This mysterious gentleman who seems to have met with his death so unexpectedly--he, too, may have been the victim of a cause, knowing his dangers, facing them as a man should face them." The Duchess sighed.
"I am quite sure, Prince," she said, "that you are a romanticist.

But, apart from the sentimental side of it, do things like this happen in your country ?" "Why not ?" the Prince answered.

"It is as I have been saying: for a worthy cause, or a cause which he believed to be worthy, there is no man of my country worthy of the name who would not accept death with the same resignation that he lays his head upon the pillow and waits for sleep." Sir Charles raised his glass and bowed across the table.
"To our great allies!" he said, smiling.
The Prince drank his glass of water thoughtfully.

He drank wine only on very rare occasions, and then under compulsion.

He turned to the Duchess.
"A few days ago," he said, "I heard myself described as being much too serious a person.