shman. I know it from the look of the place. I mean to look it up and
write an article about it."
"Then if you have disposed of him," said Madeleine, "I think we will
have luncheon, and I have taken the liberty to order it to be served
outside."
There a table had been improvised, and Miss Dare was inspecting the
lunch, and making comments upon Lord Skye's cuisine and cellar.
"I hope it is very dry champagne," said she, "the taste for sweet
champagne is quite awfully shocking."
The young woman knew no more about dry and sweet champagne than of the
wine of Ulysses, except that she drank both with equal satisfaction, but
she was mimicking a Secretary of the British Legation who had provided
her with supper at her last evening party. Lord Skye begged her to try
it, which she did, and with great gravity remarked that it was about
five per cent. she presumed. This, too, was caught from her Secretary,
though she knew no more what it meant than if she had been a parrot.
The luncheon was very lively and very good. When it was over, the
gentlemen were allowed to smoke, and conversation fell into a sober
strain, which at last threatened to become serious.
"You want half-tones!" said Madeleine to Lord Skye: "are there not
half-tones enough to suit you on the walls of this house?"
Lord Skye suggested that this was probably owing to the fact that
Washington, belonging, as he did, to the universe, was in his taste an
exception to local rules.
"Is not the sense of rest here captivating?" she continued. "Look at
that quaint garden, and this ragged lawn, and the great river in front,
and the superannuated fort beyond the river! Everything is peaceful,
even down to the poor old General's little bed-room. One would like to
lie down in it and sleep a century or two. And yet that dreadful Capitol
and its office-seekers are only ten miles off."
"No! that is more than I can bear!" broke in Miss Victoria in a stage
whisper, "that dreadful Capitol! Why, not one of us would be here
without that dreadful Capitol! except, perhaps, myself."
"You would appear very well as Mrs. Washington, Victoria."
"Miss Dare has been so very obliging as to give us her views of General
Washington's character this morning," said Dunbeg, "but I have not yet
had time to ask Mr. Carrington for his."
"Whatever Miss Dare says is valuable," replied Carrington, "but her
strong point is facts."
"Never flatter! Mr. Carrington," drawled Miss Dare; "
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