They entered wide grounds, and drew up before a stately building which lay well back from the street.  Entering, they passed through a narrow hall, thence into a greater room, fitted with wide panels decorated with many portraits of men great in the history of this country.  There was a long table in this room, and about it—­some of them not wholly visible in the rather dim light—­there were several gentlemen.  As her tall escort entered with a word of announcement, all of these rose, grave and silent, and courteously bowed to her.  There approached from the head of the room a tall, handsome and urbane gentleman, who came and took her hand.  He, some of these others, she could not fail to know.  She had come hither without query or comment, and she stood silent and waiting now, but her heart was racing, her color faintly rising in spite of all her efforts to be calm.

[Illustration:  They entered wide grounds.]

“My dear lady,” he began, in a voice whose low, modulated tones scarce could fail to please any ear, “I thank you for your presence here.  Will you not be seated?  It is a very great honor that you give us, and all of these gentlemen appreciate it.”

Josephine St. Auban curtsied and, remaining silent and wondering, assumed the seat assigned her, at the right hand of the tall and grave gentleman who had escorted her hither, and who now courteously handed her to her place.

“We meet absolutely without formality, my dear Madam,” went on the tall and kindly man who had greeted her.  “What goes on here is entirely unofficial and, as I need not say, it is altogether private; as you will remember.”

“You will perhaps pardon my diffidence at such a time and place, Sir,” she began, at last.  “It is difficult for me to understand what small merit, or large error, of mine should bring me here.”

“Madam, we wish that your abilities were smaller,” smiled the tall gentleman.  “That is the very thing of which we wish to speak.  It is your activities which have seemed to us matters of concern—­indeed, of kindly inquiry, if you do not mind.  These gentlemen, I think, I do not need to introduce.  We are all of us interested in the peace and dignity of this country.”

“Have I done anything against either?” asked she.

“Ah, you have courage to be direct!  In answer, I must say that we would like to ask regarding a few things which seem to be within your own knowledge.  You, of course, are not unaware of the popular discontent which exists on this or the other side of the great political question in America to-day.  We are advised that you yourself have been a traveler in our western districts; and it seemed to us likely that you might be possessed of information regarding matters there of which we get only more interested, more purely partisan, reports.”

“That is not impossible,” was her guarded reply.  “It is true, I have talked with some in that part of the country.”