"
"You forget I said you were legitimate," said the King.
"By your grace; not by old Henry's," I objected.
"But, recall 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.
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