“Well,” said poppa, “I suppose there’s a good deal of intrinsic interest in this town—­relics of Napoleon, the Bon Marche, and so on—­and we’ve got to see it.  I must say,” he added, turning to momma, “I feel considerably more equal to it now.”

“It will take you a good long week,” said Mr. Malt earnestly, “to begin to have an idea of it.  You might spend two whole days in the Louvre itself.  Is your time limited?”

“I don’t need to tell any American the market value of it,” said poppa smiling.

“Then you can’t do better than go straight to the Louvre.  I’d be pleased to accompany you, only I’ve got to go round and see our Ambassador—­I’ve got a little business with him.  I daresay you know that one of our man-of-war ships is lying right down here in the Seine river.  Well, the captain is giving a reception to-morrow in honour of the Russian Admiral who happens to be there, too.  I’ve got ladies with me and I wrote for four tickets.  Did I get the four tickets—­or two of them—­or one?  No, sir, I got a letter in the third person singular saying it wasn’t a public entertainment!  I wrote back to say I guessed it was an American entertainment, and he could expect me, all the same.  He hadn’t any sort of excuse—­my name and business address were on my letter paper.  Now I’m just going round to see what a United States Ambassador’s for, in this connection.”

Mr. Malt rose and the waiter withdrew his chair.  “Thank you, garcon,” said he.  “I’m coming back again—­do you understand?  This is not my last meal,” and the waiter bowed as if that were a statement which had to be acknowledged, but was of the least possible consequence to him personally.  “Well, Mr. Wick,” continued Mr. Malt, brushing the crumbs from his waistcoat, “I’ll say good morning, and to your ladies also.  I’m very pleased to have met you.”

“Well,” said momma, as he disappeared, “if every American in Paris has decided to go to that reception there won’t be much room for the Russians.”

“I suppose he’s a voter and a tax-payer, and he’s got his feelings,” replied poppa.  The Senator would defend a voter and a tax-payer against any imputation not actually criminal.

“I’m glad I’m not one of his lady-friends,” momma continued.  “I don’t think I could make myself at home on that man-of-war under the circumstances.  But I daresay he’ll drag them there with him.  He seems to be just that kind of a man.”

“He’s a very patriotic kind of a man,” replied the Senator.  “It’s his patriotism, don’t you see, that’s giving him all this trouble.  It’s been outraged.  Personally I consider Mr. Malt a very intelligent gentleman, and if he’d given me an opening as big as the eye of a needle I’m the camel that would have gone with him, Augusta.”