"Seas have been known to break higher than that. My sister and I spend many an hour watching the big sou'-westers. Then the spray lashes miles inland over the city." "And what is your sister like?" "I believe she is plain," he looked at the Queen; "yes, she must be very plain, but somehow I never thought of that till now. I'll ask her." "Please don't," said Margaret, hastily, "she might be angry." "I'd rather not then," his grey eyes twinkled. "Sarah has so many things to vex her." "And you always live in that eyrie?" "Oh no, we go away sometimes in the _Mary Rose_, our yacht." "For holidays?" "We went to the Himalayas last, and perched for the sunset view on Everest." "I didn't think that even an aerial yacht could live up there." "I could show the Queen some wonderful places if she would venture a trip in an etheric yacht." "How I should like to see the world like that!" The Queen sighed. "I'm tied up, you know, and everything I do is most improper." This, then, was the monster, the dragon of the Chancellor's fears, this simple-minded, plain-living merchant, whose pleasure was in the greater, wilder moods of Nature, who spoke so gently of a virago sister. "Please tell me about the factories," she said. "Must I talk of sympathetic vibratory physics?" "Heaven forbid! Why that's worse than even the Budget!" "And in practice a simpler, easier trade than cooking." "Even the changing of water into gold?" "A matter of rule of thumb, like making bread. But I must not bore the Queen by talking shop." Our Lady's eyes intently studied Brand. "Do you know," she said gravely, "that my advisers call you a public enemy." The man looked up at her smiling. "They lie," he said frankly. He dared to call her Chancellor a liar! "You will explain," she said. "Oh, but I didn't want to offend you!" Margaret smiled despite herself. "You said you would make gold cheap." "I am so much a public enemy," he answered, laughing, and spoke with easy confidence of a new merchandise in wares of gold, of plates and cups, of lamps and ornaments, for the common use and comfort of the poor, such as had been beyond the means of kings. He spoke of dreary brick houses, and dismal streets annealed with rough gold, of silver columns and gemmed entablatures, of public monuments in golden bronze, of cities which will not rust, or tarnish, or get dirty, which frost cannot splinter or rain dissolve, their splendour imperishable and their celestial beauty. Margaret thought he had taken leave of his senses. For which of us in those days dreamed of the golden age or ever supposed that this should all come true? Our Lady's voice had a resentful note as she reverted to the issues of the time, as in the Chancellor's terms, she voiced his horror at the fall of gold.