"Listen to me. If I do accept, I shall take Mr. Upshur's and Mr. Nelson's place only on one condition--yes, if I do, here is what _I_ shall say to England regarding Texas. I shall show her what a Monroe Doctrine is; shall show her that while Texas is small and weak, Texas _and_ this republic are not. This is what I have drafted as a possible reply. I shall tell Mr. Pakenham that his chief's avowal of intentions has made it our _imperious duty_, in self-defense, to hasten the annexation of Texas, cost what it may, mean what it may! John Calhoun does not shilly-shally. "_That_ will be my answer," repeated my chief at last. Again they looked gravely, each into the other's eye, each knowing what all this might mean. "Yes, I shall have Texas, as I shall have Oregon, settled before I lay down my arms, Sam Ward. No, I am _not_ yet ready to die!" Calhoun's old fire now flamed in all his mien. "The situation is extremely difficult," said his friend slowly. "It must be done; but how? We are as a nation not ready for war. You as a statesman are not adequate to the politics of all this. Where is your political party, John? You have none. You have outrun all parties. It will be your ruin, that you have been honest!" Calhoun turned on him swiftly. "You know as well as I that mere politics will not serve. It will take some extraordinary measure--you know men--and, perhaps, _women_." "Yes," said Doctor Ward, "and a precious silly lot: they are; the two running after each other and forgetting each other; using and wasting each other; ruining and despoiling each other, all the years, from Troy to Rome! But yes! For a man, set a woman for a trap. _Vice versa_, I suppose?" Calhoun nodded, with a thin smile. "As it chances, I need a man. Ergo, and very plainly, I must use a woman!" They looked at each other for a moment. That Calhoun planned some deep-laid stratagem was plain, but his speech for the time remained enigmatic, even to his most intimate companion. "There are two women in our world to-day," said Calhoun. "As to Jackson, the old fool was a monogamist, and still is. Not so much so Jim Polk of Tennessee. Never does he appear in public with eyes other than for the Doña Lucrezia of the Mexican legation! Now, one against the other--Mexico against Austria--" Doctor Ward raised his eyebrows in perplexity. "That is to say, England, and _not_ Austria," went on Calhoun coldly. "The ambassadress of England to America was born in Budapest! So I say, Austria; or perhaps Hungary, or some other country, which raised this strange representative who has made some stir in Washington here these last few weeks." "Ah, _you mean the baroness!_" exclaimed Doctor Ward. "Tut! Tut!" Calhoun nodded, with the same cold, thin smile. "Yes," he said, "I mean Mr. Pakenham's reputed mistress, his assured secret agent and spy, the beautiful Baroness von Ritz!"