, Mamma, and one I would rather tell
anything to. He is a perfect dear; we all love him. The two cousins, who
were promised Tom, live here and came to dinner; such amusing girls,
they would make any party merry, and we had the most gay and festive
evening; and one of the Senator's secretaries has joined the party also,
a very nice worthy young fellow whom the girls bully. Columbia and
Mercedes are the girls' names, and they are both small and dark and
pretty. They are both heiresses, and wonderfully dressed. Their two
mothers were the Senator's sisters, and "raised" somewhere down South,
where he originally came from. But the girls have been educated in New
York with Lola.

The crowd in this hotel are totally different looking to Chicago. Some
have moustaches, and some even look like sportsmen, and as if they led
an idle life and enjoyed it; and a few of the women are lovely, pure
pink and white, and golden haired, and that air of breezy go-aheadness
which is always so attractive. And all of them seem well dressed, though
naturally one or two freaks are about, as in every country.

The food was as excellent as in all the places, and rather more
varied--dishes with wonderful salads and ices; and after dinner we sat
in the hall and made plans, and Gaston said such entreprenant things in
my ear that I was obliged to be really angry with him. So to pay me
out he sulked, and then devoted himself to Mercedes. Men are really
impossible people to deal with, aren't they, Mamma? So ridiculously vain
and unreasonable. I shall be glad to see Mr. Renour again; he was quite
different; respectful and yet devoted, not wanting to eat one up like
Gaston, and I am _sure_ incapable of treating me like Harry has. I
suppose by now they have got right up into Africa. I wonder if she is
going to shoot lions, too, or be a shikari or cook his food. I am sure
she would look hideous roughing it without her maid. Her hair has to be
crimped with tongs, and she has to have washes for her complexion, and
things. You know, Mamma, though I don't care a bit, the whole affair has
upset me so that the dear Senator noticed I was not quite myself after
the post came in, and asked me if there was anything else I wanted that
he could do for me. And when I told him only to teach me to be a brazen
heartless creature, as hard as nails, he held my hand like I held his,
and pressed it, and said we should soon be in the sunshine where the
winds did not blow.

"Yo