The king's freedom from the trammels of etiquette was very complete. In
theory--and he abounded in theory--his manners were purely democratic.
It was by sheer habit and inadvertency that he permitted Firmin, who had
discovered a rucksack in a small shop in the town below, to carry
both bottles of beer. The king had never, as a matter of fact, carried
anything for himself in his life, and he had never noted that he did not
do so.
'We will have nobody with us,' he said, 'at all. We will be perfectly
simple.'
So Firmin carried the beer.
As they walked up--it was the king made the pace rather than
Firmin--they talked of the conference before them, and Firmin, with a
certain want of assurance that would have surprised him in himself
in the days of his Professorship, sought to define the policy of his
companion. 'In its broader form, sir,' said Firmin; 'I admit a certain
plausibility in this project of Leblanc's, but I feel that although
it may be advisable to set up some sort of general control for
International affairs--a sort of Hague Court with extended powers--that
is no reason whatever for losing sight of the principles of national and
imperial autonomy.'
'Firmin,' said the king, 'I am going to set my brother kings a good
example.
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