The Washington herald., 1907-10-10
Chapter III-Continued.

As they rolled along in the handsome,
well-hung brougham, each man felt a
growing regard for the other. Sir Percy
after the English manner rarely brought
| a name into conversation, while Senator
March, like an American, spoke names
freely, and presently mentioned that he
was due at Mrs. Chantrey's for q dinner
/ call
/ Come with me-" he said to Sir Percy;
! the Chantreys will be glad TO see you. 1
know that Mrs. Chantrey dearly loves a
member Of the diplomatic corps, and the
daughter Is charming-she is, in her way.
as typically American as Lucy Armytage
II often call the child by her first name
/ lnvoluntarily'
Miss Chantrey was kind enough 10 ask
me to call" said Sir Percy, and after a
while the two men were entering to-
/ gether a fine house in one Of the best
! avenues Of the town.
! Sir Percy might have imagined himself
I in an English house. The large pink and
white footman at the door was unmis-
/ takably English, and the quietness Of the
l
once obvious, were as English as the
/ foOtman In the beautiful drawing-room
/ Eleanor Chantrey sat beside a tea table
/ drawn close to the fire. Mrs Chantrey
/ almost embraced Senator March when he
mentioned the liberty he had taken in
/ asking Sir Percy to come with him, and
/ Sir Percy was fguratively invited to rest
on Mrs. Chantrey's bosom-Iike the Door,
stricken deer
Mrs. Chantrey had a hidden romance, a
hearts dream, secret aspiration, to be
one day an ambassadress. to share Lord
Baudesert's title and position To say
that Lord Baudesert's sharp old eyes
had seen this. from its first budding. is
putting IL mildly. In fact, the willy old
gentleman had. himself, planted the no
tion in Mrs. Chantreys innocent, suscep-
tble. elderly mind, and carefully cult
waited IT, Every season. for ten years
past Mrs. Chantrey had confidently ex-
pected 10 be asked to preside over the
British Embassy and every season she
had been disappointed, yet not without
hope. 1t was one of Lord Baudesert' s
chief delights in Washington to play upon
the hopes and fears Of various enormous
ly rich widows, of whom Mrs. Chantrey
was the first And Lord Baudesert hay
ing something Ike fifty years experience
as an accomplished flirt, managed TO
keep these ambitious ladies dancing 10 a
very lively tune. Hence the advent of
Lord Baudesert's nephew was to Mrs.
Chantrey a delightful and encouraging
sign, and she was ready to be an aunt
to him at moments notice.
Only three or four persons were sitting
around the tea-table, all OF whom Sir
Percy had before met. There wera no
introductions, and when Eleanor Chant
rey handed Sir Percy his tea he co,,l5
scarcely persuade himself that he was
not IN Mayfair Eleanor Chantrev with
ten times her mothers brains. had not
an atom Of coquetry in her being: she
was perfectly graceful. and with a sort
| of cool. kindness, which suggested sin
| cerity. Instead of being the same to all
men, she was different in her manner
to each person present. according to her
degree Of aequaintanceship. To one IN
firm old gentleman who was plainly un-
] interesting at his best, Sir Percy noticed
| that Eleanor was extremely kind and
even cordial IN her manner, and pressed
him TO remain when he made a feeble
motion to go.
After pleasant visit. Senator March
and Sir Percy left at the same time: It
! seemed as if the two could not see too