al movement of the head, "you did
not. The historical argument requires a knowledge of history."

"You remind me of another of my deficiencies, Professor."

"It is shared, your Majesty, by nearly the whole of the Cabinet. Very
few of us, sir, knew anything more of it than you; and those of us who
did were intent on concealing our knowledge."

"Very considerate, I am sure."

"Not at all, sir: our knowledge would have given strength to your
argument."

The King sat up a little at this confirmation of his suspicions. "Do you
mean, then, that my ministers make it a part of their duty to conceal
from me the truth?"

"Some truths, sir," submitted the Professor, "may have undue weight
given to them, which it then becomes a councilor's duty to correct.
After all, history is only history; if at times we cannot break from it
we shall never get anywhere."

"Yet all to-day," protested the King, "history, precedent, and the
Constitution are the words that have been drummed into my ears, for all
the world as though I, and not you, were the preacher of subversive
doctrine."

"Your Majesty will remember that in this country we have had three
successful revolutions against the Constitution. In one the monarchy was
successful, in two the people."

"Is that said as a warning?"

"By no means, sir; merely to show that precedents lie on both sides like
dry bones in the wilderness. But it requires the power of a prophet to
call those dry bones to life. At present I see no prophet in Israel."

"Yet every member of the Government prophesies."

"I noticed, sir, that you did not. Never once did you pretend to know
what the future would bring forth: you only pointed to the past,
deducing therefrom your duty, as you conceived it, to the Constitution.
Conditionally that commanded my respect."

"Surely," said the King, "I am bound, whatever the conditions, to hold
sacred a trust which has been committed to me by inheritance."

The Professor bowed. "With your Majesty," he assented, "the hereditary
principle must naturally be strong: it is implanted in your blood. I
have no such impulse in mine. My father was born in a workhouse."

"That is very remarkable," said the King. "To have attained to your
present position, your life must have been full of interest and
adventure."

"Full of interest--yes. Adventure--no. Very plodding, very uneventful,
almost monotonous apart from mental happenings. Now and then an unsought
stroke of fortun