“Getting on among society people?” said Selma drily.

Flossy’s eyes twinkled.  “Society people is the generic name used for them in the newspapers.  I mean that she is making friends among the women who live in the quarter where I passed you the other day.”

Selma frowned.  “It is not necessary, I imagine, to make friends of that class in order to have influence in Washington,—­the best kind of influence.  I can readily believe that people of that sort would interest most of our public women very little.”

“Very likely.  I don’t think you quite understand me, Mrs. Lyons, or we are talking at cross purposes.  What I was trying to make clear is that political and social prominence in Washington are by no means synonimous.  Of course everyone connected with the government who desires to frequent Washington society and is socially available is received with open arms; but, if people are not socially available, it by no means follows that they are able to command social recognition merely because they hold political office,—­except perhaps in the case of wives of the Cabinet, of the Justices of the Supreme Court, or of rich and influential Senators, where a woman is absolutely bent on success and takes pains.  I refer particularly to the wives, because a single man, if he is reasonably presentable and ambitious, can go about more or less, even if he is a little rough, for men are apt to be scarce.  But the line is drawn on the women unless they are—­er—­really important and have to be tolerated for official reasons.  Now every woman who is not persona grata, as the diplomats say, anywhere else, is apt to attend the President’s reception in all her finery, and that’s why I suggested that this sort of thing isn’t exactly an edifying social event.  It’s amusing to come here now and then, just as it’s amusing to go to a menagerie.  You see what I mean, don’t you?” Flossy asked, plying her feathery fan with blithe nonchalance and looking into her companion’s face with an innocent air.

“I understand perfectly.  And who are these people who draw the line?”

“It sometimes happens,” continued Flossy abstractedly, without appearing to hear this inquiry, “that they improve after they’ve been in Washington a few years.  Take Mrs. Baker, the Secretary of the Interior’s wife, receiving to-night.  When her husband came to Washington three years ago she had the social adaptability of a solemn horse.  But she persevered and learned, and now as a Cabinet lady she unbends, and is no longer afraid of compromising her dignity by wearing becoming clothes and smiling occasionally.  But you were asking who the people are who draw the line.  The nice people here just as everywhere else; the people who have been well educated and have fine sensibilities, and who believe in modesty, and unselfishness and thorough ways of doing things.  You must know the sort of people I mean.  Some of them make too much of mere manners, but as a class they are able to draw the line because they draw it in favor of distinction of character as opposed to—­what shall I call it?—­haphazard custom-made ethics and social deportment.”