morning; he had the discretion and delicacy to
remain in retirement — discretion and delicacy that
might have served him to his great advantage, had
he exhibited these qualities when they were subse-
quently required. All the afternoon he was visited
by friends and adherents of the Queen, and pre-
sented with gifts of flowers, wreaths being thrown
about his neck as he passed along the street — an
attention, however, which I am forced to admit he
neither desired nor relished.
Among his visitors in the evening was a com-
mittee from a body of Hawaiians known as "The
Patriotic League," who presented an address, and of
which Mr. John E. Bush, the partisan editor, acted
as spokesman. Their reception was very different
from that accorded the Annexation Club the evening
before, and they were assured by Mr. Blount that the
United States did not approve of its representatives
"meddling in the conduct of the government of
foreign countries."

The streets were practically deserted early in the
evening, people remaining quietly within their
houses.
oyGoot^lc



CHAPTER XII.
VIOLATED CORONETS.
AFTER the removal of the flag from the Govern-
ment building the people gradually settled
down into a calm acceptance of the situation, hop-
ing for the best. They had no intimation of their
impending fate from the inscrutable Mr. Blount.
He preserved a silence that ought to have become
historical — it was so rare and phenomenal in the
annals of loquacious politics.
