The senator's wife took his arm and explained her dilemma
at the table dispersal.
"It is parade day at the Fort, you know, and Patricia has set her heart
on going. I don't know how I came to be so absurdly thoughtless, but I
promised her before I remembered that this is the Kismet Club election
afternoon, and if I don't go, they'll make me president again in spite
of everything," she said in low tones as they were leaving the _cafe_.
"I simply _can't_ serve another year; and at the same time, I do so
dislike to disappoint Patricia. She is such a dear girl!" Mrs. Honoria
was strictly within the bounds of truth in claiming to have forgotten
the date of the Kismet election of officers; but it was equally true
that the club would re-elect her, present or absent, since she was its
founder and chief patroness.
Blount saw the pointing of all this with perfect clarity, and he had no
need to assure himself that it had every ear-mark of another expedient
to get him out of the way. But while he was with Mrs. Honoria and
listening to her persuasive little appeals it was much harder to
maintain the antagonistic attitude than it was when she figured--at a
distance--merely as his father's second wife and his mother's
supplanter. Foolish? Oh, yes; but at times when the star of impulse is
in the ascendant every man hath a fool in his sleeve.
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