In short, the artist is compelled to exhibit the world rather as we would wish it to be, than as it was or is, or, indeed, is like shortly to become.

The strangest part of his picture is, however, the fact that he actually did see Mrs.Lee where he has put her, at the Princess's elbow, which was almost the last place in the room where any one who knew Mrs.Lee would have looked for her.
The explanation of this curious accident shall be given immediately, since the facts are not mentioned in the public reports of the ball, which only said that, "close behind her Royal Highness the Grand-Duchess, stood our charming and aristocratic countrywoman, Mrs.
Lightfoot Lee, who has made so great a sensation in Washington this winter, and whose name public rumour has connected with that of the Secretary of the Treasury.

To her the Princess appeared to address most of her conversation." The show was a very pretty one, and on a pleasant April evening there were many places less agreeable to be in than this.

Much ground outside had been roofed over, to make a ball-room, large as an opera-house, with a dais and a sofa in the centre of one long side, and another dais with a second sofa immediately opposite to it in the centre of the other long side.

Each dais had a canopy of red velvet, one bearing the Lion and the Unicorn, the other the American Eagle.