of virtue. "But graces and accomplishments like yours, dear Mrs.
Hopkinson," he said oleaginously, "belong to the whole country."
Which, with something between a courtesy and a strut, he endeavored to
represent. "And I shall want to avail myself of all," he added, "in the
matter of the Castro claim. A little supper at Welcker's, a glass or two
of champagne, and a single flash of those bright eyes, and the thing is
done."
"But," said Mrs. Hopkinson, "I've promised Josiah that I would give up
all those frivolities, and although my conscience is clear, you know how
people talk! Josiah hears it. Why, only last night, at a reception at
the Patagonian Minister's, every woman in the room gossiped about me
because I led the german with him. As if a married woman, whose
husband was interested in the Government, could not be civil to the
representative of a friendly power?"
Mr. Gashwiler did not see how Mr. Hopkinson's late contract for
supplying salt pork and canned provisions to the army of the United
States should make his wife susceptible to the advances of foreign
princes; but he prudently kept that to himself. Still, not being himself
a diplomat, he could not help saying:
"But I understood that Mr. Hopkinson did not object to your interesting
yourself in this claim, and you know some of the stock--"
The lady started, and said:
"Stock! Dear Mr. Gashwiler, for Heaven's sake don't mention that hideous
name to me. Stock, I am sick of it! Have you gentlemen no other topic
for a lady?"
She punctuated her sentence with a mischievous look at her interlocutor.
For a second time I regret to say that Mr. Gashwiler succumbed. The
Roman constituency at Remus, it is to be hoped, were happily ignorant of
this last defection of their great legislator. Mr. Gashwiler instantly
forgot his theme,--began to ply the lady with a certain bovine-like
gallantry, which it is to be said to her credit she parried with a
playful, terrier-like dexterity, when the servant suddenly announced,
"Mr. Wiles."
Gashwiler started. Not so Mrs. Hopkinson, who, however, prudently and
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