"A lot of miserables we are, old boy," said Dale, pressing the arm he held. "I am often tempted to regret, Arthur, that the state has not charged itself with the control of marriages. It would relieve us all of a large amount of trouble, and I really don't see that it would hurt anyone except novelists. I am feeling badly in need of a benevolent despotism."
"I'm going back to town," Arthur announced abruptly.
"I'm very sorry. But I don't know that it's any use asking you to stay. Nellie goes to the Smiths' in a day or two----"
"It makes no difference to me where she goes," interrupted the unhappy young man. "I--I mean----"
Philip came up, and glanced keenly at Arthur. Then he smiled good-humoredly and said:
"No," said Arthur. "I know you're going to say it'll be all the same six months hence."
"I was. I can't deny it, Arthur. You forget that I have seen you like this many times before. We may have a tragedy or we may not, Arthur, but I shall take leave to eliminate you from the cast."
"I'm going to pack," said Arthur angrily, and he went into the house.
"When there are real troubles about," said Philip, "it is well to clear the ground. There's not much the matter with him."
"I'm glad to hear it's no worse; for, to tell you the truth, Phil, there's enough to worry about without Arthur. I'm glad our party is breaking up."
"We know too much about one another to live together comfortably."
"No," said Dale, with a smile; "you may stay and keep watch over the razors."
The excitement and bustle which attended and followed on the attempted murder, the suicide, the inquest, the illnesses, and the true and false reports concerning each and all of these incidents, had hardly subsided before the Mayor of Market Denborough, with the perseverance that distinguished him, began once more to give his attention to the royal visit. For reasons which will be apparent to all who study the manner in which one man becomes a knight while another remains unhonored, the Mayor was particularly anxious that the Institute should not lose the _éclat_ which the Duke of Mercia had promised to bestow on its opening, and that its opening should take place during his mayoralty.
The finger of fame pointed at Mr. Maggs the horse-dealer as Mr. Hedger's successor, and the idea of the waters of the fountain of honor flowing on to the head of Maggs, instead of on to his own, spurred the Mayor to keen exertion. He had interviews with the Squire, he wrote to the Lord Lieutenant, he promoted a petition from the burgesses, and he carried a resolution in the Town Council. Mr. Delane was prevailed upon to use his influence with the Lord Lieutenant; the Lord Lieutenant could not, in view of Mr. Delane's urgent appeal, refuse to lay the question before his Royal Highness; and his Royal Highness was graciously pleased to say that he could not deny himself the pleasure of obliging Lord Cransford, knowing not that he was in fact and in truth, if it may be spoken without _lèse-majesté_, merely an instrument in the clever fingers of a gentleman who, when the Prince was writing his reply, was rolling pills in the parlor behind his shop in the town of Market Denborough.
