"
"It is due to us, in any event," said the consul, severely.
"I tell you, my secretary, that we, as the representatives of
the United States Government, must be properly honored on this
island. We must become a power. And we must do so without
getting into trouble with the King. We must make them honor
him, too, and then as we push him up, we will push ourselves
up at the same time."
"They don't think much of consuls in Opeki," said Stedman,
doubtfully. "You see the last one was a pretty poor sort. He
brought the office into disrepute, and it wasn't really until
I came and told them what a fine country the United States
was, that they had any opinion of it at all. Now we must
change all that."
"That is just what we will do," said Albert. "We will
transform Opeki into a powerful and beautiful city. We will
make these people work. They must put up a palace for the
King, and lay out streets, and build wharves, and drain the
town properly, and light it. I haven't seen this patent
lighting apparatus of yours, but you had better get to work at
it at once, and I'll persuade the King to appoint you
commissioner of highways and gas, with authority to make his
people toil.
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