Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill - Plaidy Jean. Страница 31

Frederick's reply was characteristic of him. In that event there was William, Edward, Ernest, Augustus or Adolphus to step into the breach. There was one thing for which they must be grateful to their parents; they had been generous in providing substitutes should they feel unable to accept the Crown.

They could always laugh together. The Prince was a little more hopeful and the people in the streets were singing more than ever, with sympathy and interest in their emotional, lovesick, but never boring Prince of Wales:

'I'd crowns resign To call thee mine, Sweet lass of Richmond Hill.'

Maria wrote to him. He must forget her, she told him. It was no use his talking wildly of marrying her and giving up the Crown. This she appreciated but even if he disobeyed his father and was so imprudent as to follow her abroad, she could never marry him. She implored him to try to forget her.

She would always remember his devotion to her and be

grateful for it; the memory of his fidelity and devotion sustained her in her exile; but he must not think of leaving England. It would be a fatal mistake which he would regret for the rest of his life—and she would never forgive herself if she allowed him to do this.

She thought of him often; she would not deny that she loved him. Yet if he came abroad she would never stay with him, but would make sure that he could not find her. This she meant and she begged him to be calmer, to wait a while, to see if his feelings changed in the next months.

He read and re-read that letter. It seemed to hold a gleam of hope; and at last he began to see that it would be impossible for him to leave the country and that no good could come of

il » • •

That brilliant young man who had the appearance of having been born old, called on the King: William Pitt, the younger, whose great claim to the King's loyalty was that he was in opposition to Charles James Fox.

The Prime Minister had come to talk to the King about that disturbing subject the Prince of Wales, a subject equally distasteful to both of them.

'His Highness,' said Mr. Pitt, 'has incurred many debts which Your Majesty feels should be discharged.'

The King grumbled about the follies of youth. Not that Mr. Pitt was very old, but being of an entirely different temperament from that of the Prince of Wales he would understand the King's meaning. There had been little time for youthful follies in the life of a young man who had become Prime Minister of England at the age of twenty-four: and to Mr. Pitt the so-called pleasures of the Prince were childish pastimes; how could the pursuit of a woman compare with his own quest for the Great Seal? Pitt was at the head of the country and there he intended to remain. He had no fears of the Prince's animosity; but he did fear Fox. There was a man brilliant enough to unseat him, one of whom he must be ever watchful. And the Prince had made it perfectly clear that Fox was his friend and Fox's politics his.

'Yes,' said the King. 'I feel these debts should be discharged.

The Prince is living beyond his income and there are some members of the Government who feel that the income he receives is not adequate for a Prince of Wales.'

'Sentiments most forcefully expressed in the House by Mr. Charles James Fox,' said Pitt grimly. 'Has it occurred to Your Majesty that if we gave the Prince of Wales a sum of money with which to discharge his debts, a large amount of this might possibly be used for the advancement of the Whigs?'

The King looked startled. His brows bristled and looked whiter than ever because his face had flushed scarlet with rage. His eyes bulged and he cried: 'Eh, what?' three times while Mr. Pitt regarded him coldly. The King was rather incoherent sometimes and this made Mr. Pitt very uneasy, for what if he were to become incapable and it was necessary to appoint a Regency? He saw the figure of the Prince grown powerful and beside him the shadow of a wily Fox.

No, the King must keep his place. He was after all a young man yet. He could not be more than Torty-seven. Yet he had seemed to grow old during the last years.

Pitt went on: 'I think that the Prince's debts should be discharged on one condition.'

'Condition, eh? What condition?'

'That he breaks with the Whigs and Mr. Charles James Fox.'

The King smiled slowly. Nothing would please him more than to see that break. It was a good idea. Trust young Mr. Pitt to come up with the right answer.

The King decided to use Sir James Harris in his negotiations with the Prince and, sending for him, told of his conversation with his Prime Minister.

'Now, my dear Harris, you will go to the Prince and acquaint him with the conditions with which he must comply before his debts are settled.'

When Harris arrived the Prince burst out before lie could say anything: 'If you have come to dissuade me from travelling, let me anticipate your kind intentions by telling you that I have put that idea out of my mind. My friends, as well as yourself, are against it, and I subscribe to their opinion.'

Harris expressed his satisfaction and told him that he had in fact come to speak about the Prince's debts.

The Prince listened horrified. 'Abandon my friends! How could I do that? Give up my opinions for the sake of money!'

'It would, Your Highness, bring about a reconciliation between you and your father. His Majesty is more distressed by your connection with the Whigs and Mr. Fox, than by anything else; and I believe that if you were no longer devoted to them there would be a basis for building up strong family affection.'

'No, no, my dear Harris, even if I would do this, there would never be a reconciliation. The King hates me. I will show you our correspondence over the last six months when I first asked his permission to go to Holland. You will see how I have attempted to be friendly with him and how he rebuffs me.'

'Sir, do you think it wise for me to see this correspondence?'

'Yes, I do, so that you may know how the King treats me. I wish the people knew what I have to endure.'

'I should be sorry indeed, sir, if the enmity between the King and yourself were public knowledge.'

'Read those letters,' commanded the Prince; and when Harris had done so he had to admit to the harsh uncompromising attitude of the King.

'If you would only marry,' sighed Harris, 'then I think there would be a happier relationship between you and your father.'

'I will never marry ... as my father wishes. I have taken my resolution on that. Moreover, I have settled this with my brother Frederick.'

'Give me leave to say, sir, that you must marry. You owe it to the country, to the King and yourself.'

'I owe nothing to the King. Frederick will marry and the Crown will descend to his children. As for myself I do not see how that affects me.'

'Until you are married, sir, and have children, you have no solid hold on the affections of the people even while you are Prince of Wales; but if you come to the throne a bachelor and His Royal Highness the Duke of York is married and has sons to succeed you, your situation when King will be more painful than it is at the moment.'

The Prince turned away in anger, but hastened to assure Harris that it was not directed at him.

Sir James Harris could see that it was no use trying to persuade the Prince of Wales. He was bemused by his affection for this woman. In time, thought Harris, it will pass. It must, for she is abroad and he is here ... and she seems to mean that she will not go to him.

But the Prince of Wales retired to his apartments to write to Maria, to swear eternal fidelity and to reiterate the words of the ballad. He would his crown resign to call her his. It was true. He wanted nothing but Maria.