The days that followed brought a realizing sense to even the most hopeful Confederate that the war was over and that the South had lost; but Jefferson Davis still clung to the shadow of his position, and, though he was in flight from Virginia, there was talk of a new government being instituted in Texas, to which state he was then trying to make his way.
During these days Dorothea waited anxiously for the return of Val Tracy. Lee Hendon’s actions were not quite clear to her and although she was glad the Union had won she could not hide from herself that this young man’s course did not always stir her admiration. Nevertheless she realized that he was in a perilous position and would have been glad to know he was safe.
And then, in an unusual flutter even for them, Mrs. Stewart and Corinne arrived one Sunday with a momentous announcement.
“Our dear President Davis is in Washington!” the elder lady cried as she met each of the family in turn. “He has honored our town as it has never been honored before in all history, except when Washington, the first Rebel president, visited it.”
Dorothea was surprised to find that even April greeted this news with little enthusiasm. She had had hints from time to time that her relations were not always in sympathy with Mr. Davis and upon one occasion she had overheard Hal say, rather bitterly, “Our President is nothing but a politician!” But she was rather surprised at their indifference to his arrival in Washington.
She, on the other hand, had a distinct curiosity to see this man who had been so prominent a figure during the four terrible years through which the United States had just passed, and when she learned from Mrs. Stewart that a reception was to be held in Mr. Davis’s honor that afternoon she did not conceal her desire to go.
“I’ll go with you,” Harriot announced. “They always have something to eat at receptions.” But none of the others in the family gave any indication that they were even mildly interested and shortly Mrs. Stewart went away, expressing pointedly her opinion that the whole May family were half Yankees, after all.
Harriot and Dorothea went to the reception and found the place crowded with fulsome admirers of Mr. Davis, prominent among whom was Mrs. Stewart, who seemed to hang upon the great man’s words as if an oracle spoke. The two girls viewed this from a distance, and it was not until Mr. Davis consented to make a little speech and stood upon a chair that Dorothea really had a good view of him.
He was a tall, aristocratic-looking man with blue eyes, but with the refinement of feature there was also a hint of vanity and weakness. Yet to Dorothea there was something that suggested that real President she had seen in the other Washington. What it was she could not have said, but there was a resemblance that brought a pang to her heart and a wonder that these two antagonists in so great a struggle should resemble each other even in the slightest degree. In character they were as wide apart as the poles.
Dorothea listened to the speech Mr. Davis made with only half an ear, until suddenly she became aware that he was saying something that interested her vitally.