Page:Lady Anne Granard 2.pdf/224

222 wind blew cold. The Poles could not spare more entrance money, and the Turk thought a warm home better than the resort of the Houri. There was no thing new to see; therefore, the charitable of yesterday became the niggards of to-day. The Count slowly traversed the room, a solitary and unconscious lion, stopping for awhile to listen to Lady Penrhyn's recommendations, which drew from him three shillings, and then pursuing his promenade under the full persuasion that it was intended, by the seniors, as a school for the juniors, who were destined to fall from their high estate, and, mingling with the lower classes, become what Buonaparte had called them, "a nation of shopkeepers." "And why not?" said he, at length; "if the Medici were merchant princes; if Genoa, the city of marble palaces, was raised by commerce; if Venice rose from the sea she commanded, to grant protection, or hurl defiance alike to east, or west; no reason can exist why Great Britain should hot become one grand mart for the produce of the world; her merchants being princes, and her princes merchants. It is a fine thing, the commerce; if I sell the wine, I cannot drink at Castello Riccardini, and give the money to good purpose, do I not do good thing? English traveller laugh—bah! never I mind of him now. I no put Margarita in her young beauty to sell that wine, and with smile and sweet word cajole him who buy. I have respect to her purity and my own ancien blood, I transac the business by my servant—why not?"