d; a principle that
would bring forth its own flower, fruit, and seed; not a department of
an empire. Who knows what is best in this world of change? Some day men
may realize the poet's dream:

"The parliament of man, the federation of the world."

Arthur surrendered with bad grace. He had expected from Ledwith the
last, grand, fiery denunciation which would have swept the room as a
broadside sweeps a deck, and hurled the schemes of his mother and Lord
Constantine into the sea. Sad, sad, to see how champagne can undo such a
patriot! For that matter the golden wine had undone the entire party.
Judy declared to her dying day that the alliance was toasted amid cheers
before the close of the banquet; that Lord Constantine in his delight
kissed Anne as she left the room; with many other circumstances too
improbable to find a place in a veracious history. It is a fact,
however, that the great scheme which still agitates the peoples
interested, had its success depended on the guests of Anne Dillon, would
have been adopted that night. The dinner was a real triumph.

Unfortunately, dinners do not make treaties; and, as Arthur declared,
one dinner is good enough until a better is eaten. When the member of
the British Cabinet came to sit at Anne's table, if one might say so,
the tables were turned. Birmingham instead of Monsignor played the lead;
the man whose practical temperament, financial and political influence,
could soothe and propitiate his own people and interest the moneyed men
in the alliance. It was admitted no scheme of this kind could progress
without his aid. He had been reserved for the Cabinet Minister.

No one thought much about the dinner except the hostess, who felt, as
she looked down the beautiful table, that her glory had reached its
brilliant meridian. A cabinet minister, a lord, a countess, a leading
Knickerbocker, the head of Tammany, and a few others who did not matter;
what a long distance from the famous cat-show and Mulberry Street!
Arthur also looked up the table with satisfaction. If his part in the
play had not been dumb show (by his mother's orders), he would have
quoted the famous grind of the mills of the gods. The two races, so
unequally matched at home, here faced each other on equal ground.
Birmingham knew what he had to do.

"I am sure," he said to the cabinet minister, "that in a matter so
serious you want absolute sincerity?"

"Absolute, and thank you," replied the great man.