to the State to send you both back on time." And while she spoke
she led me across the hall of the clubhouse and into a room full of
ladies, who sat at card tables consuming very beautiful food while
also preparing to resume playing the cards.

CHAPTER XII

THE BEAUTIFUL MADAM WHITWORTH

Sue then made for me many introductions and all of those lovely
_grande dames_ gave to me affectionate welcomes. Some of them I
had encountered at the dance of the Gouverneur Faulkner and all of
them had smiles for me.

"Why, boy, you are Henry's very self come back to us after all these
years--only with a lot of added deviltry in the way of French beauty,"
said that Madam Taylor, who was very stately, with white hair and a
very young countenance of sweetness. "The daredevil--it was like him
to send you back to us as--as revenge," she added with something that
almost seemed like anger under the sweetness of her voice.

"It is what my father always named me, Madam, the 'daredevil,' and
will you not accept me for your cherishing?" I spoke those words to
her from an impulse that I could not understand but I saw them soothe
a hurt in her eyes as she laughed and kissed my cheek as I raised my
head from kissing her jeweled hand.

"Yes," she answered me softly.

"Come on, L'Aiglon; it's time to beat it. We are late and Sue is
beginning to shoo," called my Buzz from the door of the card room. "We
are coming home with Phil for supper to-night, Mrs. Taylor, and the
Prince wants an introduction to your custard pie. Yes'm, seven sharp!
Come on, Bob!"

"My Buzz," I said to that Mr. Buzz Clendenning as he raced the slim
car through the country and the city up to the Capitol hill, "you give
to me a life of much joy in only a few days. I would that it could so
continue."

"It just will until we are jolly old boys with long white beards and
canes, Bobby," he answered me with an affectionate grin as we rounded
a corner on two wheels of the car. "Say, let's get out of this
politics soon, go in for selling timber lands, marry two of the
calicoes and found families. We'll call the firm Carruthers and
Clendenning and I choose Sue. You can decide about your dame later."

Suddenly something very cold and dead was there in place of my heart
that had danced with happiness. What should I do at that time of
disclosing myself as one large lie to all of these kind friends who
were giving me affection on the account of my honored father and
Uncl