Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-14

be in the kitchen is now brought into the
drawing room?' asked Lady Coleraine.
1T has never struck me-but | suppose
we are, so to speak, in the middle of the
kitchen period
Perhaps it has something TO do with
the democratic tendencies OF the age"
You don't think that the advent of the
democracy will be antagonistic to cul-
ture?"
"Why should it be?" asked the prime
minister, who, ignoring the ambassadress.
had been listening to Anthony's last re-
mark.
with the regulation of industry there
will be a larger leisured class, which
means more culture"
Then" said Anthony, I'VE may look
for a revival of poetry. for nearly all of
the great poets have been leisured.
The prime minister nodded appreciative-
ly and turned again to the ambassadress.
who was insisting on telling him OF a new
way to cook mushrooms.
THE ball is in honor of Miss Travers'
coming-out, is it not?' asked Lady Cole
raine.
Yes said Anthony. "She would not
dine, as she declared that 1t was indeli-
cate for a young girl to dine on the even
ing of her first ball..
Miss TraverS had, of course. said MOTH
ing of the kind. but Anthony was with
out conscience in the matter of phrase
friend or an acquaintance as puppet 10
speak his dialogue.
"She is quite a beauty. is she not!"
Quite" said Anthony
with brainS?'
IAN real beauties have brains-although,
perhaps, Miss Travers is too young to be
described as a beauty. Beauty is ques-
ton of brains-beauty is brains and tenn
permanent using a perfect medium.
The remark could hardly fail to be eX-
ceedingy grateful to an acknowledged
beauty like Lady Coleraine.
Later they were talking Of romance,
and Lady Coleraine declared that every
body had secrets. Hearing the word 'se-
crets'' Lord Cammarleigh looked across
quickly. At any time if there were the
least suggestion that Anthony was hover
ing round the forbidden ground, even in
mischief. he would lose all his reasoning
power. become absolutely dazed, and the
widest ideas would enter into his head.
He ewas wondering whether Anthony
could possibly have chosen this gathering
to create a terrible scene. He grew
white to the lips and Anthony, catching
sight of him, was for moment at a loss
to know what had happened. Then he
suddenly realized that he and Lady Cole
raine were talking of secrets, and a smile
of pity played round his mouth. It would
have been interesting to know what this
awful secret was, the merest hint at
which was sufficient to reduce Cammar-
leigh to the level of gibbering idiot. An
thony felt that. perhaps, his power lay
largely in his ignorance of il. The pos
session of the secret might unnerye him.
He deftly steered the conversation to an
other topic. Only Lady Cecil had no.
ticed Cammarleigh's change of color. and
she questioned Anthony about it after
ward She was quite a goOd-natured
woman, but if, as the incident had caused
her to suspect, Cammarleigh had heart
complaint. common sense suggested that
it would be just we'll he should not
linger and suffer. and if his complaint
would only carry him off speedily she
would be Warehouses of Cammarleigh.
would be established. Anthony assured
her that there was not the least necessity
for alarm, and Lady Cecil tried to look
relieved.
Cammarleigh was not quite sure
whether he was pleased or annoyed that
the prime minister should turn to An
thony when the men were alone and talk
to him with evident enjoyment. The
prime minister believed in young men in
politics. and certain effectiveness in
Anthony's personality, born partly of his
desire to shine and partly of his the
atrical training suggested possibilities.
1.-The house is easier, and at the same
time more difficult than ii used to be:
easier to get into, every democratic
assembly must be, but more difficult to
make a genuine reputation in when you
are there.
THAT is an unexpected tribute to de-
mocracy isn't it, asked Anthony.
Not altogether. 1t means that many
waste their time in trying for the dra-
matte. Mobs will always have weak
ness for the demagogue.
(To be continued tomorrow