Next night Mrs. Gunther's ball took place, which was followed by an equally grand affair at the Seldens, on the 6th.
And now it was time to talk about the trip to Washington. George wanted his uncle and aunt to go with him.
“I have no fears that the Solicitor General will give us any trouble,” said Mr. L. Mechlin; “I think his action in the Alamar case was a feeler only for some ulterior purpose, which he has abandoned. But if I could see how I might help Scott with his Texas Pacific Railroad, I should be most happy to go and try—for his sake, for the sake of the southern people, and for the sake of you people at San Diego. But I don't see what I can do now. The failure of Jay Cook has hurt Scott at the very time when Huntington is getting stronger and his influence in Congress evidently increasing.”
“Several persons have told me that a certain railroad man is bribing Congressmen right and left to defeat the Texas Pacific Railroad,” said George, “and I believe it.”
“Bribery is an ugly word,” Mr. Mechlin replied; “and if that is the way railroad men are going to work, it will be a difficult matter for an honest man to compete with them and keep his hands clean. However, I might be able to help Scott in some way. I guess we might go for a week or two. Lizzie, what do you think? Would you like to go to Washington for a week or two?”
“I would like it very well. I shall miss these two young ladies very much, and as the best way to cure ennui is to avoid it, I think a visit to Washington would be just the thing for me now.”
Mercedes clapped her hands in such genuine delight at hearing this, and Elvira and Clarence were evidently so pleased, that Mrs. Mechlin added:
“These dear children seem so pleased that now I would feel great satisfaction in going, even if I did not expect any pleasure in my visit. But I do. I have not been in Washington for years, and I have many warm friends there whom I would like to see.”
Thus it was fixed that all the family would go to Washington on the 9th or 10th, and remain for two or three weeks at the gay capital.
Mrs. Mechlin now remembered that the Gunthers and the Seldens had mentioned that perhaps they would accept some invitations to several parties and a wedding, to come off in Washington about the middle of January, and would be going down about the same time.