charming tyranny which the American woman usually reserves exclusively
for her devoted countrymen.

She received him with an affectation of patronage, as if she had
lately become uneasily conscious of being in a country where there were
distinctions of class. She was young, pretty, and tastefully dressed;
the national feminine adaptability had not, however, extended to her
voice and accent. Both were strongly Southwestern, and as she began to
speak she seemed to lose her momentary affectation.

"It was mighty good of you to come and see me, for the fact is, I didn't
admire going to your consulate--not one bit. You see, I'm a Southern
girl, and never was 'reconstructed' either. I don't hanker after your
Gov'ment. I haven't recognized it, and don't want to. I reckon I ain't
been under the flag since the wah. So you see, I haven't any papers to
get authenticated, nor any certificates to ask for, and ain't wanting
any advice or protection. I thought I'd be fair and square with you from
the word 'go.'"

Nothing could be more fascinating and infectious than the mirthful
ingenuousness which accompanied and seemed to mitigate this ungracious
speech, and the consul was greatly amused, albeit conscious that it was
only an attitude, and perhaps somewhat worn in sentiment. He knew that
during the war of the rebellion, and directly after it, Great Britain
was the resort of certain Americans from the West as well as from
the South who sought social distinction by the affectation of
dissatisfaction with their own government or the ostentatious simulation
of enforced exile; but he was quite unprepared for this senseless
protraction of dead and gone issues. He ventured to point out with
good-humored practicality that several years had elapsed since the war,