ty funds
would set you free for a month----Now can another patriot be hired at
a reasonable salary to take your place? If he can, you name the figure
and I'll write the cheque. The fact is, it'll be a mighty convenient
thing to me if you'll take hold of things here. Daisy's dead set on
unearthing mysteries. I don't say there aren't any mysteries. There
may be. But it doesn't suit me to be wrapped up in them. Then I
understand that one of your European monarchs is fidgeting round,
wanting to take this island off my hands. Daisy says he's an Emperor.
Now I won't have emperors worrying me. I've never gone in for emperors
to any extent, and I'm not inclined to begin now. I'm a plain American
citizen with democratic principles and a disordered heart. I'd be
obliged to you, Gorman, if you'd stay here and kind of elbow off that
Emperor when he intrudes. There's only one point about which I'd like
you to be careful. I mentioned it to Daisy. She tells me that Smith
answers to the name of Fritz and she regards that as a suspicious
circumstance. Now, it doesn't matter a cent to me whether Smith calls
himself Fritz or Leonardo da Vinci or Ivanovitch Ivanokoff. So long as
he isn't signing cheques one name is as good as another. And if Smith
writes letters to the Emperor--that's what Daisy says--I don't see
that it hurts me any. Every man has his own little pleasures, and in
a free country he oughtn't to be hindered in the pursuit. I've known
men who collected stamps. It seemed foolish to me, but it didn't
interfere with me. Same thing with Smith. I don't happen to care about
writing letters to emperors, but Smith does. See?"

Gorman did not want to worry or annoy Smith in any way. He recognized
the man's value. His mind was more actively curious than Donovan's. He
wanted to know what was going on, what von Moll had been doing, what
the Emperor aimed at, what Smith's real business was, but he also
appreciated, no less than Donovan, good food, comfort and smooth
service. He liked to be sure that his wants would be supplied, his
wishes anticipated, his habits intelligently studied. Without Smith
life on Salissa would be robbed of a great deal which made it
attractive.

When Gorman made up his mind to stay on Salissa he wrote three
letters. One of them was to King Konrad Karl and was addressed to an
hotel in Paris. He said briefly that the Donovans would not sell the
island and that it was not the least use trying to arrange a marriag