That woos thee with its witching smile;
Another when thou art not by,
Those beaming looks would fain beguile.—Frances Osgood.
This was the short session of Congress, which would close on the fourth of March. The fashionable season, therefore, was nearly over, and it was ending in true carnival style.
There were morning concerts, theatricals, receptions, etc., all day; and there were evening concerts, theatricals, receptions, dinners, balls and parties all night. And “everybody who was anybody” was expected to “show” at all.
The belle of the season went everywhere; and often appeared at half a dozen different scenes of festivity or revelry in one night.
Her constant escort, Alexander Lyon, had no sinecure. He went with her everywhere; partly because his uncle willed that he should go with her, and he could not well refuse without explaining his reasons for doing so, and he could not explain, without acknowledging his secret marriage with Drusilla; partly because he imagined himself in love with his brilliant cousin; but mostly because he determined that Richard Hammond should not supplant him in his office of escort.
For two days during which he had not appeared at his home, he had been on a “perpetual” round of pleasure with Anna. The first day he attended her to a breakfast given at the Executive Mansion; to a matinèe musicale at the French minister’s; to an afternoon debate in the Senate Chamber; to a dinner party at General Stott’s; and to the theatre to see a celebrated comedienne; and, lastly, to a supper at General Lyon’s room; all this in one day and evening; so, of course, he could not get home that night. The next day he went with her, first to a wedding at St. John’s church, and to the wedding-breakfast at the house of the bride’s mother; then to hear part of a very interesting case at the Supreme Court; next to the reception of a cabinet minister; then to an exhibition of paintings; from that to a dinner party at the Brazilian minister’s; and, finally, to the very grandest hall of the carnival, given by the wife of a millionaire, who had taken a furnished house for the season, and reserved herself for this final magnificent affair.
It was considered a great distinction to get an invitation to this ball. Only the “elite” were invited, and all the “elite” were there.
Anna, restricted by her mourning to a certain style of dress was still, as always, the most beautiful and the most admired woman of the assembly. And Alexander was proud of her as his reputed betrothed.