la more than once
gave an exhibition of her quality as a _danseuse_. Although the charge
for admission was a hundred dollars, the hall where she appeared was
always crammed to the doors. She expanded out, too, in other
directions; and a picturesque account of her life at this period says
that she slept under the stars ("canopy of heaven" was the writer's
more poetical way of putting it) and wore woollen underclothing
knitted by herself. Another detail declares that she held a "weekly
soiree in her cottage, attended by the upper circles of the camp, a
court of litterateurs and actors and wanderers"; and that among the
regular guests were "two nephews of Victor Hugo, a quartet of
cashiered German barons, and a couple of shady French counts."
Obviously, a somewhat mixed gathering. For all this, however, the
receptions were "merely convivial assemblies, with champagne and other
wine, served with cake and fruit _ad lib_, and everyone smoked. The
two Hugo neighbours were always there, as well as a son of Preston
Brooks, the South Carolina congressman. A dozen of us looked forward
to attending these _salons_, which we called 'experience-meetings.'
Senator William M. Stewart, then a young lawyer in Nevada, said he
used to count the days between each. Every song, every story, every
scrap of humour or pathos that any of the young men came across would
be preserved for the next gathering. Occasionally, our charming
hostess would have a little fancy-dress affair at the cottage, and,
clad in the fluffy and abbreviated garments she had once worn on the
stage, show us that she still remembered her dancing-steps."

When not engaged in these innocent relaxations, Lola would give
herself up to other pursuits. Thus, she hunted and fished and shot,
and often made long trips on horseback through the forests and sage
bush. Having a fondness for all sorts of animals, on one such
expedition she captured a bear cub, with which she returned to her
cabin and set herself to tame. While thus employed, she was visited by
a wandering violinist, who, falling a victim to her charms, begged a
lock of her hair as a souvenir of the occasion. Thereupon, Lola,
always anxious to oblige, struck a bargain with him. "I have," she
said, "a pet grizzly in my orchard. If you will wrestle with him for
three minutes, you shall have enough of my hair to make a bow for your
fiddle. Let me see what you can do." The challenge was accepted; and
the amorous violinist, me