UNITED STATES AND CANADA 35 



would ask Sir Lionel when he was sitting in our 

 working room what answer he would suggest to such 

 and such a question. He invariably replied with a 

 chuckle : " My dear May cock, I never express an 

 opinion." And so far as I know the only occa- 

 sion on which he departed from this excellent 

 maxim resulted in the termination of his diplomatic 

 career in the autumn of 1888. He never mixed 

 much in Washington society, and his reclusive 

 habits were rather incompatible with that popu- 

 larity which is so essential to success in a diplomatic 

 career. His three daughters were very nice girls — 

 the eldest, Victoria, now Lady Sackville, not only 

 being highly accomplished and endowed with 

 exceptional beauty and charm of manner, but 

 invaluable to her father on the rare occasions when 

 social entertainments took place at the Legation. 



The three Plenipotentiaries selected by the United 

 States Government to represent them at the Con- 

 ference were Mr. T. F. Bayard, Mr. William L. 

 Putnam, and Mr. James B. Angell, some particulars 

 with regard to whom may be of interest. The Hon. 

 Thomas Francis Bayard held the important post of 

 Secretary of State in Mr. Cleveland's administration, 

 a position which more or less corresponds to that 

 of Prime Minister in this country, inasmuch as the 



