"Kings have households," replied Oscar, proudly.

A look from Georges repressed the desire to laugh which took
possession of everybody; he contrived to make Mistigris and the
painter understand that it was necessary to manage Oscar cleverly in
order to work this new mine of amusement.

"Monsieur is right," said the great Schinner to the count, motioning
towards Oscar. "Well-bred people always talk of their 'households'; it
is only common persons like ourselves who say 'home.' For a man so
covered with decorations--"

"'Nunc my eye, nunc alii,'" whispered Mistigris.

"--you seem to know little of the language of the courts. I ask your
future protection, Excellency," added Schinner, turning to Oscar.

"I congratulate myself on having travelled with three such
distinguished men," said the count,--"a painter already famous, a
future general, and a young diplomatist who may some day recover
Belgium for France."

Having committed the odious crime of repudiating his mother, Oscar,
furious from a sense that his companions were laughing at him, now
resolved, at any cost, to make them pay attention to him.

"'All is not gold that glitters,'" he began, his eyes flaming.

"That's not it," said Mistigris. "'All is not old that titters.'
You'll never get on in diplomacy if you don't know your proverbs