plntiie Uhng, Astor Place, Neiv York. 1RO. THIS BOOK MAY EE KEPT THREE WEEKS Fine will be incurred if the Book is kept beyond the time allowed. Books are delivered only to members or their written order. The LIBRARY and READING ROOM open from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP. CLEBKS Initiation Fee, $1, and Annual Dues, $4. All others, $5 per year, or $3 for sis months. This payment entitles a member to one book at a time; also to the use of- the Reading Room. Any member may take two books at the same time, by paying $3 a year. EXTRA BOOKS, lOc. PER WEEK EACH. PEIENDS IN EXILE A TALE OF DIPLOMACY, CORONETS, AND HEARTS BY LLOYD BRYCE AUTHOR OF "PARADISE," "THE ROMANCE OF AN ALTER EGO," "A DREAM OF CONQUEST," ETC. K 3175:15 MERCANTILE LIBRARY, NEW YORK. NEW YORK CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY 104 & 106 FOURTH AVENUE COPYRIGHT, 1893, BY CASSELL PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. THE MEBSHON COMPANY PBESS, BAHWAY, N. J. MERCANTILE LIBRARY, NEW YORK. FEIEIDS IN EXILE. i. "THERE'S no use in taking it, Samuel. It's only a waste of room," and a matronly looking woman of fifty dubiously surveyed the choked condition of sundry trunks and portmanteaus that lay scattered around her. " Put it in, Martha, put it in," replied her husband. " Old coats, like old friends, are not to be discarded." " But you have long been needing a new dress coat, and when you get to Paris, you can buy one of a later cut. Now let me take it and give it away to one of my pensioners." " Martha, I've worn that coat during the best part of my public career, and what's good enough for the White House ought 2043279 FRIENDS IN EXILE. to be good enough for foreign courts," and a look of resolution, before which the members of the opposition in Congress had often quailed, softened to a smile as he added : " Besides, I have a sentiment for that coat, for I wore it at our silver wedding. Under the circumstances, I should think you would be the last to bid me throw it away," " Very well, then, Samuel, that settles the matter we will take it," and the coat was deposited in one of the many port- manteaus. A long silence followed, during which the lady continued the packing her husband the while walking up and down the room with his hands in his trousers' pockets. It was a large, commodious apartment of a large, commodious house, furnished with that old-time primness which has an attractiveness quite its own. All spoke of comfort ; the huge four-poster bedstead and the mahogany chest of drawers and wardrobes ; while the exquisite tidiness everywhere gave evidence of the house- wifely qualities of the mistress. For Mr. FRIENDS IN EXILE. 3 Jackson was a very fortunate man, both in his marriage and in his public career. Beginning life as a lawyer, he had reached the bench by thirty-seven, he had been attorney-general of his State at forty, had served several terms in both houses of Congress, and finally, the ambassador to France passing to an equally pleasant post, let us hope, in another world, the vacant place had been offered to Mr. Jackson. At last, pausing in his restless walk, he resumed : " The way things have turned out, I have but one cause of irritation, Martha, and that's the noise the papers are making over a speech I made two years ago in the senate." " What was it you said in your speech, Samuel?" " Well, I said more than I intended, but the self-complacency of my old enemy from Maine carried me away. It was in the debate over the bill that raised first-class missions to embassies. I quite lost my temper, I can assure you. I alluded to the proposal with contempt. I advocated republican simplicity. I sternly coil- 4 FRIENDS IN EXILE. demned any approach by our country to the forms and usages of foreign govern- ments, and further, I closed with an amendment to abolish the whole diplo- matic service." "It's certainly very awkward, Samuel, your having made such a speech." " And I cannot help asking myself," con- tinued the gentleman, " how I am to satisfy my conscience in accepting this post after saying what I did ? " " But why did you not think of that speech when you allowed your name to be urged for the appointment ? " "The fact is, I had quite forgotten it, though now it rises up, like a ghost, to cast an imputation on my sincerity." " I imagine your reputation for sincerity is proof against what the press can say ; besides, the more one set of papers attacks you, the more the other will rally to your support." "Oh, it's not that they're not rallying to my support 'quite the contrary ; it's whether, with this speech in my mind, I deserve all the encomiums they're lavishing FRIENDS IN EXILE. 5 upon me. That's my dilemma. Indeed, I really think that speech has popularized me enormously with the country at large." " If that be the case, I would let the matter stand as an offset to the number of times you've been misrepresented by the press." Her husband seemed relieved. " That's the way I argue myself," he replied. " At all events, it's too late to worry over it now, and I have this to con- sole me, that one of my speeches at least has been resuscitated. You know it's said that the Congressional Record is a tomb that for concealment out-rivals the fly-leaf of a hotel Bible." Judge Jackson's intimation as to the approval of the country at his appoint- ment was not exaggerated. Deep down in the people's heart was a feeling if not voiced, yet strong all the same that these great diplomatic positions had been too long held as the peculiar belonging of a select few ; and that however great might have been the abilities, and however dis- tinguished the services of his predecessors, 6 FRIENDS IN EXILE. a departure ought to be made by giving to a man distinctly in touch with the masses an occasional chance of filling such a posi- tion. Judge Jackson, in spite of a hand- some fortune, a large house, and a liberal hospitality, happened, for the moment, to meet this conception. No one could aver that his successes in life had affected the natural simplicity of his manner, his innate kindliness, or his quaint humor ; but, with- out any other claim to being distinctly one of the people than a speech he now repented making, he suddenly found him- self a popular hero. Nor was anyone more surprised than he at the peculiar character of the discussion elicited by his appointment; but, being a prudent man, he confided his doubts only to his wife, and these satisfied, repaired to his post with a promptness w r hich might have argued a determination of reaching it before a turn in the public sentiment could come. II. " PAEIS ! Paris ! Paris ! Tout le monde descend de voiture," shouted the railroad guard, opening wide the door of the Calais- Douvre train, on its arrival at its terminus one morning. Among the passengers who obeyed this summons were our new repre- sentative and his wife. What a revelation that first glimpse of Paris is to the stranger ! What a world it seems with its orderly rush and bustle with its air of luxury and the conspicuous absence of the commercial element. Then its cleanliness and its beauty, too ! Why the very trees look as if they were combed and brushed each morning. All here seems ordered so as to make life a pleasure, and that grim puritanism which faces every innocent joy with a forbidding "Thou Shalt Not" is consigned to a deserved Coventry. These reflections passed through the 8 FRIENDS IN EXILE. mind of Mr. Jackson, while seated on the top of a hotel omnibus where, to the secret chagrin of the secretary of the embassy, he had insisted on climbing ; for this func- tionary had come to meet his new chief at the station, and was occupying the in- terior with Mrs. Jackson. To offset a certain inexperience on the part of our representatives in respect to diplomatic forms and usages, the first sec- retaries often hold over, and occasionally remain in the enjoyment of their offices during several administrations. In that event they usually become great sticklers for etiquette, but they are always useful- useful to anyone who can in any wise be useful to them and particularly useful to the new representative in shaping him to his duties. Though Mr. Pettigrew had been only recently transferred to Paris, he had broken in many a new minister at other posts, and recognizing the necessity of gaining the good will of Mr. Jackson from the first, he met him at the station with the omnibus, collected his luggage, saw that it was duly consigned to the FRIENDS IN EXILE. temporary quarters selected for the new- comers, and further made himself as agree- able and affable as lay in his power. Nevertheless, our envoy was not fav- orably impressed with his subordinate. There seemed an artificiality about his politeness, as if it did not emanate from the heart. He disliked, too, the cut of his whiskers, the way they were brushed for- ward, and particularly did he dislike the little mustache and imperial that orna- mented his upper and lower lips. Until now, he could scarcely have imagined that such trivial matters could affect him so disagreeably. Besides, he thought he detected in his very deference an air of patronage, almost of condescension, that seemed to say, "Behold in me the per- fect diplomat ; put yourself in my hands and I will in time turn you out like me." Mr. Pettigrew must be taken down at once, and to confess the truth, Mr. Jack- son's purpose in mounting to the box was as much to mark his sense of independence as to obtain the favorable view of the city which that position afforded. III. IT is the delightful hour of half after five, when the prospect of an eight o'clock din- ner just begins to gladden the atmosphere, and tea as an interlude conies to soothe the weary march of time. Imagine an apartment, small, to be sure, but crowded both with people and bric- a-brac. On a divan, like a queen sur- rounded by her satellites, reclines the host- ess, and an occurrence so rare that it deserves special mention her husband has the floor ; for, as a general rule, Mr. de Trow is kept in the background by his wife. " But it is true, quite true," he was say- ing. " You could have knocked me down with a feather." Then for the third time he described the entrance of Mr. Jackson on the box of the omnibus. " You see, I happened to be down near the station as the party were driving away ; but, though Pet- tigrew had told nie that he was expecting 10 FRIENDS IN EXILE. 1 1 his new chief, I could never have realized that he would be on the outside of a hotel omnibus." " Why not ? I always sit there when I get the chance," said a tall young English diplomat. " Much more comfortable than inside with one's wife." " Do you really take that view of it ? " inquired Mr. de Trow. " Well, perhaps you're right after all ; only it struck me as a little odd." " What was his wife like ? " inquired a bright-eyed little woman, whose bird-like appearance was enhanced by a scarf of feathers about her neck. " To judge from the glimpse I had of her, she seemed a rather handsome woman," admitted Mr. de Trow, " quiet and dignified- looking." " I hope they will prove people of the world, like our last ambassador and his wife," murmured Mrs. de Trow. " That is the first essential." "I don't see why they didn't appoint Pettigrew," said Mr. de Trow. " In my opinion he would make an ideal " 12 FRIENDS IN EXILE. The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a dark-bearded young man. " But I've found her," he exclaimed impul- sively, "I've found her at last. Congratu- late me, ladies," and he advanced and kissed Mrs. de Trow's hand. " Who is it that you have found ? " asked Mrs. de Trow, with languid interest. " Why, she of whom I have so frequently spoken to you all lately. She is a com- patriot of yours," and the new arrival, who, because he came from Sardinia, was known to the English-speaking colony as Sardines, took his seat on the divan alongside of the hostess. " But we have so many compatriots here," complained Mrs. de Trow. " What might her name be ? I suppose she rejoices in one." " Ah ! her name (liable ! your English names Ashere Ashard It is like that. But she is divine, and she has wealth ; she owns the gold mines of the Rocky Moun- tains, ten thousand slaves, too, of the African race, all in her own right." " But you have abolished negro slavery, FRIENDS IN EXILE. 13 haven't you, to make yourselves the slaves of the Irish ? " laughed the English diplo- mat, as he turned to the hostess. " At least they seemed to run all your towns and legislatures when I was in the States." " Yes ; we adopted the Irish when we turned the English out," replied Mrs. de Trow tartly, u and, on the whole, I think we have benefited by the change." " Bravo ! " laughed the Britisher good- humoredly ; " but I must admit you atone for your severity to us in the past by your hospitality to us now. Never had such a good time in my life as a month I once passed at Newport." " Ah ! Newpore Newpore Newpore is divine ! " exclaimed the exuberant Sar- dinian. " At Newpore one dreams ! " " I should say, rather, one dines," replied the Englishman. " More dinners in a week than during the whole London season. By the way, though, Sardines, this mythi- cal lady you were telling us about is she a widow ? " "She dresses in black, and seems to mourn," said the Sardinian plaintively. 14 FRIENDS IN EXILE. " That settles it," was the Englishman's stolid reply. " But one more question- was it at Newport that you first met her ? " "No, it was at Nice. She had just re- turned from a trip up the Nile. Now she has come to inhabit Paris." " The question, therefore, is whether she is respectable," put in an American duch- ess. "Or visitable," put in an American princess. " Ah, yes, that is the question," replied an American countess ; and the conversa- tion drifted off as conversations do, yet always kept returning to the female Monte Cristo. It argues a certain gift in a person that she becomes the subject of this kind of interest. If you doubt the assertion, observe your own circle of acquaintance ; notice how many are striving after such recognition, and how few succeed. Yes, it requires talent to become the talk even . of a small place ; but to become the talk of Paris requires genius. Recent as had been her advent here, Mrs. Asher was on the edge FRIENDS IN EXILE. 1 5 of this distinction. She was just begin- ning to be talked about ; and, inasmuch as everything about her was exaggerated, the beginning might be called auspicious. Curiosity was titillated, too, by the fact that as yet no one could tell whether she was not an adventuress of a higher order. " But I assure you she is of great consid- eration in her own land," continued the Sardinian, " and I predict that you will not only be meeting her before long in the world, but that you will all be crowding her salon.' 1 '' " When that day comes I hope you will get your reward. Your claque will have largely assisted her," said Mrs. de Trow as she turned coldly away from the speaker. For while her curiosity was keen about this woman, she resented Signor de Maracoviui's interest in her, as she considered the young man her own private property. Moreover, she resented the fact of any woman's com- ing to Paris to dispute her own supremacy. For Mrs. de Trow enjoyed a unique posi- tion, largely because of the originality of her conduct and the absence of anything 16 FRIENDS IN EXILE. like reticence in her conversation. Besides, she cultivated a role that kept the male sex, and particularly the diplomatic corps, in a continual state of ferment. She talked of the communion of two spirits, the romance of the soul, the glory of a grand passion ; and, though many had learned that her professions on these tender topics were purely theoretical, they still continued their allegiance ; for desertion after a certain period of devotion is a con- fession of failure which man's pride is not always willing to make. On Signer de Maracovini, the suspicion was gradually beginning to dawn that she was trifling with him ; but, being the lat- est and freshest addition to the corps, he could not submit as tamely as the rest ; and, if it must be acknowledged, in his open admiration for this mysterious Mrs. Asher he was simply carrying out the policy of playing one woman against another, and of showing that, should the object of his devotion continue u ^appreciative, he knew where to seek consolation. IV. PENDING his official reception by the head of the French government, which the minister of foreign affairs had intimated would occur in a day or so, the judge repaired next morning bright and early to the embassy. Here he was met by Mr. Pettigrew; and, after a brief survey of the apartment, which consisted of an ante-chamber and several rooms, and an equally cursory initiation into the daily routine of business, he dismissed his secre- tary as an escort to Mrs. Jackson, who was anxious to purchase a guide book of Paris. Thus Mr. Jackson was left alone with his letters, of which he found a large accumulation. Applications for one or other of the secretaryships largely pre- dominated. These numbered nearly two hundred. They came from every corner of Europe whither our itinerant country- men had wandered, and, it is needless to 17 18 FRIENDS IN EXILE. say, from every part of America one being actually from a lady in Iowa, who urged her appointment on the score of the impetus it would give to the female- suf- frage movement in her own State. These letters Mr. Pettigrew had pigeon-holed as non-important. Next in order were requests for presenta- tion at the different courts in Europe ; or, more properly speaking, for letters of intro- duction to other representatives with a view to that happy result. In the average traveler's opinion, the principal function of his minister is to place him on pleasant and easy terms of familiarity with the crowned heads of Europe. Then there were letters seeking infor- mation on the cost of living in Paris, the price of apartments, the best and cheapest shops one writer going so far as to request the ambassador to meet his baggage on a specified day at the station, and to hold it at the embassy till called for. Yet another class of missives prayed him to investigate and report upon the financial condition of this American lady, or of that. FRIENDS IN EXILE. 19 Such appeals were, for the most part, from impecunious Frenchmen. Now, our envoy when in Congress had had a special knack in disposing of his cor- respondence. It might be said that his success in public life had been in no slight degree furthered by the attention he gave to his letters. He always answered them in his own hand, and was never too busy to answer them promptly. But there was much in his present correspondence that baffled him. Nor did the room or its con- tents furnish any inspiration. Though we have raised our ministers to ambassadors we have made no corresponding change in their official abodes. These are marked by the same stern simplicity as of yore. Con- sular reports filled the bookcase of the room in which Mr. Jackson sat. On the walls an engraving of Mr. Lincoln looked sadly at Mr. Hayes. A pair of crossed American flags were gracefully held in position over Mr. Jackson's desk by a brass eagle, while in a far corner a red ice-water cooler suggested thoughts of home. Yet none of these helped Mr. Jackson with his letters. 20 FRIENDS IN EXILE. You ask, why had he not kept his secre- retary by him instead of sending him off with Mrs. Jackson ? An ambassador wishes to show his independence of his secretary during the first few days of his career. Afterward he becomes wiser. The day was warm a lovely spring morning, soft and balmy, with that trans- lucent brightness peculiar to Paris. The window was slightly open, and through the aperture came the roar of the great city. Somehow a vague feeling of loneli- ness stole over him. Presently there was a ring at the bell outside on the landing, followed in due course by a knock at the door and the entrance of the chief clerk of the embassy. " Monsieur 1'Ambassadeur," observed the clerk, "a lady desires to see your excel- lency." " Pray admit her, Monsieur Antel, and have the kindness to leave the door open." It was the invariable habit of our repre- sentative never to be closeted with any stranger of the opposite sex. The abrupt collapse in the political careers of two of FRIENDS IN EXILE. 21 his personal friends dated from their neg- lect of a similar caution. A lady in mourning, and deeply veiled, entered. She was of a slight figure, with a profusion of golden hair showing beneath her bonnet. Mr. Jackson rose as the visitor advanced. ' " I wish to see the new American ambassador," she said. Mr. Jackson bowed. "Yours to com- mand, madam," he replied with old-time courtesy. The lady took a seat. What an art it is to do so gracefully ! Some women fall upon a chair as if it were an enemy to be vanquished ; others sidle into it as if they were breaking a commandment, and wished to do it surreptitiously. The visitor dropped into hers as if she were a leaf that fell from heaven. When she raised her veil she displayed a pale, delicate beauty that was almost girlish. There was a shrinking, uncertain air about her, and her eyes had a dreamy expression as they wandered toward the window. Suddenly they seemed to fill with tears, 22 FRIENDS IN EXILE. and she pressed her handkerchief to her brow. The judge was on his guard in a minute. The meetings that had broken his friends' careers had both begun by a woman burst- ing into tears. " Monsieur Antel," discreetly called the envoy to the clerk, " please bring the lady a glass of ice water." She took it grate- fully, and it seemed to restore her. "Oh, pardon my giving way, sir," she exclaimed ; " but I have gone through so much lately. You must forgive me, too, for intruding on your privacy so soon after your arrival. But I was so lonely. I felt so helpless, too, in this great, cruel capital, after my sad affliction." " And you are in trouble ? " inquired the ambassador cautiously. "I lost my husband, barely six weeks ago, in Egypt. He was buried far away from friends and kin." " Gredin ! " muttered M. Antel, from be- hind the door, "they have alway.s just buried their husbands or drowned them." " I am extremely sorry to hear it, FRIENDS IN EXILE. 23 madam," replied Mr. Jackson sympathet ically. " Might I inquire the nature of hid complaint ? " " Oh, sir, I suppose I must inform you. He had lately come into possession of a considerable fortune. It turned his head. His entire nature changed. , From being kind and considerate he grew cruel and intemperate. He proved faithless to me, too, and ended in a drunkard's grave." There is nothing that appeals to a true American heart, and especially to a man of Mr. Jackson's age, like a charge by a pretty woman against another man, though it be her husband. The ambassador was affected at last. " You are highly wrought up, my young madam. What did you say the name was?" " Asher Mrs. Henry Asher." " Henry Asher ! " ejaculated Mr. Jackson in unfeigned surprise. " Surely your hus- band was no relation to my young protege, Henry Asher, whom I got appointed to West Point?" " The same, sir." 24 FRIENDS IN EXILE. "The same? Well, well, well! Poor Henry ! I never knew lie was even married, much less dead. He was the most promis- ing youth in the public schools of Dianap- olis. But why did you not mention your name to me at first-? " "It seemed like trying to establish a claim to your consideration on too slender grounds," was the reply ; " at least, before informing you of his career. I thought you might not approve of his entering foreign service ; for, after attaining the rank of cap- tain in our army, he accepted a commission from the Khedive. That is how he came to die away from home ; but the Egyptian phase of his life I do not care to dwell on ; it is too sad, too sad," " I was not aware of his leaving our army," said Mr. Jackson. " You see, I have lost sight of him for the last ten years or so. But how did he acquire his fortune ? I should hardly conceive that campaigning in Egypt afforded many opportunities for growing rich." "Ah, that is the question," again mut- tered M. Antel from his retreat. FRIENDS IN EXILE. 25 "Assuredly the situation is becoming interesting." " He inherited his fortune from a distant connection," answered the lady vaguely. " If he had only taken my advice and re- signed, he might be alive even now. But he was wedded to the country enjoyed the climate and the opportunity his wealth gave him for indulgence in his dissipations. Oh, sir ! is it right for me to retain this fortune which proved his ruin ? " she ran on. " Is it even right for me to wear these black robes for a man I had ceased to respect ? Is it not a lie, sir, that I am holding out to the world ? " " Then remove the black robes, my dear young friend I mean, substitute for them a gayer apparel," said the judge. " Oh, thank you, sir, thank you ! " she ejaculated. " Yes," continued he oracularly, " since you ask my advice, I would suggest that you retain the fortune and discard the \veeds. You see, this course has the merit of allowing of reconsideration, which the other would not." 26 FRIENDS IN EXILE. " You do not know what comfort you have given me," replied the lady, with deep emotion. " Ever since I came here, I have been torturing myself to decide what I ought to do. When I heard of your arrival, I could not withstand the tempta- tion of coming to learn whether the widow of your old friend, who had so inadequately repaid your kindness, could have any claim on your consideration." The ambassador was strangely touched. At this moment the sound of steps in the corridor was followed by the appearance of Mr. Pettigrew and Mrs. Jackson. " Madam," exclaimed the judge, turning to his wife, " I have a little surprise for you which I think will prove an agreeable one. Allow me to present to you the widow of Henry Asher. She's alone in Paris, and I am sure will appreciate your friendship." An unspo'ken objection in Mr. Petti- grew's face urged on the envoy. " Perhaps you might induce her to dine with us this evening. We're all strangers alike, and she will help to cheer us up." V. the young men that floated from one drawing room to another of the gay Paris world, was a rather handsome French- man, with a jerky manner, curly hair, and a mustache with two little waxed-up points. He, too, enjoyed the reputation of being talked about, and was envied accordingly. Indeed, I might say that he was among the most envied of all the young men of his day. For had not the celebrated actress Ariane de .1'Enfer allowed him to half ruin himself on her account? Again, because of his attentions to the wife of a wealthy broker, the unhappy husband was supposed to have committed suicide by poison, though in point of fact his death resulted from swallowing a bit of oyster shell. Among his lesser claims to fame were a couple of bravely fought duels ; he got his boots from Thomas; and while vehemently upholding the Catholic religion, skeptically maintained 27 28 FRIENDS IN EXILE. that Pio Nono was less divinely inspired than Worth. These varied distinctions, qualifications, and modes of thought, coupled with an erect bearing and ancient lineage, formed in the person of the Vicomte de Dindon a combination that, in the slang of the capi- tal, is recognized as the dernier ornement de la gomme. Ruskin has epigrammatically observed that the most marked features of modern fashionable life are occupation without object and indolence without repose. Of the truth of this saying the vicomte offered a striking illustration, although a feverish craving for excitement, which at times O ' possessed him, was regarded by many as the restlessness of an ambition that could find no outlet, and the indolence superven- ing as the natural result of realizing^ the futility of any effort, however well directed. For alas ! belonging to the well-known family of La Vieille Roche, what prospects, they asked, could the republic extend to him ? Indeed, save with a few Americans, such as Mrs. de Tro\v, who was a firm FRIENDS IN EXILE. 29 believer in the divine right of kings, the legitimist party had little influence. As it happened, the vicomte had been in Mrs. de Trow's drawing room on that afternoon when we first introduced her to our readers. Never had the aimlessness of his life as a frequenter of that salon, or as a member of society generally, obtruded itself upon him so forcibly ; he was, more- over, irritated at the prominent part played in the conversation by the Sardinian, whom he loathed. On leaving the house, he directed his curricle to the Bois, took a turn around the lake, stopped on the bank, and instead of looking at the throngs of equipages and their well-dressed occu- pants, actually turned his back on them all, and looked at the swans, the ducks, and the drakes. Then he drove back to Paris, holding his reins very high till his hands almost touched his chin, accord- ing to the approved manner of driv- ing among young Frenchmen. Having no engagement for dinner, he dined at a cafe. How a young man passes the evening in Paris will not always bear 30 FRIENDS IN EXILE. scrutiny. In the case of the vicomte, he merely went to the theater, repairing after- ward to the Cercle de Jeu. While a frequent player, the vicomte had never been a high one. To-night, however, he felt more than usually restless ; and, with his craving for excitement, came a strange prophetic instinct that he was going to win. He lost upwards of a thou- sand louis. He left shortly after midnight, and, as he walked homeward, he reviewed the situation. The impulse that had urged him to play higher than his wont was the pronounced conviction that he was on the eve of great winnings. How odd that he should have lost ! His father's private hotel, in which he himself occupied a bachelor's suite, was situated in one of the streets leading oft* the quays. It was heavily mortgaged, as was natural, since it had been in the family's possession since Louis the Fifteenth's time. A large gloomy courtyard was in front, and a garden still spacious, but reduced from its pristine dimensions by the encroach- ments of a new street, lay behind. FRIENDS IN EXILE. 31 The vicomte found his valet awaiting his return stretched out on his best lounge. This did not tend to soothe his irritation ; so, consigning the man to the devil, he put on his velvet smoking suit, and lay down on the couch himself. Here he again reflected on the situation. As matters from this new standpoint appeared in no more favor- able aspect than from the former, he finally went to bed, resolving never to touch a card again. The ensuing night, he lost ten thousand francs more. The situation was now becoming serious. He could not ask his father to assist him. No, that was impossible. The marquis had all that he could do to raise five hundred thousand francs for a young daughter's dot, and her marriage was approaching. The vicomte got up the next morning tired of life and its losses. Yet it is a long lane that has no turning. He must soon win if he kept up his pluck. Perhaps he had played wildly. Ah! he would adopt a system ; then he must in- fallibly win. He purchased all the litera- ture attainable on gambling and there is 32 FRIENDS IN EXILE. much and shutting himself up in his apartment for an entire week, he at last selected a principle of play, based on Petti- bone's theory, as the best suited to the occasion. On the eighth night he returned to the club. As a result of the confidence inspired by his studies he lost twelve thousand francs more. " D-tabU" he cried, " these systems must have been invented by croupiers. There are but three courses left. I can go to South Africa; I can cut my throat; or I can ask Mine, de Trow to find me an American heiress. Which, I wonder, is the least disagreeable?" But already another alternative was on its way to him. VI. MENTION is made of a certain Turkish ambassador, who, coming to Paris, com- plained to a colleague of the scant cere- mony that attended his reception. " Is your excellency not aware," was the reply, " that in the eyes of the French there is nowadays but one ambassador ? " " And who is that one ambassador ? " inquired the Turk in surprise. " Why the minister of the United States." This was in the days when we only had in misters. Mr. Jackson was not allowed to remain long a stranger in Paris. The third day after his arrival a state carriage, accom- panied by a troop of cavalry, conveyed him to the Elysee, where, amid the beat- ing of drums and the fanfare of trumpets outside, he presented his credentials to the President, So favorable had been the 33 34 FRIENDS IN EXILE. impression left by his predecessor that society, too, stood ready to meet him with open arms, and his figure was soon destined to become as prominent an object in fashionable as in official salons. His very dress coat, to which allusion has already been made, created a deserved sen- sation. It was of the cut worn by states- men and diplomats of the old school your Clays your Adamses your Guizots. It was buttoned up tightly across the chest, and carried a certain distinction in its high collar and its narrow sleeves. There was a certain formality, too, in our representa- tive's manner when in public a slightly oratorical way of conversing which seemed to belong to the attire, and drew people about him when he talked. It was the forgotten dignity of the old school which, like ripe Madeira in many an American cellar, can be found lingering to perfection in America alone let us claim. In effect, the ambassador made a decided hit. To her husband's success, Mrs. Jackson contributed. Her manner had a gracious- FRIENDS IN EXILE. 35 ness, the charm of which was enhanced by a little air of primness. Nor did their success spoil them. On the contrary, because of it, they were the more ready to appreciate the loneliness of others ; and, on this score, if on no other, willingly tolerated the advances of Mrs. Asher. "I stopped to get you to promise to come and dine with me to-morrow," cried that lady one morning, as she ran in upon Mrs. Jackson. " Remember, you have never set foot in my teeny weeny little house." " I would have done so long before, my dear," replied Mrs. Jackson, " but I cannot accustom myself to these French cabs. The drivers are so uncivil. They crack their whips and tear along so madly when you wish to go slowly, and creep at such a pace when you are in a hurry, that they are quite impossible. We have engaged a pri vate carriage by the month, but the arrange- ment does not go into effect till next week. So, as there are no horse cars here, I fear we shall have to wait." 36 FRIENDS IN EXILE. " Oh, those dear horse cars ! " fervently ejaculated the visitor. "I used to love them so as a girl ; there is a democratic freedom about them that is quite captivat- ing. The only place where woman is recognized at her true worth is in an American horse car." The visitor turned to a pile of visiting cards that lay upon the table. " Oh, but you are becoming fashionable," she con- tinued ; " what a formidable array of dis- tinguished names ! " " Yes, people have been very kind to us," answered Mrs. Jackson, "and Mr. Petti ore w has been tellins; us that the cus-