Scott, that her youth, her marvelous beauty and her
courage and spirit, so befitting one who bears the name of Lannes, have
made a great appeal to His Highness. That is why, under the cover of
storm and battle, he has carried her away."
"The monster!"
"Not so bad as that, Mr. Scott. There are some things that even a prince
would not dare in this comparatively mild age of ours. The Prince of
Auersperg is a widower with no children. He will offer her a morganatic
marriage."
"A morganatic marriage! And what is that? Neither the one nor the other.
It's a disgrace for any woman! A mere halfway marriage!"
"It would be legal, and she'd have a title."
"A title! What would that amount to?"
"I've heard that you Americans are fond of titles, and that your rich
women bring their daughters to Europe to marry them!"
"An infinitesimal minority, Weber. It's true that we have such foolish
women, but the rest of us regard them with contempt."
"He could offer her vast wealth and even as a morganatic wife a great
position."
"I think you're testing me. Weber, trying to see what I will say. Well,
I will say this. I don't believe that Julie would accept Auersperg on
any terms, not if he were to make her a real princess of the oldest
princely house in the world, not if he were to lay the fortunes of the
Rothschilds at her feet.
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