

Hamilton brought out the cigars, and rang the bell.

'Well--anyhow--I have told you,' he said hesitatingly.

'So you have, boy, with your usual indomitable honesty. For I know what
you think about all this.'

'Of course you do.'

'You don't want to give up Gloria?'