recisely the opportunity you've wished?"

"Still I do not follow you."

"My dear Countess," ventured the German, "I'll go anywhere under
your orders. You may be sure of that."

She turned from them. "Come to my hotel, will you not, to-morrow?
I may have something to say to you." Thus she passed back into the
throng, and into the arms of fickle and repentant Washington, which
marveled when she danced, flushed, excited, yet absorbed, with the
gallant old general, himself intoxicated by the music and by all
this warm talk of freedom, of equality, of democracy,--in
Washington!

CHAPTER XXIV

IN THE NAME OF ALTRUISM

In her apartments at the hotel the following morning Josephine St.
Auban looked over the journals of the day. There were many columns
of description of the only social event of the previous day thought
worth extended mention. The visitors from Hungary were lauded to
the skies. There did not lack many references to the similarity
between the present struggles of the Hungarian people and those of
our own earlier days. A vast amount of rampant Americanism was
crowded into all these matters.

[Illustration: She looked over the journals of the day.]

Joined to this, there was considerable mention of the reappearance
in Washington society of the beautiful Countess, Josephine St.
Auban, now discovered to have been originally a member of this
Hungarian commission, and recently journeying in the western states
of the republic. This beautiful countess was now invested with a
romantic history. She was a friend and protegee of the old General
Zewlinski, a foreign noblewoman half American by birth, of rank,
wealth and distinction, who had taken a leading part in the cause
of Hungary in her struggle with the oppressing monarchies. Without
any reference to earlier stories not unknown to them, and bolder as
to Austria than those who then dwelt in the White House, the
newspapers now openly and unanswerably welcomed this distinguished
stranger to the heart of Washington. Unknowingly, when they gave
her this publicity, they threw around her also protection, secrecy.
As she read, the Countess St. Auban smiled. She knew that now
there would be no second vehmgerichte. The government now would
not dare!

What interested her more was the story at that time made current,
of an unsuccessful attempt which had been made by a southern slave
owner to reclaim his property in a northern state. The facts
recoun