r, and after it, she has
cultivated a friendship with the South. Why? Now let the
abolitionist bring on this outbreak which he covets, let the North
and South fly at each other's throats, let the contending powers of
Europe cross the seas to quarrel over the spoils of our own
destruction--and what then will be left of this republic? And yet,
if this compromise between North and South be broken as all Europe
desires, and as all the North threatens, precisely those matters
will come hurrying upon us. And they will find us divided,
incapable of resistance. That is the volcano, the magazine, over
which we dwell continually. It passes politics, and puts us as
patriots upon the question of the endurance of our republic.

"And I tell you now, gentlemen," he concluded, "as you know very
well yourselves, that this woman, here in Washington, would hold
the match ready to apply to that magazine. Which of you does not
see its glimmering? Which of you doubts her readiness? There was
not twenty-four hours to argue the matter of her--her temporary
absence. We'd have had Austria all about our ears, otherwise.
Gentlemen, I am mild as any, and most of any I am sworn to obey the
laws, and to guarantee the safeguards of the Constitution; but I
say to you--" and here his hand came down with an emphasis unusual
in his nature--"law or no law, Constitution or no Constitution, an
exigency existed under which she had to leave Washington, and that
upon that very night."

"But where is she now?" ventured another voice. "This young army
captain simply says in his report that he left her on the _Mount
Vernon_ packet, en route down the Ohio. Where is she now; and how
long before she will be back here, match in hand?"

"It is the old, old case of Eve!" sighed one, who leaned a bony arm
upon the walnut, and who spoke in the soft accents which proclaimed
him of the South. "Woman! It is only the old Garden over again.
Trouble, thy name is Woman!"

"And specifically, its name is Josephine, Countess St. Auban!"
drawled another, opposite. A smile went around among these grave
and dignified men; indeed, a light laugh sounded somewhere in the
shadow. The face of the leader relaxed, though not sufficiently to
allow light comment. The dark man at the right spoke.

"The great Napoleon was right," said he. "He never ceased to prove
how much he dreaded woman at any juncture of public affairs.
Indeed, he said that all the public places of t