MORAL MADNESS.
And she was all forgotten,
Amid the dazzling hall,
Amid the thundering music
And maddening carnival.—ANON.
“I was so upset by what you told me, Anna, that I really forgot to ask
you how long you have been in the city,” said Alexander, as soon as the
horses were in motion.
“We have been here just four days,” answered Miss Lyon.
“You have not been out much?”
“No; my grandfather has a crotchet that one must make one’s first
appearance in public at the President’s reception. This is the first one
that has been held since our arrival, and consequently the first evening
that I have been out.”
“I am very fortunate in being here to go with you,” said Alexander, this
time speaking, to his shame, quite truly; for he _was_ glad to escort
his beautiful cousin, if only to prevent Richard Hammond from doing so.
“Thanks,” she answered, very coldly, as if not believing his statement,
or not valuing it.
The very short distance between the hotel they had left and the palace
to which they were going was soon accomplished, and the carriage was
drawn up in the rear of some fifty others that occupied the drive
leading to the doors of the Executive mansion.
“There seems to be a great crowd here to-night,” said Alexander, while
they waited their turn to drive up to the door.
“There is always a crowd here in the month of February, I believe. It is
in this month that the city is full of strangers—literally _full_,
Alick,” replied Anna.
It was twenty minutes before their carriage slowly worked its way up
before the main entrance of the mansion. Then Alexander handed his
companion down from her seat, and took her up the broad steps leading
into the front hall of the palace.
A President’s reception has been described so often that there is no
need of a description here.
The reception of this evening in its general features differed from none
of its predecessors or its successors. There was the same crowd of
carriages on the drive, the same stream of foot passengers on the walk,
and the same crush of guests in the hall, in the cloak rooms, in the
corridors, in the ante-rooms, in the audience-chamber, in the reception
room, and in the east drawing-room.
Having each deposited their outer wrappings respectively in the
gentlemen’s and the ladies’ cloak rooms, Alexander and Anna met at the
door of the latter. He drew her arm within his own, and they soon found
themselves in a crush of crinoline and broadcloth, and an atmosphere of
patchoula frangipani, being forced forward through the corridor and the
ante-room into the reception room. In due time they were pressed up to
the presence of the President and his suite; but they had scarcely made
their respective bow and courtesy, and touched his Excellency’s hand,
before they were carried onward through other rooms into the east
drawing-room, where they found a little more space and freedom of
motion.
A military hand was playing a national march, to the measure of which
nearly half the company were promenading in a procession around and
around the saloon in a manner which, to a new comer, must have looked
simply idiotic.
Others of the assembly were seated on the various sofas and divans that
lined the walls of the room.
“Will you take a seat or a promenade?” inquired Alexander of his
companion.
“Oh, a promenade, by all means,” replied Anna. “I like the perfect
vacuity of mind that falls upon one in that orbit.”
Alexander drew her arm closer within his own, and they fell into the
procession. Immediately before them walked a foreign minister, in his
official costume, conducting a lady of high rank and fashion.
Immediately behind them came a general officer with a reigning belle
upon his arm.
But the reign of this belle was over from this evening. Her successor
had arrived.
Alexander and Anna had not made the circuit of the room twice, before he
saw that his companion was, “the observed of all observers” in the
place. He saw eyeglasses levelled at her; he heard whispered questions
concerning her:
“Who is she, that beautiful girl in black crape and jet?”
And he heard the whispered answers:
“A new debutante in the beau monde, I fancy.” Or—
“I don’t know, but that is young Lyon, of Richmond, who is escorting
her.”
“Splendid woman!”
“Magnificent creature!” Etc., etc., etc.
As he saw and heard all this, Alexander was strongly affected with
contradictory emotions. If the beautiful girl by his side had been
undisputably his own, he might have witnessed the sensation she created,
with unmixed pride and pleasure. But he had by his own rash act, lost
his own once exclusive right over her, and even put himself beyond the
circle of ordinary aspirants for her favor. And now the universal
admiration her beauty excited, aroused his dog-in-the-manger jealousy,
rather than flattered his pride.
And, upon the whole, not liking the situation, he stooped and whispered
to his cousin:
“Shall I lead you to a seat now, Anna?”
“If you please,” she answered.
And he took her to a distant sofa, gave her the corner of it, and placed
himself by her side.
But he gained nothing by the motion. On the contrary, he lost.
No sooner were they seated, than up came Richard Hammond, confident and
smiling.
Anna received him with the utmost graciousness.
And he stood before her, talking and laughing with her very gaily.
Other gentlemen friends, whom Anna had met on former occasions, came up
and paid their respects, and lingered near her. Her lady friends, a few
of whom were present, also sought her out, and greeted her with much
apparent gladness, and introduced _their_ friends to her.
There was not room on the sofa for all these ladies. So Anna, deeming it
discourteous to sit, where so many were standing, arose from her seat
and stood up. And very soon a circle of the most distinguished men and
the most brilliant women in the assembly was formed around her. And she
seemed as a queen, receiving the homage of her court.
Presently, a general buzz in the crowd announced some interesting event,
and before the little excitement subsided, the commanding form of the
President was seen passing with his suite through the room.
In due course, he drew near the circle that surrounded Miss Lyon. On
seeing that young beauty, he immediately passed through the circle that
divided to admit him, and stood before her, holding out his hand, and
saying, in a fatherly and familiar manner:
“How do you do, my dear? I am very glad to see you here, this evening.
But where is my old friend, the General?”
Miss Lyon, with a deep courtesy, explained that her grandfather’s
precarious state of health deprived him of the honor of waiting on his
Excellency.
The President expressed his regret at this. And then instead of passing
on and dispensing his courtesies impartially among his guests, he
lingered near the beautiful Anna, apparently as much fascinated by her
charms, as the youngest man in his presence.
Full half an hour he stood talking with the beauty, and then reluctantly
bowed his adieux, and immediately left the room.
This seemed the signal for the breaking up of the assembly.
And then followed other leave-takings, and the pressure through the
corridors to the cloak rooms; and the confusion of tongues and of
properties there, and the crush in the hall, and finally, the escape
into pure, bracing air of the clear starlight night on the outside.
Alexander and Anna had to wait the turn of their carriage to drive up.
When, at length, they were comfortably seated within it, Alexander took
out his watch, and said:
“Half-past twelve o’clock, and we promised to be home at half-past
eleven. We have kept your grandfather waiting for an hour.”
And he thought with compunction of one other whom he had kept waiting
much more than an hour.
They were driven rapidly to the hotel. On their arrival, Alexander
helped Anna out of the carriage and hurried her into the house, for the
night was sharp.
They found General Lyon up, and expecting them, with much impatience.
“An hour behind time, Anna,” he said.
“The President detained me in conversation, to the envy of all his other
lady guests,” laughed Anna.
“And you will forgive her delay,” said Alexander, “in consequence of her
conquest of our President. I consider it a great success.”