He was slender, dark and tall, dressed precisely, and his manner had
that easy grace which, as Harry had noticed already, seemed to be the
characteristic of Charleston.
"My name is Arthur St. Clair," he said, "and I'm a sort of improvised
secretary for our leaders who are in council here."
"Mine," said Harry, "is Henry Kenton. I'm a son of Colonel George
Kenton, of Kentucky, late a colonel in the United States Army, and I've
come with important messages from him, Senator Culver and other Southern
leaders in Kentucky."
"Then you will be truly welcome. Wait a moment and I'll see if they are
ready to receive you."
He returned almost instantly, and asked Harry to go in with him.
They entered a large room, with a dais at the center of the far wall,
and a number of heavy gilt chairs covered with velvet ranged on either
side of it. Over the dais hung a large portrait of Queen Victoria as a
girl in her coronation robes. A Scotch society had occupied this room,
but the people of Charleston had always taken part in their festivities.
In those very velvet chairs the chaperons had sat while the dancing had
gone on in the hall. Then the leaders of secession had occupied them,
when they put through their measure, and now they were sitting there
again, deliberating.
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