Part 30 (2/2)

Betty had meditated several hours over the placing of her guests, and had invited as many pretty and charming women as the matrimonial entanglements of her statesmen would permit. Fortunately it was early in the year, and a number of wives had tarried behind their husbands.

The family portraits on the dark old walls had not looked down upon so brilliant a gathering for half a century, and Betty's eyes sparkled and she lifted her head, her nostrils dilating. The light in her inner life burned low, and her brain was luminous with the excitement of the hour.

And as he was beside her, there really was no cause for repining.

At once the talk was all of war. Was.h.i.+ngton, like the rest of the country, did not rise to its highest pitch of excitement until after the destruction of the _Maine_, but no other subject could hold its interest for long. In ordinary conditions politics are barely mentioned when the most political city in the world is in evening dress, but war is a microbe.

”I am for it,” announced Lady Mary, ”if only to give you a chance to find out whom your friends are.”

”There is nothing in the history of human nature or of nations to disprove that our friends of to-day may be our enemies of to-morrow,”

observed Senator North.

”I believe you hate England.”

”On the contrary, I am probably the best friend she has in the Senate.

My mission is to forestall the hate which leads so many ardent but ill-mated couples into the divorce courts.”

”Well, you will see,” said Lady Mary, mysteriously.

”I do not doubt it,” said Senator North, smiling. ”And we shall be grateful. If the circ.u.mstances ever are reversed, we shall do as much for her.”

”How much?”

”That will depend upon the quality of statesmans.h.i.+p in both Houses.”

”I wish you would explain what you mean by that.” Lady Mary's wide voice was too well trained to sharpen. Her cold blue eyes wore the dreamy expression of their most active moments.

”I wish I knew whether the statesmen of the future were to be Populists or Republicans.”

”Well, whatever you mean you have no sentiment.”

”I have no sentimentalism.”

Lady Mary shrugged her shoulders and turned to Senator Ward. She knew better than to talk politics to him before dinner was two thirds over, but she bent her pretty head to him, and gave him her distinguished attentions while he re-invigorated his weary brain. He smiled encouragingly.

”The statesmen of the future will be Populists, Senator,” announced Betty's last recruit, a man with a keen sharply cut face and a slightly nasal though not displeasing voice. He was forty and looked thirty.

”The Populist will have called himself so many things by that time that 'statesman' will do as well as any other,” growled the Speaker. ”'The Statesmen's Party' would sound well, and would be worthy of the n.o.ble pretensions of your leader.”

”Well, they are n.o.ble,” said Armstrong tartly, but glad of the opportunity to talk back to the personage who treated him in the House as a Czar treats a minion. ”We are the only party that is ready to cling to the Const.i.tution as if it were the rock of ages.”

”Well, you've clung so hard you've turned it upside down, and the new inventions and patent improvements you've stuccoed it with will do for the 'Statesmen's Party,' but not for the United States--Madam?”

Mrs. Madison had touched his arm timidly, and asked him if he liked terrapin. Her colour was deeper, but she exerted herself to keep the attention of this huge personality whom a poor worm might be tempted to a.s.sa.s.sinate.

Senator Burleigh's voice rose above the chatter. ”Who would be a Western Senator?” he said plaintively. ”My colleague and I received a doc.u.ment today, signed by two thousand of our const.i.tuents, the entire population of an obscure but determined town, in which we were ordered to acknowledge the belligerency of the Cubans at once or expect to be tarred and feathered upon our return. The climate of my State is excellent for consumption, but bad for nerves. Doubtless most of these men come of good New England stock, whose relatives 'back East' would never think of doing such a thing; but the intoxicating climate they have been inhaling for half a generation, to say nothing of the raw conditions, makes them want to fight creation.”

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