124 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



to refer the President's message to the Committee 

 on Finance, will be Mr. Ingalls' opportunity to 

 assert himself. His speech will be an interesting 

 event, and it is likely enough to happen when the 

 Senate assembles on Monday. When Mr. Ingalls' 

 speech comes to reinforce what Senator Voorhees 

 has said, Mr. Chamberlain will have occasion to feel 

 chastened. 



Needless to say, this was a gross calumny, as 

 the Chief could hardly avoid conversing with the 

 President when the President came to speak to him. 

 But we were getting used to that sort of sensational 

 invention. We went that evening to a ball at the 

 Legation, of which the following account appeared 

 in the Post : 



" The ball at the English Legation last night opened 

 up the social season with great brilliancy. About 

 400 invitations were sent out, about fifty of them 

 yesterday in response to notes from persons already 

 invited, asking cards for their guests. Miss West 

 is always pleased to grant requests of this kind to her 

 friends. The entire first floor of the Legation was 

 devoted to the comfort and pleasure of the large 

 company. The office rooms on the right of the hall 

 were utilised as cloakrooms, with nimble maids 

 and valets in attendance. The great hall, with its 

 massive staircase, was brilliantly lighted and frag- 

 rant with spruce, pine, and fir, which entered largely 



