"Assuredly," resumed the first speaker. "That is the wish of all
my friends here. But let us come now to the point. Madam, to be
frank with you, you have, as we just have said, been much concerned
of late with attempts at the colonization and deportation of
negroes from this country. You at least have not hesitated to
undertake a work which has daunted the imagination of our ablest
minds. Precisely such was once my own plan. My counselors
dissuaded me. I lacked your courage."

"There seemed no other way," she broke in hurriedly, her
convictions conquering her timidity. "I wanted so much to do
something--not alone for these blacks--but something for the good
of America, the good of the world. And I failed, to-day."

"The work of the Colonization Society has gone on for many years,"
gently insisted the first speaker, raising a hand, "and made it no
serious complications. Your own work has been much bolder, and, to
be frank, there _have_ been complications. Oh, we do not criticize
you. On the contrary, we have asked your presence here that we
might understandingly converse on these things to which you have
given so much attention."

"If I have erred," she ventured, "it has been done within the
limitations of human wisdom; yet my convictions were absolutely
sincere--at least I may assure you of so much. I have not wished
to break any law, to violate convictions on either side. I only
wanted to do some good in the world."

"We are quite sure, my dear lady, that the sentiments of your mind
are precisely those of our own. But perhaps you may be less aware
than ourselves of complications which may rise. Our friend who
sits by you has found occasion to write again in unmeasured terms
to the representatives of Austria. We are advised of your
affiliations with the Hungarian movement--in short, we are perhaps
better advised of your movements than you yourself are aware. We
know of these blacks which have been purchased and deported by your
agents, but we also know that large numbers of slaves have been
enticed away from their owners, that whole plantations have been
robbed of their labor, and this under the protection--indeed, under
the very _name_--of this attempt which you have set on foot. Has
this been done by your knowledge, Madam? I anticipate your answer.
I am sure that it has not."

"No! No!" she rejoined. "Assuredly, no! That is a matter entirely
without my knowledge. You shock me unspeakabl