A Diplomatic Adventure

An American legation secretary in Paris finds his quiet official life unsettled by the diplomacy surrounding the Civil War. In the summer of 1862, he hires Alphonse Duret, a quick-witted valet who cheerfully admits that the French police also pay him to observe his employer. Their bargain establishes a world where private rooms, letters and social calls may all attract official attention. Captain Arthur Merton, an American officer recovering his health abroad, soon enters this watchful circle.

S. Weir Mitchell tells the adventure through the secretary's recollections, combining political uncertainty with lively exchanges between servants, soldiers and diplomats. A masked meeting at a ball and a woman's account of a fire alarm at Count le Moyne's house draw everyday social life into an increasingly complicated affair. Readers interested in historical fiction can find here a compact story of divided loyalties, resourceful conversation and the small incidents that accompany larger national events.