"There is his daughter."

"Ah, but she would scarcely suit the case. Is there no man--a
friend, and yet not a member of the family who can treat
with us?"

I replied that I thought that I was the only being in Santa
Chiara who answered the description.

"If you will accept the task, Mr. Townshend, you are amply
qualified. We will be frank with you and reveal our business.
We are on no less an errand than to offer the Count of Albany a
crown.

I suppose I must have had some suspicion of their purpose, and
yet the revelation of it fell on me like a thunderclap. I could
only stare owlishly at my four grave gentlemen.

Mr. Galloway went on unperturbed. "I have told you that in
America we are not yet republicans. There are those among us who
favour a republic, but they are by no means a majority. We have
got rid of a king who misgoverned us, but we have no wish to get
rid of kingship. We want a king of our own choosing, and we
would get with him all the ancient sanctions of monarchy. The
Count of Albany is of the most illustrious royal stock in
Europe--he is, if legitimacy goes for anything, the rightful King
of Britain. Now, if the republican party among us is to be
worsted, we must come before the nation with a powerful candidate
for their favour. You perceive my drift? What more potent appeal
to American pride than to say: 'We have got rid of King George;