“There are millions of red-haired young men in America.”

“Please don’t discourage me.  Now I remember the name of his home.  He lived in Pennsa—­Pennsylvania, that’s it.”

“Pennsylvania is about four times as large as Morovenia.”

“But he is very wealthy.  He talked as if he had come into millions.”

“I can well believe it.  The millionaires of Pennsylvania are even as the sands of the sea or the leaves of the forest.”

“He owns some sort of mills or factories—­where they make steel.”

“Every millionaire in Pennsylvania has something to do with steel.  Now, if you were searching in that state for a young man who is penniless and has nothing to do with the steel industry, possibly I might be of some service to you.  The whole area of Pennsylvania is simply infested with millionaires.  Not all of them are red-headed, but they will be, before Congress gets through with them.”

This playful lapse into the American vernacular was quite lost upon the Princess Kalora, who was sitting very still and gazing in a most disconsolate manner at the Secretary.

“I felt sure that you could tell me all about him,” she said.

“Believe me, if I encounter any young millionaire from Pennsylvania, whose hair is golden-red, I shall put detectives on his trail and let you know at once.  You met him abroad?”

“At a garden party in Morovenia.”

“Indeed!  Garden parties in Morovenia!  And yet that is not one-half as surprising as to find you here in Washington.”

“You are not displeased to find me here?”

“Charmed—­delighted.”

“And you will take me to the country club?”

“At any time.  It will really give me much pleasure.”

“I shall drop a note.  Good-by.”

He stood at the window to watch her as she nimbly jumped into the coupe and was driven away.

That evening he made a most astonishing report to his intimates of the corps and asked: 

“What shall I do?”

“Do you feel competent to take charge of her and regulate her conduct?”

“I do not.”

“Have you instructions to watch her and make sure that she observes the etiquette and keeps within the restrictions of her own country while she is visiting in Washington?”

“Nothing of the sort.”

“From your first interview with her, do you believe that it would be advisable for any of us to attempt to interfere with her plans?”

“Decidedly not.”

“Then take her to the country club and teach her the game of golf, and remember the old saying at home, that no man was ever given praise for attempting to govern another man’s family.”

So it was settled that the Legation would not attempt any supervision of Kalora’s daily program.  And it was a very wise decision, for the daily program was complicated and the Legation would have been kept exceedingly busy.