' Ergo, be
foxy. Take it cool. So long as you haven't got that mint packed
about your person, the game breaks even."
"But the king!"
"Is as secure on his throne as he ever was. If you do not
present those consols, either for renewal or collection, on the
twentieth, he loses nothing. As you said, let us hope that the
chambermaid is a shifty, careless lass, who will not touch your
room till you return." Maurice broke an egg and dropped a lump
of sugar into his cup.
"Is this the way you fight Indians?"
"Indians? What the deuce has fighting Indians to do with this?
As to Indians, shoot them in the back if you can. Here,
everything depends not on fighting but the right use of words. A
man may be a diplomat and not render his country any large
benefit; still, it's a fine individual training. Thrones stand
on precipices and are pushed back to safety by the trick of a
few words. Have an egg; they're fresh."
Fitzgerald sat down and gulped his coffee. "They broke my
monocle in the struggle."
Maurice choked in his cup.
"I've worn it twelve years, too," went on Fitzgerald.
"Everything is for the best," said Maurice.
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