r dim light--there were
several gentlemen. As her tall escort entered with a word of
announcement, all of these rose, grave and silent, and courteously
bowed to her. There approached from the head of the room a tall,
handsome and urbane gentleman, who came and took her hand. He,
some of these others, she could not fail to know. She had come
hither without query or comment, and she stood silent and waiting
now, but her heart was racing, her color faintly rising in spite of
all her efforts to be calm.

[Illustration: They entered wide grounds.]

"My dear lady," he began, in a voice whose low, modulated tones
scarce could fail to please any ear, "I thank you for your presence
here. Will you not be seated? It is a very great honor that you
give us, and all of these gentlemen appreciate it."

Josephine St. Auban curtsied and, remaining silent and wondering,
assumed the seat assigned her, at the right hand of the tall and
grave gentleman who had escorted her hither, and who now
courteously handed her to her place.

"We meet absolutely without formality, my dear Madam," went on the
tall and kindly man who had greeted her. "What goes on here is
entirely unofficial and, as I need not say, it is altogether
private; as you will remember."

"You will perhaps pardon my diffidence at such a time and place,
Sir," she began, at last. "It is difficult for me to understand
what small merit, or large error, of mine should bring me here."

"Madam, we wish that your abilities were smaller," smiled the tall
gentleman. "That is the very thing of which we wish to speak. It is
your activities which have seemed to us matters of concern--indeed,
of kindly inquiry, if you do not mind. These gentlemen, I think, I
do not need to introduce. We are all of us interested in the peace
and dignity of this country."

"Have I done anything against either?" asked she.

"Ah, you have courage to be direct! In answer, I must say that we
would like to ask regarding a few things which seem to be within
your own knowledge. You, of course, are not unaware of the popular
discontent which exists on this or the other side of the great
political question in America to-day. We are advised that you
yourself have been a traveler in our western districts; and it
seemed to us likely that you might be possessed of information
regarding matters there of which we get only more interested, more
purely partisan, reports."

"That is not impossible," wa