"It is the delay that I am apprehensive of, your Excellency."
At this juncture the Prince, gathering from the manner of his ministers that the question was settled to his liking, leaned forward and announced to his uncle, the premier: "I'm tired, Uncle Caspar. How much longer is it?"
Count Halfont coughed. "Ahem! Just a few minutes, your Highness. Pray be patient--er--my little man."
Prince Bobby flushed. He always knew that he was being patronised when any one addressed him as "my little man."
"I have an engagement," he said, with a stiffening of his back.
"Indeed?" said the Duke dryly.
"Yes, your Grace--a very important one. Of course, I'll stay if I have to, but--what time is it, Uncle Caspar?"
"It is half past eleven, your Highness."
"Goodness, I had a date for eleven. I mean a engagement--an engagement." He glanced helplessly, appealingly from Count Halfont to Baron Dangloss, his known allies.
The Duke of Perse smiled grimly. In his most polite manner he arose to address the now harassed Princeling, who shifted uneasily on the pile of law books.
"May your most humble subject presume to inquire into the nature of your Highness's engagement?"
"You may, your Grace," said the Prince.
The Duke waited. A smile crept into the eyes of the others. "Well, what is the engagement?"
"I had a date to ride with Uncle Jack at eleven."
"And you imagine that 'Uncle Jack' will be annoyed if he is kept waiting by such a trivial matter as a cabinet meeting, unfortunately prolonged?"
"I don't know just what that means," murmured the Prince. Then his face brightened. "But I don't think he'll be sore after I tell him how busy we've been."
The Duke put his hand over his mouth. "I don't think he'll mind half an hour's wait, do you?"
"He likes me to be very prompt."
Count Halfont interposed, good-humouredly. "There is nothing more to come before us to-day, your Grace, so I fancy we may as well close the meeting. To my mind, it is rather a silly custom which compels us to keep the Prince with us--er--after the opening of the session. Of course, your Highness, we don't mean to say that you are not interested in our grave deliberations."
Prince Bobby broke in eagerly: "Uncle Jack says I've just got to be interested in 'em, whether I want to or not. He says it's the only way to catch onto things and become a regular prince. You see, Uncle Caspar, I've got a lot to learn."