The Island Mystery Part 2

"Well, yes," said Gorman. "I've had some business connection with him."

"I'm interested in that monarch," said Donovan. "It was Daisy drew my attention to him first, and then I made inquiries. He's not considered a first-cla.s.s king, I reckon. Doesn't move in the best royal circles.

He could be approached, without diplomatic formalities, by a plain American citizen."

"There's not the least difficulty about approaching him," said Gorman.

"I don't believe you'd care for him much if you knew him, and----"

Gorman cast about for the best way of saying that King Konrad Karl would not be a desirable friend for Miss Daisy. Donovan saved him the trouble of finding a suitable phrase.

"He could be approached," he said, "by a plain American citizen, if that citizen came with a business proposition in his hand."

Gorman saw what he believed to be an opportunity. Donovan apparently wanted to do business with the King. Such business must necessarily be connected with Megalia. A company for the development of that country could be founded without difficulty if a man of Donovan's enormous wealth took up a substantial block of shares. Gorman poured out all the information he had collected about Megalia. Donovan listened to him in silence. It was Miss Daisy who spoke at last.

"What you say about the enterprising nature of those inhabitants interests me," she said, "but I am not much taken with the notion of copper mining. It seems to me that copper mines would be liable to spoil the natural beauty of the landscape."

Gorman was, for the moment, too much surprised to speak. He had been in America several times and knew a good many American women. He realized their independence of character and mental vigour. But he did not expect that a young girl, fresh from college, enjoying the first taste of London, would take a leading part in discussing a matter of business. Before he had made up his mind what line to take with Miss Daisy, Donovan shot a question at him.

"What size is that monarchy?" he said.

"The actual boundaries are a little uncertain," said Gorman, "but I think we may say a hundred miles by about thirty."

"Inhabitants? Is it considerably settled?"

"I should guess the population at about 10,000."

Gorman glanced at his daughter. Miss Daisy's eyes gleamed with pleasurable excitement.

"I'll buy that monarchy," said Donovan, "money down, and I expect the King and I won't fall out about the price. But if I buy, I buy the section and all fixings, royal palace, throne, crown and t.i.tle. I'm particular about the t.i.tle."

Miss Daisy jumped from her chair and ran round the table. She flung her arms round her father's neck and kissed him heartily, first on one cheek, then on the other.

"You darling!" she said.

Donovan disengaged his head from her embrace and turned to Gorman.

"My little girl has taken a notion," he said, "that she'd like to be a queen. The thing might be worked by marrying; but we don't either of us care for that notion. She'd be tied up if she married, and she might tire. My idea--and hers--is that it's better to buy what we want right out. I don't say that Megalia is precisely the kingdom I'd have chosen for her. I'd have preferred a place with a bigger reputation, one better advertised by historians. But I realize that the European monarchy market has been cornered by a syndicate, and I can't just step down and buy what I like. Your leading families, so I understand, have secured options on the best kingdoms and won't part."

Miss Daisy was still standing with her arms round her father's neck.

She hugged him as she spoke.

"I shall just love Megalia," she said. "I'd far rather have it than one three times the size."

"Well," said her father, "I guess there's no reason why you shouldn't have it."

Gorman saw several reasons, excellent ones, why Daisy Donovan could never be queen of Megalia. He began to explain them. Kingdoms cannot be bought and sold like horses. There are emperors and other kings to consider. There is the Balance of Power in Europe. There are amba.s.sadors, chancelleries, statesmen. He was not at all sure that the Monroe Doctrine, in an inverted form, might not be an absolute bar to the purchase of a European kingdom by an American. Donovan brushed the difficulties aside.

"Those points," he said, "will be considered in settling the price.

I'm aware that Europe has its prejudices. I'm not out to trample on them. Genuine vested interests owned by other monarchs will be paid for. Amba.s.sadors and chancellors will be taken on and employed at their old salaries as part of a going concern."

Gorman is, like the Megalians, enterprising and full of courage. He did not believe that the sale of the Crown of Megalia could possibly be carried through; but something might be done which would satisfy Donovan. An estate, carrying with it a t.i.tle like that of Grand d.u.c.h.ess, might be made over to Miss Daisy. All kings possess the power of conferring t.i.tles. If such honours are freely sold in a country like England, there could be no possible objection to the King of Megalia taking a reasonable price for creating a Grand d.u.c.h.ess, even, perhaps, a princess. Donovan's next words made Gorman determine to try what he could do.

"There'll be a rake-off from the purchase price," said Donovan, "for the man who arranges the sale. I don't kick against a reasonable percentage."

CHAPTER IV

It was Gorman's misfortune that all through the Megalia negotiations he had to deal with women as well as men, indeed sometimes with women rather than men.

Donovan held it as an article of faith that anything in the world can be bought for money, if only there is money enough. But Donovan would not have insisted on justifying his faith by putting it to the test.

No one does that. Not even a church, though firmly convinced of its own infallibility, will bludgeon the world into an acceptance of its claim by making decisions about matters which are susceptible of proof. Donovan would have been quite content to believe that he could purchase the Crown of Megalia without actually doing so. It was Miss Daisy, who had no theories about the power of money, who insisted on becoming a queen.

King Konrad Karl knew perfectly well that he could not sell what Donovan wanted to buy.

"I would," he said, "sell Megalia with d.a.m.nable pleasure. Your friend's daughter might be Queen or Empress or Sultana. You, my dear Gorman, might be king consort when you married her. But you know and I know and Corinne knows--alas! we all know--that if I attempted a _coup d'etat_ of that kind the Emperor would at once put in my wheel a spoke. It is a cursed pity; but what can we do? We must, as you once said to me, Gorman, be content to leave it at that."

Madame Ypsilante was present when Gorman first suggested the sale of Megalia. She cut into the conversation with a very pertinent remark.

"The price," she said, "would be enormous."

Madame is a lady of expensive tastes and appreciates the advantage of possessing money. There was at that time in Goldsturmer's Bond Street establishment a rope of pearls which she very much wished to possess.

Miss Daisy Donovan had seen it and admired it greatly. This fact rendered Madame's desire almost overwhelming.

"The price of a kingdom," she said. "Consider."

Her fine eyes opened very wide as she considered the price which Donovan might be induced to pay for Megalia. The King sighed deeply.

"Alas!" he said. "The Emperor."

"d.a.m.n the Emperor," said Madame.

She had every reason to wish evil to the Emperor. His malignant respect for conventional morality had driven her from the precincts of his court, had been the prime cause of the misfortunes which had nearly overwhelmed her and Konrad, and now the Emperor stood between her and the possession of the most magnificent pearls in Europe. It was no wonder that she cursed him. Konrad Karl did not rebuke her disloyalty. He merely shrugged his shoulders, feeling that it was no use d.a.m.ning the Emperor. That potentate would not moult a feather though Madame Ypsilante cursed him all day long. Madame herself felt the uselessness of losing her temper with some one she could not hurt.

She asked the King to give her a gla.s.s of brandy. That stimulated her imagination.

"This American," she said, "is no doubt a fool, and his daughter imbecile. Do not contradict me. All young girls are imbecile. As for the father, if he were not a fool would he wish to buy Megalia?

Megalia, my G.o.d! The world is full of things desirable to buy; and he asks for that."

The King nodded. He knew Megalia. The man who wanted to buy it was certainly a fool. Gorman was forced to admit that Donovan showed less wisdom than might be expected in wis.h.i.+ng to spend money on a kingdom of that kind.

"Then," said Madame, "the affair is simple. He buys. You sell. He pays. You take. We skip. I love London--yes, very well. But after all there are other cities. We skip. The Emperor acts. The American curses. What is that to us?"

The King shook his head. The plan was simple. Unfortunately the world is not big enough for the working out of really great conceptions.

"We should be pursued. They would take us by the collar. We should be compelled to disgorge the swag."

"We should not be so compelled," said Madame. "I should at once buy pearls and diamonds, and I should conceal them. You, Konrad, would have nothing to disgorge."