as he had not the right to invite whom he pleased to his house, and
when the mob overran his premises he must treat all with equal
affability. She pitied his wife! She would rather, if the choice
were offered her, be one of the revolving wax dummies used in
shop-windows for showing the latest style of evening costume and
hair-dressing--for the dolls had no wits of their own to begin with,
and were not expected to say clever things, as the President's
consort was, after she had lost hers in the crush of the aforesaid
mob, who eyed her freely as an appendage to their chattel, the man
they had bought by their votes, and put in the highest seat in the
Republic. No! she was not provided with an escort to the White
House. She did not know three people in Washington beside her
relatives, and, looking forward to creeping into the palatial East
Room at her uncle's back, or in the shadow of her cousin's husband,
the vision of enjoyment had not been exactly enrapturing--BUT, her
companion's proposal to join their party and help elbow the crowd
away from her, lent a different coloring to the horizon.

BUT--again--flushing prettily--was he certain that the expedition
would not bore him? Doubtless he had had some other engagement in
prospect for the evening, before he stumbled over her. He ought to
know her well enough not to disguise his real wishes by gallant
phrases.

"I have never been otherwise than sincere with you," Frederic said,
honestly; "I had thought of going to the levee alone, as a possible
method of whiling away an idle evening. If you will allow me to
accompany you thither, I shall be gratified--shall derive actual
pleasure from the motley scene. It will not be the only time you and
I have studied varieties of physiognomy and character in a mixed