that astute diplomatist was the lady in azure and white, whom he
admired profoundly and understood thoroughly. She never knew the
latter half of his attitude, however. He was a gallant American, and
delighted to indulge a pretty woman in her fads and ambitions. Mrs.
Madison achieved resignation between the Speaker of the House and
Senator Maxwell, and Sally Carter was paired with Senator March.

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. Washington, 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,"