even remarked casually to
Isabel that "of course" she should entertain in the course of the
winter, but at one of the hotels; she would never ask people to climb
those stairs on a possibly rainy night. But it was evident that her
entertaining would be merely on the principle of noblesse oblige; her
lack of interest in the doings of a civilization so different from her
own was patent, and it was doubtful if she would have even accepted the
attentions showered upon her had she not feared the alternative of an
unbroken ennui. Isabel felt vaguely sorry for her, and puzzled deeply,
but she could do no more than provide her with entertainment and the
abundant comforts and luxuries of the city; to express any deeper and
more womanly sympathy to that proud nature would have been a liberty
Isabel would have been the last to take. But she retained her own rooms
and went down with Gwynne once a week, when they both devoted themselves
to Lady Victoria's amusement. It was at least gratifying that the French
restaurants and many of the unique Bohemian resorts entertained her more
than society; and she found the Stones amusing, and frankly made use of
Paula, who did all her shopping, receiving many a careless present.

Meanwhile Gwynne, when not reading, or practising, or attending
lectures, or endeavoring to hurry forward his new enterprise in the
city, took long buggy rides with Tom Colton about the country, and made
acquaintance with many farmers, as well as with the guileful depths of
the ambitious young politician. Colton, although for the present
dependent upon only the voters of his district, by no means confined
his attentions even to those of his county. The time would come when he
would need a wide popularity, and with his cool far-sighted tactics he
was already sowing its seeds. There was an immense and varied material
to work on. Not only were his own county and the two adjoining as large
as a State more modest than California, but, with the exception of the
Asti vineyards, and one or two ranches like Lumalitas, were cut up into
an infinite number of farms owned by Irish, Scotch, Danes, Norwegians,
Swedes, Hungarians, Swiss, Germans, Italians, and a few native
Americans. Asti alone, a great district devoted to the vine, and
boasting the largest tank in the world, was entirely in the hands of
Italians. The Swiss, for the most part, were cheese makers. The rest
devoted themselves to chickens, grain, hay, wheat, and fruit. Th