Laurens had been sent to France to ask them for aid for America, in the revolution against Great Britain, basically Washington’s penboy. He had argued with the French Foreign Minister of Finance, Comte de Vergennes, and after arguing with Benjamin Franklin, he went downstairs, where there was a ball going on, after getting ushered away by Ben Franklin himself. He was visibly frustrated, and just stood in a corner, refusing to talk to any French person. You decide to go up to the pissed off colonel.