He smiled indulgently. "Ah, Miss Longworth!" he said, "you have just come from the country, I believe. You do not understand the way we do things in New York. Your uncle is a famous man, and the public who buy papers to-day are dead keen upon knowing even the most trifling things that such men do. In fact, I have been sent all the way up from down town simply to find out that simple matter. Of course, I could have asked the servants, but we always prefer to get our information from one of the family where possible. Now, let me see. Mr. Weiss was here, of course?" Virginia hesitated, but only for a moment. "If you really wish for these details," she said, "you must ask my uncle. I do not care to tell you." "But say, isn't that rather rough upon your uncle?" he asked doubtfully. "We can't bother him with every little thing. Surely there can be nothing indiscreet in your giving me the names of your guests. Most people send them to the papers themselves." "I do not know," Virginia said, "whether my uncle would wish me to do so. In any case, I shall do nothing without his consent." The young man frowned slightly. This was not to be so easy as he thought. "Well," he said, "I can get the names from your servants, without bothering your uncle. Must be rather interesting for you, Miss Longworth, to hear these famous men talk," She shook her head. "I do not understand one half of what they say," she answered, "but what I do understand doesn't sound in the least wonderful." He smiled appreciatively. "I can quite understand that," he said; "but there must have been some of the conversation that you understood. For instance, the Anti-Trust Bill that is coming before the House in a few weeks. They ought to have said some interesting things about that." Virginia moved calmly across the room, and before the young man had perceived her intention she had rung the bell. "I think," she said, "that you are a very impertinent person. Please go away at once." He shrugged his shoulders as he turned towards the door. His expression was still entirely good-humoured. "Don't be angry with me, Miss Longworth," he said, as he paused for a moment with his hand upon the knob of the door; "it's all in my day's work, you know. One has to try and find out these things, or one wouldn't be worth one's place. We had word down at the office that you had just come from the country, and that something might be done with you." "And I think it was most unfair and ungentlemanly," Virginia began.