Fate was an adversary from whom she meant to win all the
stakes, and it behooved a clever woman not to overlook a single card
that might be of use to her in her play. She was quite aware of her own
limitations, and her own forces and advantages. She knew she was
beautiful and charming; she knew she was kind and generous and extremely
"cute," as her old father said. She knew that literature and art did not
interest her one atom in themselves, that most music bored her, and that
she had a rather imperfect memory; but during her brief visits to
England, when she was making up her mind that this country would be the
field for her next exertions, she had decided that to be beautiful and
charming was not just enough; there were numbers of other Americans who
were both, and they were all one as successful and sought after as the
other. She must be something beyond this--a real Queen. To beauty and
wealth and charm she must add culture as well. She must be able to talk
to the prime minister upon his pet foibles, she must be able to quote
erudite passages from all the cleverest books of the day to the
brilliant politicians and diplomats and men of polished brain who made
up the society over which she wished to rule.
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