I had my second view of the President, and nearer by. It did
not disappoint me, nor change the impression produced by the
first view. What a homely face! but I thought withal, what a
fine face! Rugged, and soft; gentle, and shrewd; Miss
Cardigan's "Yon's a mon!" recurred to me often. A man, every
inch of him; self- respecting, self-dependent, having a sturdy
mind of his own; but wise also to bide his time; strong to
wait and endure; modest, to receive from others all they could
give him of aid and counsel. But the honest, keen, kindly eyes
won my heart.
The evening was very lively. There were a great many people to
see and talk to, whom it was pleasant to hear. Dr. Sandford, I
always knew was a favourite; but it seemed to me this evening
that our party was thronged. Indeed I had little chance and
less time to look for Mr. Thorold; and the little I could use
availed me nothing. I was sure he was not there; for he
certainly would have seen me. And what then? It would not have
been agreeable. I began to think with myself that I was
somewhat inconsistent.
It was not till I got home that I thought this, however. I had
no time for private reflections till then. When we reached
home, Mrs. Sandford was in a talkative mood; the doctor very
silent.
"And what do you think of General Scott, Daisy? you have not
seen him before."
"I do not know," I said. "I did not hear him, talk."
"You have not heard Mr. Lincoln talk, have you?"
"No, certainly not; not before to night."
"You know how you like him," Dr. Sandford said pointedly.
"Yes."
"My dear, you made him the most beautiful reverence that I
ever knew a woman could make; grace and homage in perfection;
but there was something else in it, Daisy, something more;
something most exquisitely expressed. What was it, Grant?"
"You ought to know," said the doctor, with a grim smile.
"I do, I suppose, only I cannot tell the word for it. Daisy,
have you ever seen the President before?"
"When he passed through New York," I said. "I stood in the
street to see him."
Dr. Sandford's eyes opened upon me. His sister-in-law
exclaimed, "You could not see him then, child. But you like him, don't
you? Well, they tell all sorts of stories about him; but I do
not believe half of them."
I thought, I could believe all the good ones.
"But Grant, you never can keep Daisy here," Mrs. Sandford went
on. "It would be hazardous in the extreme."
"Not very," said the doctor. "Nobody else is going to stay; it
is a floating community."
So we parted for the night. And I slept, the dark hours; but
restlessness took possession of me the moment I awoke. Dr.
Sandford's last words rung in my heart. "It is a floating
community." "Nobody else is going to stay." I must see Mr.
Thorold. What if he should be ordered on, away from Washington
somewhere, and my opportunity be lost? I knew to be sure that
he had been very busy training and drilling some of the new
troops; and I hoped there was enough of the same work on hand
to keep him busy; but I could not know. With the desire to
find him, began to mingle now some foretaste of the pain of
parting from him again when I - or he - should leave the city.
A drop of bitter which I began to taste distinctly in my cup.