Pamela laughed as she strolled across the lawn.
“Aren’t one’s relatives trying!”
she murmured.
Philip Downing very soon justified the profession
to which he belonged by strolling off with some excuse
about paying his respects to some acquaintances.
Pamela and Lutchester immediately dropped the somewhat
frivolous tone of their conversation.
“You know that things are moving with our friend
Fischer?” she began.
“I gathered so,” Lutchester assented.
“His scheme is growing into shape,” she
went on. “You know what wonderful people
his friends are for organising. Well, they are
going to start a society all through the States and
nominate for its president—Uncle Theodore.”
“Will they have any show at all?” Lutchester
asked curiously.
She shrugged her shoulders.
“Who can tell? The German-Americans are
very powerful indeed all through the West, and then
the pacifists will join them. You see, I believe
that although the soul of the country is with the Allies,
England is the most tactless country in the world.
She is always giving little pinpricks to the Government
over here, either about maritime law or one thing
or another. Then all those articles in the papers
about America being too proud to fight, the sneering
tone of some, even, of the leading reviews, did a
lot of harm. Uncle Theodore is going to stand
for what they call the true neutrality. That is
to say, no munitions, no help for either side.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about American
politics,” Lutchester confessed, “but
I shouldn’t think he’d have an earthly
chance.”
“Money is immensely powerful,” she went
on reflectively, “and many of the great money
interests of the country are controlled by German-Americans.
Mr. Fischer has almost thrown me over politically,
but Uncle Theodore is crazy about the idea of a German
pledge to protect America against Japan. That
is going to be the great argument which he will keep
up his sleeve until after the nomination.”
“Fischer’s trump card,” Lutchester
observed. “He hasn’t shown you a
certain autograph letter yet, I suppose?”
She shook her head.
“He may have shown it to Uncle Theodore.
I’m afraid he doesn’t mean to approach
me again. He seems to have completely changed
his attitude towards me since the night he saw us
at the Ritz-Carlton dining together. He was going
to show me the letter the first day after his arrival
in Washington. Instead of that, he has been in
the house for hours at a time without making the slightest
attempt to see me.”
“Faithless fellow!” Lutchester murmured.
“Nothing like an Englishman, after all, for
absolute fidelity.”
“Do you really think so?” Pamela inquired
anxiously. “Do you think I should be safe
in trusting my heart and future to an Englishman?”
