Page:Despotism and democracy; a study in Washington society and politics (IA despotismdemocra00seawiala).pdf/146

 she said, "and I fancy your friend, Governor Sanders, has treated you rather shabbily."

"Very shabbily," replied Crane, smiling; "he has driven me to the wall, but he will find me fighting with my back to the wall."

Then Constance introduced her companion, and it was Cathcart, after all.

"You can't expect much sympathy from me, Mr. Crane," said Cathcart, smiling. "If it had not been for you and your colleagues I might have been in command of a ship at this moment, making a run for the Caribbean Sea. You did us naval men a bad turn by forcing those beggars to back down without striking a blow."

Cathcart, like all naval men, was eager to play the great game of war with the new implements lately acquired, and did not welcome the exercise of peaceful power which had forced an amicable arrangement of a dangerous question.

Just then a handsome victoria drew up at the sidewalk. In it sat Mrs. Hill-Smith, the widowed daughter of the Secretary of State, and a beautifully dressed, high-bred-looking girl, Eleanor Baldwin. Baldwin, père, whose cards read, "Mr.