Mrs. Van Stuyler's spirits had risen as the _Astronef_ descended towards
the lights of Washington, and when the President and Lord Pauncefote
paid a visit to the wonderful craft, the joint product of American
genius and English capital and constructive skill, she immediately
assumed, at Redgrave's request, the position of lady of the house _pro
tem._, and described the "change of plans," as she called it, which led
to their transfer from the _St. Louis_ to the _Astronef_ with an
imaginative fluency which would have done credit to the most
enterprising of American interviewers.
"You see, my dear," she said to Zaidie afterwards, "as everything turned
out so very happily, and as Lord Redgrave behaved in such a splendid
way, I thought it was my duty to make everything appear as pleasant to
the President and Lord Pauncefote as I could."
"It was real good of you, Mrs. Van," said Zaidie. "If I hadn't been
paralysed with admiration I believe I should have laughed. Now if you'll
just come with us on our trip, and write a book about it afterwards just
as you told--I mean as you described what happened between the _St.
Louis_ and Washington, to the President and Lord Pauncefote, you'd make
a million dollars out of it. Say now, won't you come?"
"My dear Zaidie," Mrs. Van Stuyler replied, "you know that I am very
fond of you.
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