Or perhaps the monarchy wasn’t quite so terrible as it seemed.

[ He manages a smile, and for a moment, it may seem as though he’s remembered everything. But then he shatters whatever hope may have been there. ]

I may be wrong. I cannot remember. All I know is that I wouldn’t trust me to make a decision, particularly when I cannot recall the conversations at hand. A philosopher and a painter, you say? If I were any good, I imagine I would be a great man.