He drove them in the park, he took them
to visit private collections of pictures, and, having a house of his
own, invited them to dinner. Mrs. Westgate, following the fashion of
many of her compatriots, caused herself and her sister to be presented
at the English court by her diplomatic representative--for it was
in this manner that she alluded to the American minister to England,
inquiring what on earth he was put there for, if not to make the proper
arrangements for one's going to a Drawing Room.

Lord Lambeth declared that he hated Drawing Rooms, but he participated
in the ceremony on the day on which the two ladies at Jones's Hotel
repaired to Buckingham Palace in a remarkable coach which his lordship
had sent to fetch them. He had on a gorgeous uniform, and Bessie Alden
was particularly struck with his appearance--especially when on her
asking him, rather foolishly as she felt, if he were a loyal subject,
he replied that he was a loyal subject to HER. This declaration was
emphasized by his dancing with her at a royal ball to which the two
ladies afterward went, and was not impaired by the fact that she
thought he danced very ill. He seemed to her wonderfully kind; she asked
herself, with growing vivacity, why he should be so kind. It was his
disposition--that seemed the natural answer. She had told her sister
that she liked him very much, and now that she liked him more she
wondered why. She liked him for his disposition; to this question as
well that seemed the natural answer. When once the impressions of London
life began to crowd thickly upon her, she completely forgot her sister's
warning about the cynicism of public opinion. It had given her great
pain at the moment, but there was no particular reason why she should
remember it; it corresponded too little with any sensible reality; and
it was disagreeable to Bessie to remember disagreeable things. So she
was not haunted with the sense of a vulgar imputation. She was not in
love with Lord Lambeth--she assured herself of that. It will immediately
be observed that when such assurances become necessary the state of a
young lady's affections is already ambiguous; and, indeed, Bessie
Alden made no attempt to dissimulate--to herself, of course--a certain
tenderness that she felt for the young nobleman. She said to herself
that she liked the type to which he belonged--the simple, candid, manly,
healthy English temperament. She spoke to herself of him as women speak
o