l that Hugo himself was offered his titles and rights by his
brother and that he declined them."

"Yes; that is just the point," said I: "he declined them."

Frederick took a fresh cigar and lit it carefully, blowing the smoke in
tiny rings to the ceiling.

"I think I understand now," he said. "You will decline our offer because
it necessitates the restoration now, of Hugo's descendants, to the Family
Roll?"

I bowed in silence.

"It's a great pity," he said, sadly. "Otherwise, if Hugo had, in effect,
never been disinherited and if the legitimacy of his descendants had been
specifically preserved by Royal Decree, you would accept our offer?"

"Yes," said I--"or, at least, I would give it serious consideration," I
added with a laugh.

The King turned slowly and, for a space, kept his eyes fixed steadily on
my face, as though searching there for an answer to something about which
his mind was undecided. Have you ever had a monarch or one high in
authority look at you so? If you have, you are likely to remember it
many days.

Then he arose abruptly and, crossing to a large vault built in a far
corner, returned with a heavy black box curiously bound with brass and
inlaid with silver. Placing it on the table between us, he took from his
watch chain a small antique key and pushing it, with a queer side-motion,
into the lock, it opened with a sharp snap, and he threw back the lid.

"I wonder," said he, as he lifted out a thick leather-covered book with
heavy metal hinges, "if there are many Americans whom it would be so
difficult to persuade to accept a royal title?"

"I fancy it would be much the same with all the truly representative old
American families," said I.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Then, for the credit of America, it's a pity
Europe does not know some of those same old families; if they are the
Country's true Nobility."

"Yes, but not Nobility on European lines," said I. "They are the
_worthy_ descendants of those who founded the Nation; and the proudest
patent is a commission from King or Colony or from the Continental
Congress in the Revolution."

The King smiled. "Isn't that every Nation's Nobility--the descendants of
the officers who helped their chief to establish a kingdom?"

"It may be so," I answered; "but the systems are wide apart. You will
observe, I said the _worthy_ descendants. In America it needs manhood as
well as birthright--gentle living as well as gentle blood."

"W