Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-14

| Madrid, where he has never until this
day ventured to bring Mile. Cassini.
The latter, ever since Count Cassinrs
return to Europe, has been living I'm
Paris, where she not long ago attract
ed some attention by becoming a con-
vert to the Roman Catholic church,
conversions of this kind being not only
a spiritual but likewise a civil offense
in Russia, especially when the families
of government officials are concerned.
While the Durands had thus justi-
fed their attitude toward the Cassinis,
the fact that they had been proved to
be in the right did not contribute to
Increase the good will of either the
chief magistrate or his daughter toward
| them.
This was made known in London and
especially at court, by Lady Susan
| Townley. Nor that Lady Susan was in
any way persona grata at the White
| House. on the contrary, she was cor
daily disliked there by reason of her
uncomfortable disposition to turn
everything and everybody In America
| into ridicule. Her description of the
entertainments at the White House as
"the biggest circus in America" natur-
ally soon reached the ears of President
and Mrs. Roosevelt; also her remarks
about the various cabinet officers, their
wives and the leading dignitaries of the
| government
Nothing was sacred to Lady Susan,
not even the Durands, and the ambas-
sador and his wife were quite as much
the subject of her caustic sarcasms as
was the imposing chief magistrate of
the United States and his family. Lady
Susan. as the daughter and sister of
earls. resented the superiority in rank
of Lady Durand, denouncing the latter
as bourgeois. although as British am
bassadress at Madrid she had found
high favor at the most punctilious
court and with the most punctilious
arlstocracy in all Europe.
Recall Of the ToWnleys
Finally, matters reached such pass
that the Townleys and the Durards
were no longer on speaking terms. the
rudeness of Lady Susan to the Durands,
and especially to their daughter during
the visit of Princess Louis and Alexan-
der of Battenberg, having passed be-
yond all belief, and it was quietly inti-
mated to Sir Mortimer that 1t would be
we'll to transfer the Townleys to a post
more congenial to themselves than
Washington. This hint, it is said, was
communicated by Sir Mortimer to Lon
don.
Lady Susan and her husband were re-
called and spent the whole of last season
in London, where her sister-in-law, Mrs.
George Keppel, is persona gratissima at
court. 1t is probable, however, that
Lady Susan would, even with the as
sistance of the fascinating Mrs. George
Keppel, have been unable to accomplish
as much as she has achieved had it not
been for the fact that she was able to
furnish proof that the Durands We're
not in the good graces of the president
and of his eldest daughter. The result
has been that Walter Townley, who was
receiving $4,000 a year as secretary at
Washington, has been promoted over
the heads of a number of other diplo-
mats to the post Of minister plenipoten-
tiary at Buenos Ayres, at a salary of
$4,000 a year, a furnished house, and
other advantages, while Sir Mortimer
has suddenly been not merely recalled
but placed on the retired list Of the dip
lomatic service.
Like Bolt from the Blue
How little he expected anything of the
kind is perhaps best shown by the fact
that he had made all his arrangement:
to spend the remainder of his diploma
tic career--that is to say, some eigh
years-in America, and that ten days
before his recall he had brought ou
five footmen from England. In fact, hi!
recall was altogether a bolt from the
blue.
He has no fortune, and, like mos
other distinguished British officials. has
considered it a matter of honor tC
spend every penny of his salary an6
allowances in upholding the dignity OF
his government. For the last quarter
of century, at any rate, he has beer
in receipt of a salary of from $500
to $4,000 a year. But not having
served his full term as ambassador. il
is doubtful whether he will be consid-
cred qualified for the ambassadoria
pension of $4,000 a year. and may have
to be content with his Indian pension
of $4,000. This, then, is the end of q
most successful and honorable officia
career of thirty-eight years, of which
less than twelve months have beer
spent in England; a career wrecked By
feminine intervention.
AS for Bellamy Storer, the manner ir
which his promising diplomatic careel
has been wrecked by the indiscreet yea
of his wife is of too recent occurrence
! to need here more than passing ref