This first select reception took place at a cabinet minister’s—­or rather a cabinet secretary’s mansion.  When Laura and the Senator arrived, about half past nine or ten in the evening, the place was already pretty well crowded, and the white-gloved negro servant at the door was still receiving streams of guests.—­The drawing-rooms were brilliant with gaslight, and as hot as ovens.  The host and hostess stood just within the door of entrance; Laura was presented, and then she passed on into the maelstrom of be-jeweled and richly attired low-necked ladies and white-kid-gloved and steel pen-coated gentlemen and wherever she moved she was followed by a buzz of admiration that was grateful to all her senses—­so grateful, indeed, that her white face was tinged and its beauty heightened by a perceptible suffusion of color.  She caught such remarks as, “Who is she?” “Superb woman!” “That is the new beauty from the west,” etc., etc.

Whenever she halted, she was presently surrounded by Ministers, Generals, Congressmen, and all manner of aristocratic, people.  Introductions followed, and then the usual original question, “How do you like Washington, Miss Hawkins?” supplemented by that other usual original question, “Is this your first visit?”

These two exciting topics being exhausted, conversation generally drifted into calmer channels, only to be interrupted at frequent intervals by new introductions and new inquiries as to how Laura liked the capital and whether it was her first visit or not.  And thus for an hour or more the Duchess moved through the crush in a rapture of happiness, for her doubts were dead and gone, now she knew she could conquer here.  A familiar face appeared in the midst of the multitude and Harry Brierly fought his difficult way to her side, his eyes shouting their gratification, so to speak: 

“Oh, this is a happiness!  Tell me, my dear Miss Hawkins—­”

“Sh!  I know what you are going to ask.  I do like Washington—­I like it ever so much!”

“No, but I was going to ask—­”

“Yes, I am coming to it, coming to it as fast as I can.  It is my first visit.  I think you should know that yourself.”

And straightway a wave of the crowd swept her beyond his reach.

“Now what can the girl mean?  Of course she likes Washington—­I’m not such a dummy as to have to ask her that.  And as to its being her first visit, why bang it, she knows that I knew it was.  Does she think I have turned idiot?  Curious girl, anyway.  But how they do swarm about her!  She is the reigning belle of Washington after this night.  She’ll know five hundred of the heaviest guns in the town before this night’s nonsense is over.  And this isn’t even the beginning.  Just as I used to say—­she’ll be a card in the matter of—­yes sir!  She shall turn the men’s heads and I’ll turn the women’s!  What a team that will be in politics here.  I wouldn’t take a quarter of a million