Abel Force gave a long, low whistle, and then answered:
“We must invite her to go with us to Washington.”
“To——Invite Mrs. Anglesea to join our party to Washington?” gasped the lady.
“Yes. She will be charmed to accept, I am sure,” replied the gentleman, with a twinkle of humor in his eye.
“But, good heavens, Abel! how could we introduce that woman into Washington society?”
“Very well, indeed. Very much better than we could into any other society on the face of the earth. The wives of the high officers of the government are the leaders of society; the latter are under the dominion of the sovereign people, who flock to the city in great numbers, and from all parts of the country, and all ranks and grades of the social scale; and you will find the drawing rooms of cabinet ministers and foreign ambassadors filled with companies more mixed than you could find elsewhere in the world. Our lady from the gold mines will find plenty to keep her in countenance.”
“For all that,” said Mrs. Force, “I shall try to evade the necessity of taking her with us.”
“My dear, we cannot, in decency, turn our guest out of doors; so the only alternative we have is to take her with us or stay at home.”
“I think—she is so simple, good-humored and unconventional—that I think I may explain to her the necessity of our going to Washington for the sake of the children, and then give her a choice to go with us or to remain here.”
“That’s it!” exclaimed Mr. Force. “And let us hope that she will elect to remain.”