Whatever may have been the turmoil in the Grand Duke's palace at Thorberg, Chase's conscience was even and serene.

He had no excuses to offer--for that matter none would have been entertained--and he was resigning his post with the confidence that he had performed his obligations as an American gentleman should, even though the performance had created an extraordinary commotion.
Chase was new to the Old World and its customs, especially those rigorous ones which surrounded royalty and denied it the right to venture into the commonplace.

The ambassador at the capital of the Empire at first sought to excuse him on the ground of ignorance; but the Grand Duke insisted that even an American could not be such a fool as Chase had been; so, it must have been a wilful offence that led up to the controversy.
Chase had been the representative of the American Government at Thorberg for six months.

He never fully understood why the government should have a representative there; but that was a matter quite entirely for the President to consider.

The American flag floated above his doorway in the Friedrich Strasse, but in all his six months of occupation not ten Americans had crossed the threshold.