ARSEN—But suppose the Heir-Apparent marries Alexandra.
GEORG—He won’t marry her.
ARSEN—How do you know he won’t? If he does marry her, Alexandra will be
queen some day and we, as her family, will be attached to the Court. And
if I know my mother, it won’t be Albert who’ll do the ruling.
GEORG—_If_ he marries her!
ARSEN—He’ll marry her.
GEORG—Why should he?
ARSEN—Because mother wants him to. And because we all want him to,—Aunt
Symphorosa, Alexandra herself, I, you, the professor——
GEORG—I don’t want him to marry her. Do you, professor?
AGI—Indeed ... there is no station so exalted that her highness, the
Princess Alexandra would not grace it.
GEORG—Just the same, you don’t want her to marry him.
AGI—I? Why do you say that?
GEORG—Because you spoke so coldly and formally.
AGI—I ... I was surprised ... that’s all. It isn’t easy to grasp ... so
suddenly. You see, during the few months in which I have been attached
to your illustrious family—if I may put it so—her highness, your sister
... great lady though she is ... has been very kind to me ... to us all.
Among other things, it has been my privilege to instruct her in fencing
... and when I am suddenly called upon to think that my pupil is to wear
the ermine ... that she is to wear a crown ... and sit upon a throne....
Well ... that’s not an easy thing to——
GEORG—I’d be sorry to leave this place ... it’s so pleasant here. The
Hungarians have been so good to us. But, if we had to leave, you’d come
with us, wouldn’t you?
AGI—If I were wanted.
ARSEN—I shouldn’t mind going. Life at Court might be tiresome; but
politics, they say, are exciting. Keep you either trembling all the time
... or laughing. [_BEATRICE and ALEXANDRA enter from the garden. All
rise._]
BEATRICE—Finished your lesson, I see.
AGI—Yes, your highness. [_ALEXANDRA stands silent and motionless down
left._] We reached the death of Napoleon about ten minutes ago; and it
seemed to me such an appropriate stopping place I didn’t think it worth
while to start a new chapter to-day.
BEATRICE—[_Sharply._] An appropriate stopping place?
AGI—So I thought, your highness.
BEATRICE—A stopping place for the dead man, yes. But for us ... merely a
comma in an unfinished sentence.... Arsen! Georg! Prince Albert is coming
to visit you here. He has expressed the wish to talk with you about your
studies. I infer from what he said that he is particularly interested
in history. Count Luetzen, whom I consulted later, has confirmed that
inference. Now go wash your hands and faces, comb your hair, and change
your clothes.
ARSEN—When is he coming?
BEATRICE—As soon as he awakes.
GEORG—Is he asleep?
BEATRICE—I said, “As soon as he awakes.” Which should have conveyed to
you the information that he is now asleep.
GEORG—It did, mother. That’s why I asked you.
BEATRICE—That remark is superfluous. Arsen, I hear you have been coughing.
ARSEN—No, mother; only once or twice.
BEATRICE—Symphorosa tells me you have been coughing. [_To AGI._] Why
haven’t you reported it to me?
AGI—This morning his highness ate a green pepper and, despite my advice,
neglected to remove the fibers. That is why he coughed. I didn’t consider
it serious enough to report to you.
BEATRICE—You couldn’t possibly have known whether it was serious or not.
You’re not a doctor.
GEORG—[_To ARSEN._] That’s what he gets for Napoleon.
BEATRICE—What did you say?
GEORG—Nothing, mother; I only coughed.
BEATRICE—And you, I hear, were riding like a wild man this morning.
GEORG—Did Symphorosa tell you that too?
BEATRICE—Unmannerly boy! What I asked you was, why have you been riding
like a wild man?
GEORG—The horse was wild.
BEATRICE—[_To AGI._] Why didn’t you report to me that the horse was wild?
AGI—The horse was tame before his highness got in the saddle.
BEATRICE—You couldn’t possibly have known that. You are not the stable
master.
GEORG—Then he couldn’t have reported it either.
BEATRICE—You are not to speak unless you are spoken to. Arsen will have
his throat wrapped with wet towels to-night, and, beginning to-morrow,
you will ride no other horse than Pretty.
GEORG—Pretty? Oh, mother!
BEATRICE—Silence! [_They are suddenly silent._] I have a surprise for
you. You don’t deserve it.
ARSEN—What is it?
GEORG—What?
BEATRICE—Guess.
ARSEN—Alexandra is going to be a queen. [_Great embarrassment. Silence.
ALEXANDRA makes a startled movement._]
BEATRICE—Ill-mannered boy! How _can_ you say such a thing? I forbid you
even to think of such things. See here! I hope it isn’t you who puts such
ideas into the boys’ heads.
AGI—Heaven forbid, your highness!
BEATRICE—Where then did you get that idea?
GEORG—Why, I told it to him.
BEATRICE—And where did you get it?
GEORG—I thought of it myself.
BEATRICE—What?
GEORG—Don’t be angry because I can see things for myself, mother. I have
eyes in my head.
BEATRICE—If his highness, Prince Albert, weren’t coming here soon I’d
punish you severely. But don’t suppose that you’ll get off so easily.
[_To AGI._] And you might have reported to me that the boys occupy their
minds with such things.
GEORG—He couldn’t possibly have known. He’s not a member of the family.
BEATRICE—You Robespierre! Out of my sight! [_Utter silence._] Now I’ll
tell you the surprise. My brother Karl—that is—Father Hyacinth is here.
GEORG—Uncle Karl!