第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Elinor Wyllys",免费读到尾

  Dailyobservation,whilelivingunderthesameroof,onlyconfirmedHarryinthisnewopinionofJane。Hebegantoadmirethelanguidgraceofhermovements;andhediscoveredthatitisverypossibletohavetoomuchwarmthofmanner,andthatsomewomencertainlyfatigueonebytheiranimation。HemusttellthefamilyatWyllys-RoofhowmuchJanehadimproved。Hefoundhewasnotmistakeninsupposingthatshemustproduceanimpressionwherevershewasseen。WhethertheywerewalkingintheTuileriesofamorning,orwentintosocietyintheevening,theeffectwasalwaysthesame;hesawhereverywherefollowedbyveryevidentandopenadmiration。Andnowonder;herbeautythrewacharmoverallheractions:itwasevenapleasuretoaccompanyherinshoppingexcursions——whichheusedtolookuponasthegreatesttaxthataladycouldimposeuponhisgallantry;butthen,fewpersonslookedsobeautifulasJane,whenselectingamuslin,ortryingonahat。Hesoonbecameproudofaplaceatherside,andmuchmorevainofherbeautythanshewasherself。

  “ImustletthemknowatLongbridge,“hethought,“whatasensationJaneismaking。Sheis,indeed,abeautytobeproudof。IsawnothinglikeherinGreece。Shedoescredittothecountry。“Harrythoughtitpatriotictoadmireher,andtolosenoopportunityofenjoyingtheeffectofherbeautiesamongthegayworldofParis。Americanpatriotism,asweallknow,oftentakessingularshapes。

  Janeandhimselfbecamemoreintimate,andonmorefriendlytermsthantheyhadeveryetbeen。Sheseemed,indeed,topreferhim,asacavaliereservente,toanyofherotheradmirers,AmericanorEuropean。Butthatmighteasilybeaccountedfor,onthescoreofconnexion。Ofcourse,Harrywasgratefulforthispreference,andafterawhileheevenbegantolookupontheexcessivedevotionofoneortwoofheradmirers,asimpertinenceontheirpart。

  {“cavaliereservente“=maleescortItalian}

  Aboutthistime——someweeksafterhisreturn——Hazlehurstgavehimselfverymuchtothestudyofaesthetics。Thebeautiful,theharmonious,aloneattractedhim;hecouldnotendureanythingapproachingtocoarseness。HewanderedupanddownthegalleriesoftheLouvre,delightingmoreinthebeautifulfacesoftheItalianmasters,intheNymphsandMusesoftheoldGreeks,thanhehadeverdonebefore。Hebecamequiteaconnoisseur。Hehadnotasteforthemerelypretty;perfectbeautyheadmiredwithhiswholesoul,butanythingshortofitwasonlytobetolerated。Hefeltthefact,ifhedidnotreasononthediscovery,thatbeautyintheveryhighestdegree,carrieswithit——wedonotsaytheexpression——butthestampofdignity,andevenofintelligence。

  SuchwastheimpressionproducedbyJane\'sperfectlyclassicalheadandfeatures。Itwasimpossible,asyougazeduponhersmoothpolishedforehead,andnobledarkeyes,tobelieveherwantingincharacter,orintellect。Then,Harryrememberedthattalentofthehighestorderbearsacalmaspect;notfrothy,sparklingcleverness,whichtakessowellwiththevulgar;notwit,exactly;butthatresultofawell-balancedmind,inwhichallthefacultiesharmonizesowell,thattheyleavenooneparticularlyprominent。Hehadbeenmuchstruck,lately,withseveralremarksofJane\'s——theyshowedadepthofobservation,afundofgoodsense,whichhehadnotformerlysupposedhertopossess;butthen,ofold,heusedtobeunpardonablyunjusttoJane。Shewascertainlyimproved,too;herfriendsatLongbridgewouldbegratifiedbythechange。

  ThiscourseofaestheticsgraduallycarriedHarrysofar,thatafteraprofoundstudyofthesubjectingeneral,andofJane\'sfeaturesinparticular,hebecameaconverttotheopinionoftheGermanphilosopher,whoaffirmsthat“TheBeautifulisgreaterthantheGood。“Therehavebeendisputes,webelieve,onthesubjectofthisaxiom,somecriticsgivingitadeepmysticalsense,others,again,attemptingtoexplainitindifferentways。

  OurfriendHazlehurst,thoughaprettygoodGermanscholar,seemeddisposedtoadopttheideainitssimplestinterpretation。

  {“Germanphilosopher“=Ihavebeenunabletoidentifywithcertaintythequotation,thoughthesentimentsuggestsFriedrichWilhelmJosephvonSchelling1775-1854}

  Thingswereinthistrain,whenthefamilysetoutforSwitzerland。

  CHAPTERVI{sic}

  {shouldbeChapterVIII}

  “Herdress,andnovels,visits,andsuccess。“

  CRABBE。

  {GeorgeCrabbeEnglishpoet,1754-1832,“PosthumousTales:XV

  BelindaWaters“lineII。31}

  LONGBRIDGEwasquiteapleasantvillage,andsurroundedbyaprettycountry。LikemostotherAmericanruraltowns,itreceived,inthewarmestmonths,alargeaccessiontoitspopulation;foritseemstobeamatterofcourse,thateverybodywhoisabletodoso,runsawayfrombrickwallsinthemonthsofJulyandAugust,andselectssomevillageinwhichtorusticate,andsetthefashions,enjoythedustandthefire-flies,freshpeaches,andhome-madeice-cream——Longbridge,inadditiontotheusualadvantagesofpureair,andbrownfields,inthemonthofAugust,hadsomethingofareputationasaplaceforbathing;anditsthreetaverns,andvariousboarding-houses,weregenerallywellfilledwithfamiliesfromNewYorkandPhiladelphia,duringtheverywarmweather。

  Amongothers,duringtheseasontowhichweallude,theGrahamswerethere,anxiouslyawaitingthearrivaloftheHazlehurstpartyfromEurope;forlettershadbeenreceived,informingtheirfriendsthattheymightbeexpectedatanymoment。TheWyllyscarriagewasnowseenatLongbridgeeveryday,eitheratthehousewheretheirrelatives,theGrahams,hadtakenlodgingsfortheseason,orbeforethedoorofaneatlittlecottage,recentlypurchasedbyMr。Wyllysforthewidowofhisyoungestson,Mrs。

  GeorgeWyllys。Thislady,towhomthereaderhasbeenalreadyintroduced,hadbeenleft,withfourchildren,almostentirelydependentonherfather-in-law。Hercharacterwassomewhatofamedley。Shewasagood-heartedwoman,attachedtoherhusband\'sfamily,andalwaysaskingadviceofherfriends,particularlyMr。

  Wyllys,andMissAgnes,forwhomshehadasincererespect。Shewaspretty,lady-like,ratherclever,andapleasantcompaniontopersonsnotparticularlyinterestedinherwelfare。Onindifferenttopicsshecouldconversewithasmuchgoodsenseastherestoftheworld;butherownaffairsshemismanagedterribly。Allherothergoodqualitiesseemedunsettledbyacertaininfusionofcaprice,andjealousyofinfluence;andyetshereallymeantwell,andfanciedherselfaveryprudentwoman。

  Shethoughtshewascapableofmakinganysacrificeforthosesheloved,andthereforebelievedherselfamodelinalltherelationsoflife。Asamother,shehadasystemofeducation,thetheoryofwhichwasexcellent;buttherewaslittleconsistencyinitspractice。Asregardsmoney-matters,shetalkedandthoughtsomuchabouteconomy,thatshetookitforgrantedthatshepractisedit。AfterhavingpassedthefirstyearsofherwidowhoodwithherownfamilyinBaltimore,shehadlatelybecomeconvincedthatherincomewasnotsufficienttoallowherlivinginalargetown,withoutrunningindebt。Mr。Wyllyswasunfortunatelytoowellawarethathisdaughter-in-law\'sdifficultieswerenottheresultofBaltimoreprices,butofherownmismanagement。Franklinadviseshisfriendsto“takecareofthepence,andthepoundswilltakecareofthemselves:“butthisruleisbynomeansinfallible。Perhapsthereisnospeciesofextravagancemorecommon,thanthatoftenpractisedbywell-disposedpeople,whichconsistsofbeing“penny-wise,pound-foolish;“theywillsaveahundredcentsonasmanydifferentoccasions,andthrowawaytwentydollarsononeobject。

  Ithappensthatsuchpersonsoftensucceedinpersuadingthemselvesthattheyaremodelsofprudence,andself-denial。

  SuchwasMrs。GeorgeWyllys\'splan;and,unfortunately,shenotonlybroughttroubleonherself,butwasaconstantsourceofanxietytoherfather-in-law,whoendeavoured,invain,tocounteracttheevil;buteverysucceedingyearbroughtarepetitionofthedifficultiesoftheformer。

  {“Franklin“=BenjaminFranklin1706-1790,buttheexpressionisusuallyattributedtoLordChesterfield1674-1773;“pennywise,poundfoolish“=phraseoriginatedbyRobertBurton1577-1640}

  Atpresent,Mrs。Wyllyswasbentuponeconomyinacottage,withnewfurniture,purchasedatahighprice,atNewYorkauctions;

  anditwasinvaintoopposeherplan,soconvincedwasshe,thatdutyalonecouldhaveinducedhertoleaveherownfamilyandoldfriendsinBaltimore。

  “Wemustmakethebestofit,Agnes,“saidMr。Wyllys,“itwillbepleasant,atleast,tohaveHarrietandherlittlepeoplenearus——andwemaybeofusetothechildren。“

  MissAgnesagreedtothefirstpartofherfather\'sremark,butwasfarfromfeelingsanguineastotheirbeingofanyadvantagetothechildren。ItwasapartofMrs。Wyllys\'ssystem,toconsultherfriendsfarmorefrequentlythanwasnecessary,upontheeducationofherfamily,atthesametimethatitalsoenteredintoherplantofollowtheiradviceveryseldomindeed。

  AsforElinor,shewasverywellpleasedwithheraunt\'sarrivalintheneighbourhood;ofcourse,shewastooyoungandinexperiencedtoknowtheexactstateofmatters,andshewasattachedtoMrs。Wyllys,andfondofherlittlecousins。

  Oneafternoon,Mrs。WyllyshadpersuadedMissAgnesandElinortodrinkteawithher,andnotreturnhomeuntiltheevening。Theladiesweresittingtogether,inMrs。Wyllys\'spleasantlittleparlour,engagedwiththeirneedles,whilethechildrenwereplayingunderthewindows,intheshadydoor-yard。

  “ShallIputthebowontherightorleftside,Elinor?”askedMrs。Wyllys,whowasre-trimmingahatforoneofherlittlegirls。

  “Itlooksverywellasyouhaveitnow,Aunt;“repliedherniece。

  “Perhapsitdoes;thereisastain,however,ontheotherside,whichmustbecovered,“repliedthelady,changingthebow。“Thisribandwasverycheap,Agnes,“sheadded,showingittohersister-in-law。“Onlytwentycentsayard。Iboughtthewholepiece,althoughIshallnotwantituntilnextspring。“

  “Quitecheap,“saidMissAgnes,lookingattheriband;“butI

  don\'tknowwhatyouwilldowithsomuchofit。“

  “Oh,Ishallfindsomeuseforit;inalargefamily,nothingcomesamiss。“

  Apretty,littlegirl,abouteightyearsold,ranintotheroom,and,skippinguptohermother,whispered,“Herecomesacarriage,mamma,andsomeladies。“

  “Whoisit,Elinor?”askedMrs。Wyllys,ofherniece,whowassittingnearthewindow。

  “TheHubbards,“shereplied。

  “What,PatseyHubbard?”

  “Oh,no;hercousins——verydifferentpersons。TheLongbridgeHubbards,whoseacquaintanceyouhavenotyetmade。“

  Twoladies,radiantwithelegance,enteredtheroom,andwereintroduced,byMissAgnes,tohersister-in-law,asMrs。Hilson,andMissEmmelineHubbard。Theywerebothyoung;quitepretty;

  veryfashionablydressed;verysillyintheirexpressions,andmuchalike,ineveryrespect。

  Afterafewpreliminaryspeeches,Mrs。Hilsonremarked,thatshewasverygladMrs。Wyllyshadcometojointheirrusticcircle。

  “Thankyou,“repliedthelady;“Longbridgeisafavouriteplaceofmine;butIhavenotyetseenmanytracesofrusticity,here。“

  “Why,no,Julianna,“observedMissEmmeline,“Idon\'tthinkourvillageisatallarusticplace。Wehavetoomanyadvantagesofcommunicationwiththecityforthat。“

  “Itistrue,“saidMrs。Hilson,“Longbridgehasalwaysbeenaveryaristocraticplace。Youknow,MissWyllys,“turningtoMissAgnes,“wehaveour\'West-End,\'andour\'exclusives。\'“

  {“WestEnd“=fromthefashionableWestEndofLondon}

  “Iwasnotawareofit;butthenIamreallyarustic,“MissWyllysadded,smiling。

  “Yes,itisunfortunate,youshouldbesofarfromthevillage。

  EmmelineandIoftenpityyou,MissElinor,forbeingsofarfromgenteelsociety。“

  “Thatisscarcelyworthwhile,Iassureyou,forwehaveseveralpleasantfamilies,withinashortdistance。“

  “Butonlyaverysmallcircle,however。Nowwehavequitealargesetofaristocraticpeople,inthevillage。Someofourinhabitantsareveryrefined,Iassureyou,Mrs。Wyllys。“

  Theladybowed。

  “Youwillfindyourtwonextneighbours,Mrs。BibbsandMrs。

  Tibbs,veryfascinatingladies,“observedMissEmmeline。“Mrs。

  Bibbsisoneofourbeauties;andMrs。Tibbs,ourmostelegantdresser。“

  “EmmelineisgoingovertheCourtCalendar,foryou,already,“

  saidMrs。Hilson,laughingfashionably。

  {“CourtCalendar“=fromthesectionofBritishnewspapersdevotedtothescheduleandappearancesoftheRoyalFamily}

  “Aretheseladiesthewivesofjudges?”inquiredMrs。Wyllys。

  “Oh,no;Mrs。Tibbsistheladyofourphysician,andMrs。Bibbsisa\'marchande,\'——sheisaveryfascinatinglady,andhasafineflowofconversation。Shewasagreatbelle,atSaratoga,ayearortwosince;youmay,perhaps,havemetherthere?”inquiredMrs。Hilson。

  “NotthatIknowof;butIhavenotbeenatSaratogaforyears。“

  “Isitpossible?IcannotlivewithoutthreeweeksatSaratoga,andafortnightatRockaway,everyyear。BeforeIorderedmywedding-dress,ImadeMr。HilsonpromiseIshouldhavemyownwayaboutthat。Isaidtohim,oneday,\'Alonzo,beforethesettlementsaredrawnup,Ishallrequireyoutopledgeyourselftosixweeks,everyyear,betweenSaratogaandRockaway。\'“

  {“settlements“=marriagesettlementsorpre-nuptialagreements;

  “Rockaway“=afashionablesea-sideresortonLongIsland,nearNewYorkCity}

  “Youarefondofagaylife,Isuppose。“

  “Verynaturally;havinglivedintheworldoffashionfrommycradle,IdonotthinkIcouldbreatheanyotheratmosphere。Itmustbeagreatchangeforyou,Mrs。Wyllys,fromallthepleasuresofacity-lifetoasmallcirclelikeours。“

  “Achange,certainly;butapleasantone,Ihope。“

  “Itwillbearelieftoyou,tofindsomucharistocracyamongus。Wehaveacertainclique,that,Ithink,mustsatisfythemostrefinedtaste,andwillconsoleyou,Ihope,forthelossofgenteelsocietyinBaltimore。“

  “Thankyou。Ishallscarcelymissanybutmyfriends。Igooutverylittle。“

  “Iregrettohearthat——Wemusttrytopersuadeyoutochangeyourdetermination,andminglemorewithsociety。Ifeelconfident,thatourWest-Endcliquemustsatisfythemostrefinedtaste。Weexpecttohaveagreatdealofgaiety,thisfall;but,justatpresent,wehaveascarcityofbeaux。“

  “WhathasbecomeofyoungMr。Taylor;hewastohavebeenhomebythistime。Doyouhearanythingofhim,MissWyllys?”inquiredMissEmmeline。

  “Hisfamilyexpecthimsoon,Ibelieve。“

  “Ihopehewillarrivebeforeoursummerpartiesareover。Mr。

  andMrs。Hazlehurst,too,andMissGraham,whenshallwehavethepleasureofseeingthem?”

  “Weexpectthemeveryday。“

  “Ihope,“saidMrs。Hilson,“theywillarrivewhileIamhere,whichwillbelongerthanusual,thisseason,fortheyarepaintingoursuit{sic}ofapartmentsinthecity。WhenIcame,AlonzotoldEmmelinetokeepmeuntilOctober,andshehaspromisedmearoundofentertainments,whileIamwithher;sothatIfeelparticularlyinterestedinthearrivalofyourfriends。“

  “MissGrahamwilldashagreatdeal,nodoubt,whenshecomesback,“saidMissEmmeline;“Iquitelongtoseeher。MissTaylormustbeexpectingherimpatiently。By-the-bye,Iunderstand,Mr。

  Taylor\'snewfurnitureisnowallarrived。Hisvilla,aswellashiscity-house,willbeverystylish。“

  “Mr。Taylorisaverytastygentleman,“observedMrs。Hilson。“Heseemstobeverytalented,ineveryway;formedtofigureinfashionablelife,aswellasinbusiness。Hisnewhouseisamagnificentedifice。“

  “Yourfathertellsme,hehasquitefinishedhisownhouse,Mrs。

  Hilson;youmustbegladtogetridoftheworkmen,“remarkedMissWyllys。

  “Yes——theyhavebeenlongenoughaboutit;butPahasold-fashionednotionsabouthavingeverythingsubstantial,andwelldone;hesaidEmmelineandImightchoosetheplan,andhaveeverythingasweliked;buthemusthavehisowntimetodoitin。However,itisadelightfulmansion,now。Ithaseveryconvenienceofthemostfashionablehousesinthecity;

  plate-glass,andfolding-doors,andmarblechimneystothegarret。JustsuchahouseasIshouldlikeinNewYork;though,totellthetruth,Iwouldnotkeephousefortheworld。“

  “Juliannaissodelightfullysituated,inherboarding-house,Mrs。Wyllys,thatshehasnothingtowishfor。“

  {“boarding-house“=atthisperiodinAmericanhistory,manyrespectableandreasonablywell-offpeopleandevenfamilieslivedpermanentlyinboarding-houses,ratherthanmaintainahousefulofservants}

  “Yes,wehaveeveryluxuryoffashionablelife,unitedtoaveryaristocraticsetofboarders;andMrs。Stone,herself,isanextremelyfascinatinglady。Indeed,Ihavebeenspoilt;Idon\'tthinkIcouldendurethedrudgeryofhousekeeping,now;thoughI

  oncetoldAlonzo,ifhewouldgivemeafour-storyhouse,uptown,withamarblefront,Iwouldtry。“

  “Youmustfindthesituationofyourfather\'snewhousepleasanterthanthathehasleft,“observedMissAgnes。

  “Bynomeans——Thatisaseriousobjectiontoournewmansion。

  Standingsurroundedbythepark,onthreesides,removesussofarfromthestreet。“

  “Ishouldhavethoughtyouwouldfinditpleasanttoberemovedfartherfromthenoiseanddust。WhatisyourcousinCharlesdoing?Isupposeyouseehimoften,intown。“

  “Ireallydonotknowwhathasbecomeofhim,“saidMrs。Hilson,languidly;forshealwaysfeltrathermortifiedbyanyallusiontoherunfashionablerelations。“ThoughCharlesisinthecitynow,studyingpainting,yetIneverseehim。HetoldMr。Hilsonthathecalledsometimes,butIhaveneverseenhiscard;inalargeboarding-houselikeours,withafamilyoffortyorfiftypeople,thereisoftengreatconfusionaboutvisits。But,Emmeline,wearemakingaveryunfashionablecall。Iamquiteashamed,Mrs。Wyllys:butwewillrelieveyounow——Iseeourcarriagehasreturned。“Andafteranexchangeofcurtsies,theladiesglidedoutoftheroom。MissEmmeline,asshepassed,touchedthecurlyheadofoneofthechildren,exclaimingasshedidso,“fascinatingcherub!”andthenbothvanished。

  Wehavesaidthatthesetwosisterswereverymuchalike。Mrs。

  Hilson,however,wasthemostdistinguishedofthetwo,forshecarriedthefamilyfolliesseveraldegreesfartherthanMissEmmeline。Takenaltogether,shewasanabsurdcompound。

  Personally,shewasthoroughlyAmerican,veryprettyanddelicateinformandfeatures,andthusfarappearedtogreatadvantage;

  butshehad,also,anaffectedmincingmanner,anddrawlingvoice。Ofcourse,herdresswasasParisianaspossible;

  everythingsheworewasafaithfulcopyfrom“LeCourierdesDames。“Herfeelingsandopinions;Mrs。HilsonwasproudtocallEnglishintheextreme,forshehadchosentoimbibeagreatloveof“aristocracy,“andmanyotherthingswhichshedidnotintheleastunderstand。Shehadasetofcommon-placephrasesofthisdescriptioninconstantuse,havingborrowedthemfromanintimatefriend,livinginthesameboarding-house,aMrs。

  Bagman,anEnglishwoman,ofaveryequivocalposition。Then,shereadnothingbutEnglishnovels;thesewereheronlysourceofamusementandinstructioninthewayofbooks;andasshefollowedtheexampleofMrs。Bagman,inrejectingeverytalethathadnotitsdueshareoflordsandladies,shecalledherselffastidiousintheselection。Shewasagreattalker,andnotadaypassedbutwhatcockneysentimentsfellfromherprettylittlemouth,indrawlingtones,fromunderafancifulParisiancoiffure。JohnBullwouldhavestared,however,ifcalledupontoacknowledgeherasadaughter;forYankeevulgarityandEnglishvulgarityareverydifferentincharacter——thefirsthavingthemostpretension,thelastthemostcoarseness。

  Theseladieshadscarcelydrivenfromthedoor,beforeMrs。

  Wyllysexclaimed:“Isitpossible,Agnes,thattheseHubbardsareagoodspecimenoftheLongbridgepeople!”

  “No,indeed;onesuchfamilyisquiteenoughforanyplace。“

  “Howridiculoustheyare!Howcanyoutoleratethem?”

  “Now,pray,AuntAgnes,“saidElinor,“donotsayonewordintheirfavour。“

  “No;asregardstheladiesofthefamily,onecansaylittle。

  Theyarenotperhaps,bynature,asridiculousastheyhavemadethemselves。Timemaydosomethingforthem。Buttheirfatherisaveryworthy,respectableman;youmusthaveseenhimatourhouselastsummer。Don\'tyourememberonedaytwounclesofPatseyHubbarddiningwithus?”

  “Yes,Idorememberthem;oneCharlesHubbardcalledUncleJosey{sic},andheseemedquiteasensibleman;theotherfellasleepIknow,theonetheycalledUncleDozie。“

  “Thenappinguncleistheoldbachelor;UncleJosieisthefatheroftheseladies。“

  “Heseemedasensibleman;howcamehetohavesuchdaughters?”

  “Theyareveryliketheirmother,whodiedayearortwosince。“

  “Theyareverydisagreeable,certainly。Howoftenshallweberequiredtoencounterthisdesperateelegance?IalmostbegintorepenthavingfixedmyselfatLongbridge。“

  “AndbetweenMrs。Bibbs,andMrs。Tibbs,too!”saidElinor,laughing。“However,foryourconsolation,Aunt,Icanassureyouthesetwoladiesarefarfrombeingsovery\'fascinating\'astheHubbards。Mrs。Hilsonandhersisterrisehighabovetherestofusinthatrespect——theyare,decidedly,\'ourCorinthiancapital。\'“

  “YouwillfindtheVanHornes,theBernards,andseveralotherfamilies,verypleasantneighbours,onfartheracquaintance,“

  saidMissAgnes。“Youhavereallybeenunfortunateinthisspecimen。“

  “Andwheredidtheseladiescontrivetopickupsomuchabsurdity?”

  “Withamiserableeducationtobeginwith,nootherreadingthantheworstnovels,andthechanceassociationofsecond-rateboarding-houses,thatpoint,Ithink,iseasilyaccountedfor,“

  saidMissAgnes。

  TheconversationwasinterruptedbythehurriedreturnofMr。

  Wyllys,whoheldanewspaperinhishand。

  “Theyhavearrived!”criedElinor,springingfromherchair,asshesawhergrandfatherenterthegate。

  “Goodnews!”saidMr。Wyllys,ashejoinedtheladies。“TheErieisin,andourfriendswithher!Theymusthavearrivedinthenight,andto-morrowmorningweshallhavethemhere。“

  Ofcourse,allthefamilyweregratifiedbythegoodnews。Elinorwasquiteagitated,thoughheraunthadthepleasureofseeingherlookveryhappy。

  “Hereitis,“saidMr。Wyllys,readingfromthepaperthearrivalof“\'thePacketShipErie,Capt。Funck,fromHavre,consignedto——&Co。;\'thatyouwon\'tcareabout。Buthereisthelistofpassengers:\'Mr。Johnson,Mrs。Johnson,andadozenMastersandMissesJohnson,fromNatchez;\'——strangers,youwillsay,buthereareacquaintances:\'Mrs。Creighton,Mr。FrancisEllsworth,andservant,ofPhil。;Mr。andMrs。RobertHazleworth,andfamily,ofPhil。;MissGraham,ofPhil。;MadameGigot,ofParis:\'waitamoment,Nelly,allingoodtime。\'Capt。Flint,ofBritishArmy;AchilleBureau,ofParis;T。Davis,ofCharleston;

  Dr。Brackett,ofSt。Louis;\'and,thoughlast,notleastinourestimation,W。Hazleworth,ofPhil。;withseventy-nineinthesteerage。\'Ofcourse,forW。Hazleworth,readH。Hazlehurst;theyneverspellanameright。Weshallhavethemallhereto-morrowI

  hope,Nelly。“

  IfElinorsaidlittle,shethoughtandfeltagreatdeal。

  Theywerestilltalkingoverthearrival,whenMrs。Wyllys\'slittlegirlcameskippingin,again,andsaid;“Herecomesagentleman,mamma。“Shewasfollowedinaninstant,byayoungman,who,inahurried,eagermanner,hadkissedthehandofMissAgnes,andElinor\'scheek,beforeeitherhadtimetoexclaim“Harry!”

  Itwas,infact,Hazlehurst,stillinhistravelling-cap。Theyhadarrivedinthenight,hesaid,andtherestofthepartywastofollowhimthenextday。

  CHAPTERIX。

  “HowtaughtshallIreturn?”

  CRABBE。

  {GeorgeCrabbeEnglishpoet,1754-1832,“PosthumousTales:VI

  TheFarewellandReturn“lineI。62}

  OFcourse,HarrywasestablishedatWyllys-Roof。And,afterafewdayspassedwithherparentsatLongbridge,ElinorpersuadedJanetopayherashortvisit。

  Itisapleasantmomentforpeopleofmatureyears,whentheycansitidlyby,asaffectionateobservers,whileagaypartyofyoungpeople,inwhomtheyareinterested,arechattingfamiliarlytogether,withthelivelytoneandlightspiritsofyouth,freealikefromtherestraintsofchildhood,andthecaresofmiddleage。Everyvariedshadeofcharacter,unconsciouslybetrayedbytheyounggroup——theplayfulremark——thejustobservation——thepleasingacquirement——anactofgood-nature——agracefulmotion——thebrighteyeandthecarelesssmile——ay,eventheproofofinexperienceandwantofworldlywisdom——allisattractivetothepartialfriends。Theyfeelsuchamomenttobetherewardofmanyaprevioushourofcareandanxiety;itistheirhappyprivilegetomarkeachimprovementinperson,mindandheart——thefruitofpastlaboursandprayers——thecheeringpromiseamidthedoubtsofthefuture。Happythey,whocanlookupontheyoungpeoplecommittedtotheircharge,withtheconsciousnessthatnoimportantdutytowardsthemhasbeenneglected;happytheyoungperson,who,withaclearconscienceandanopencountenance,canmeettheapprovingsmileofaparent;thricehappytheyouth,who,havingtakenafalsestepatthebeginningofhiscareer,hashadthecourageandwisdomtoturn,eretoolate;thatpreciousapprobationofwiseandtruefriends,maystillbefullyhis;hehasturnedfromdanger,temptationandshame,intothesureandsafepaththatleadstoeverythingmosttobevalued,eveninthisworld。

  AsforourfriendsatWyllys-Roof,thejoyofre-union,afteralongabsence,gaveadditionalzesttothefirstpleasantmeetingsoftheyoungpeople,inwhomMissAgnesandMr。Wyllysweresowarmlyinterested。Elinorwasingayspirits——evenJanewasmoreanimatedthanusual,inherexpressionsandmanners。AsforHarry,hewasdecidedlyimproved;thelasttwoyearshaddoneagreatdealforhim。Hewasnowaclever,well-educated,agreeableyoungmanofthree-and-twenty,whosejudgmentandtasteweremuchimprovedbytravelling。

  “Averygood-lookingfellow,too,Agnes,“remarkedMr。Wyllys。

  Itwaseasytogather,fromthenatural,healthfultoneofhisconversation,thatinmoreimportantpoints,whilehehadgainedmuch,hehadlostnothingbywiderobservationoftheworld。

  AsforJane,MissAgneshadnotexpectedmuchfromher,andshewaspleasedwiththechangessheobserved。Heryoungkinswoman\'stemperseemedtohavebecomemoreeventhanformerly,andshewasquiteasmuchpleasedtoreturntoherfamily,assheoughttohavebeen。Itappearednatural,thateverybodywhosawJaneshouldbesatisfiedwithlookingather。Beautylikehersdisarmedtheirattemptsatseverity,anddisposedthemtoindulgence。Itseemedscarcelyreasonabletoexpectanystrikingquality,orgreatvirtue,withbeautysorare。ButiftheWyllyseshadthoughtherbeautifulbeforesheleftthem,theywerereallyastonishedtofindhowmuchithadbeenpossibleforhertogaininappearance。Herfacewasnowperfectlylovely,inthefineststyleofbeauty。MissWyllyswaspleasedtofindhermannersmuchimproved;achangefromthesocietyofAdelineTaylor,andherlivelyyoungfriends,tothatofolderandbetter-bredpeople,hadbeenofgreatadvantage。Jane\'slaboursoflivelinesshadannoyedMissAgnesnotalittle;andmorethanonceshehadventuredaremarkonthesubject;butheryoungrelativehadbeentoowelladvised,byAdelineandherschool-companions,tobelievethatMissWyllyscouldpossiblyknow,aswellasthemselves,whatwerethefashionableairsandgracesoftheday。SincehervisittoParis,however,Jane\'smanner,withoutherbeingawareofitherself,hadbecomemuchmorequietandnatural。Duringthelasttwelvemonth,shehadnotfounditnecessarytomakeperpetualexertionstoattract,orretainadmirers。Shehadlearnedtolookupontheattentionsofsocietyasamatterofcourse。

  TheobservationsofMr。Wyllysandhisdaughterwerenotallconfinedtothetwoyoungtravellers;theywatchedthegracefulmovementsofElinor,andlistenedwithinteresttothegayremarksmadeinherpleasantvoice。Shehadneverbeeninbetterspirits,andwasevidentlyhappy。ElinorwasreallyattachedtoJane;andyet,neverweretwogirlslessalike,notonlyinperson,butinmindanddisposition。Jane\'sbeautywasagreatcharm,inElinor\'seyes。Thehomelinessofherownfeaturesonlyincreasedheradmirationforthoseofhercousin,whohadalwaysfilled,withher,theplaceofayoungersisterandpet,althoughthedifferenceintheirageswasverytrifling。Ifthesefeelingswerenotreturnedaswarmlyastheydeserved,Elinorhadneverseemedtoexpectthattheyshouldbe;itwasnotinJane\'snaturetodoso。ThatHarry\'sarrivalshouldhavemadeherhappy,was,ofcourse,onlynatural;shebetrayed,attimes,atouchofembarrassmenttowardshim,whenAuntAgneshadsmiledtooopenly,orMr。Wyllyshadralliedtoostrongly;butitwasgraceful,likeeveryshadeinhermanner。

  MissAgneswaswellawarethatthelasttwoyearshadnotbeenlostwithElinor,althoughpassedinquietevery-daylife。Sheknew,fromcloseobservation,thatthecharacterofheradoptedchildhadbeengraduallyapproachingnearertoallshewishedittobe。Asthetwoyounggirlssatchattingtogether,MissWyllyscouldnotbutmarkthestrikingdifferenceintheirappearance;

  butshealsofeltthatifJane\'slovelinesswereacharm,eventoher,knowingElinorthoroughly,shelovedherfarmoredeeplyforthewantofbeauty。But,ofcourse,theworldwouldhavedecideddifferently。

  ThemorningafterJane\'sarrivalatWyllys-Roof,theyoungpeoplewereengagedinoneofthegayconversationswehavealludedto,whenMr。WyllyscalledoffHazlehurst\'sattention。

  “Harry,whatwasthatclumsycontrivanceabouttheFrenchhorses,youweredescribingtoVanHorne,lastnight?Iwantedtoaskyou,atthetime,butyoubegantotalkwithMissPatsey。Yousaidsomethingaboutawoodencollar,Ithink。“

  Harrychangedhisseat,foronenearerMr。Wyllys,andbeganalongexplanationoftheharnessusedbytheFrenchteamsters。

  “Ihaveseveralengravingsinmytrunks,thatwillshowyoumymeaning,sir,betterthanwordscando。“

  “Ishouldliketoseethem。But,arethesewoodenwingstothecollars,asyoudescribethem,usedthroughoutFrance,oronlyinNormandy,andtheneighbourhoodofParis?”

  “Wesawthemwhereverwewent。Allthecartersandfarmersseemtousethem。Theyhave,besides,agreatdealofclumsy,uselessornament,andtheycontrivetowanttwiceasmuchtackleaswedo。“

  Thegentlemencontinuedtodiscussthesubjectofhorsesandharness,Harryrelating,forMr。Wyllys\'samusement,manyobservationshehadmade,onthesematters,inthedifferentcountrieswherehehadbeen。

  Janehadbroughtdown,fromherroom,anarm-fullofprettythings,evidentlyParisian。ShehadjustgivenElinoraveryprettybag,whichMissAgneswascalledupontoadmire。

  “MydearAunt,“criedElinor,“dolookatthis;Jane,Ithinkwemustcallitasac——\'bag\'soundstooheavy。Lookatthematerial——thefinestcachemere。Andthenthecolour,sorichandsodelicateatthesametime。“

  “Yes;itisaveryprettyshadeofponceau,“saidJane。

  {“ponceau“=poppyredFrench}

  “Andthentheshape!soParisian!Andtheornaments——“

  “Itisverypretty,“saidMissWyllys,afterdueexamination。

  “ThatisthewaywitheverythingthatcomesfromParis,“saidElinor;“itisalwayssocomplete;notonepartgoodandothersclumsy——orgoodinquality,butuglyinformandcolour。TheFrenchseemtohaveaninstinctaboutthesethings;theythrowagraceabouteverything。“

  “Yes;theyhaveaperfecttaste,“saidJane。

  “WhileIwasup-stairs,withLouisa,yesterday,“saidElinor,“wetalkedoverParisallthemorning,AuntAgnes。Iwasamusedwithagreatdealshetoldme。Louisasays,thereisafitnessinallthataFrench-womandoesandsays,andevenineverythingshewears——thatherdressisalwaysconsistent——alwaysappropriatetotheoccasion。“

  “Thatistrue,“repliedJane;“theirdressisalwaysofapiece。“

  “Andyet,Louisainsistsuponit,thattheydonotbestowmoretimeandthoughtuponthesubject,thanthewomenofothercountries——and,certainly,notsomuchmoney。“

  “Everythingissoeasytobehad,andsomuchcheaper,inParis,“

  saidJane。

  “But,sheremarked,thattheyareneverashamedtowearaprettythingmerelybecauseitischeap;nortomakethemselvescomfortable,bywearingthickshoesinthemud,andacoarse,warmshawlinafog。“

  “Wehavenotmuchmudorfogtotroubleus,inthiscountry;“

  saidMissAgnes。

  “No,aunt;butwehavehardshowersinsummer,andcoldweatherinwinter;inspiteofwhich,youknow,ourladiesmustalwaysbedressedlikefairies。“

  “IhaveoftenheardMadamedeBessierespraisethegoodsenseofhercountrywomen,onthosesubjects,“observedMissWyllys。

  “LouisamaintainsthattheFrench-womenhaveagreatdealofcommonsense;shesays,thatisthefoundationoftheirgoodtaste;and,Isuppose,afterall,goodtasteisonlygoodsenserefined。“

  “Isupposeitis,mydear。LouisaseemstohavecomebackevenmoreofaFrench-womanthanyou,Jane,“observedMissAgnes。

  “Oh!IliketheFrenchverywell,AuntAgnes。“

  “ButLouisaisquiteeloquentonthesubject。“

  “Shewassoveryfortunate,Aunt,inhavingsokindafriendinParis,asMadamedeBessieres。LouisadescribesthedeBessieresaslivinginadelightfulsetofpeople——shementionedhalfadozenpersonswhomshemethabituallythere,asnotonlyamiable,andhighlyaccomplished,andwell-bred,buthigh-principled,too。

  Shesayssheusedoftentowishyoucouldknowthem,AuntAgnes。“

  “IcanreadilybelieveanythinggoodoftheintimatefriendsofMadamedeBessieres,forIneverknewawomanwhosecharacterwasmoreworthyofrespect。Itwasagreatlosstous,whenshereturnedtoFrance。Shewasveryfondofyou,Elinor。“

  “HowkindinapersonofMadamedeBessieres\'age,torememberme!Ilongtoseethelettershewroteme;RobertsaysIshallhaveit,certainly,to-morrow,whenalltheirbaggagewillbeatLongbridge。“

  “MadamedeBessieresoftenspokeofyou,Elinor,“saidJane。“Shebidmeaskifyourememberedallthepetnamessheusedtocallyou,butIforgottomentionitwhenIwrote。“

  “Justasyouforgetmanyotherthings,naughtygirl;Imustsayyouareanythingbutamodelcorrespondent,Jenny,dear。“

  “Well,Ican\'thelpit——Idodislikesotowrite!”

  “Youneednottellmethat,“saidElinor,laughing。“ButIdorememberallMadamedeBessieres\'kindnamesverywell。Itwassometimes,monlapin,monlapindore,monchou,mamere——theyallsoundedpleasantlytome,shespokethemsokindly。Butsometimestovexme,theotherchildren——MasterHarryamongothers——usedtotranslatethem;and,thoughrabbit,andgoldenrabbit,soundedverywellinEnglish,Ididnotcaretobecalledcabbage。“

  {“monlapin“=myrabbit;“monchou“=mycabbage,atermofendearment;“dore“=golden;“mamere“=mymotherFrench}

  “DidyouliketheyoungpeopleyoumetinParis,Jane?”askedMissWyllys。

  “Oh,yes;theyoungmendon\'ttroubleyoutoentertainthem,andthegirlsareverygood-naturedandpleasant。“

  “LouisaseemstothinktheFrenchgirlsarecharming——sograceful,andpleasing,andmodest;reallyaccomplished,andwelleducated,too,shesays——allthatyoungwomenoughttobe。“

  “Yes,shesaysthatshehopesherlittlegirlswillbeaswelleducatedasMadamedeBessieres\'grand-daughters,“saidJane。

  “Well,Ihopemylittlenamesakemayanswerhermother\'sexpectations。Sheisasweetlittlepussnow,atanyrate。Louisawasquitevexedyesterday,withMrs。VanHorne,whoaskedheriftheFrenchgirlswerenotallartful,andhypocritical。Sheansweredher,that,onthecontrary,thoseshesawthemostfrequently,weremodest,ingenuous,andthoroughlywell-principledineveryway,besidesbeingveryaccomplished。

  Shelaidgreatstressononepoint,therespectinvariablypaidbytheyoungtotheold,notonlyamongthewomen,butthemen,too。“

  “Yes,“observedMissAgnes;“IremembertohaveheardthesameremarkfromMadamedeBessieres;sheobserved,thatafterhavingbeeninmanydifferentcountries,shecouldjustlyclaimforherown,thatinnootherwassomuchdeferencepaidtoageasinFrance。“

  “ThatagreespreciselywithLouisa\'sopinion。ShesaysitisastrikingfeatureinFrenchsociety,andappearsthoroughlypartoftheircharacter——notatallassumedforappearancesake。“

  “Itisadutytoolittlerememberedinthiscountry。Itseemstobeonlyinourverybestfamiliesthatthesubjectisproperlyattendedto,“saidMissAgnes。

  “Louisalikesthemannersofthemenforthesamereason;shesaysthatinsocietytheyarealwaysrespectfulandobliging,whateverotheragreeableordisagreeablequalitiestheymayhave。

  Sheremarked,thatshehadnevermetwitharudeFrenchmaninsociety;butshehad,repeatedly,metwithrudeEnglishmen,inverygoodcompany。“

  “Whatfault,pray,didLouisafindwiththeEnglishmenyoumet,Jane?”askedMissAgnes。

  “Thereisacertainset,whosayanddorudethings。“

  “Ishouldnothavethoughtthat;“saidMissWyllys。

  “Oh,theyhaveawayofmakingthemselvesdisagreeable;now,aFrenchmannevertriestobedisagreeable。“

  “Onewouldthinknoonewouldtrythat,“saidElinor。

  “TheEnglishdo,though,Iassureyou;atleastacertainset。I

  don\'tbelieveanyotherpeopledo。Irememberoneevening,HarrywasveryangrywithacertainMr。Ellery,sonofLordGreystone,whousedtocometoourhousequiteoftenlastspring。Doyourememberhim,Harry?”sheadded,asHazlehurstagainapproachedthetablecoveredwithFrenchknicknacks{sic},wherethegirlsweresitting。

  “Whomwereyoutalkingabout?”heasked。

  “Mr。Ellery;——doyourememberhismanner?”

  “Ellery?——TobesureIdo!——Insufferablecoxcomb!”

  “Pray,whatwashisgreatoffence?”askedElinor,laughing。

  Harrycolouredviolently。“Oh,itwashisintolerableEnglishmanner。Ihaveknownhimstretchhimselfoutnearlyfulllengthonasofa,onwhichJaneorLouisawassitting,andstareatthem,withthemostsickeningexpression,forhalfanhouratatime。“

  “Halfanhour,Harry!howcanyoutalkso?Halfaminute,youmean。“

  “Well,untilhedroveyouaway,atanyrate。Iwasoftensurprisedthatyoucouldendureitaslongasyoudid。Buthappily,Louisacooledhimoffafterawhile;thoughIhadastronginclinationtoundertakethejobmyself。“

  “Itwasmuchbetterasitwas;itwasLouisa\'splacetodoit,“

  observedMissAgnes。

  “ButIthoughtyoulikedtheEnglish,“saidElinor,withsomesurprise。“YouwerespeakingveryhighlyofseveralofyourEnglishfriends,lastnight。“

  “Idolikethebettersortverymuch。Theyarefine,manlyfellows,aseverbreathed。“

  “Whatpeopledidyoulikebest?”askedMissAgnes。

  “Amanwhodoesnotcherishprejudice,mustnaturallylikethebestqualitiesandthebestindividualsofallnations。“

  “Buthaveyounopreference?”

  “Therecannotbeadoubt,thatsocietyismoreagreeableinFrance,inParis,thanelsewhere。“

  “ArenottheFrenchtooartificial?”

  “IhonestlydonotthinkthemmoresothantheEnglish。Englishsimplicityoftenhasaveryartificialtwist;withtheFrenchitisjustthereverse;artbecomesasecond-nature,withthem。“

  “WeheartheFrenchaccusedofselfishness——“

  “IthinkyouwouldfindbothFrenchandEnglishmoreselfishthanweare。Buttheyhavedifferentwaysofshowingit。TheEnglishmanisexclusive,andreserved;theFrenchmanegotistical。

  Reservemayseemdignified;butitoftencoversagreatdealofcoldself-love;whileFrenchegotism——notEGOISME——isoftenmingledwithmuchnaiveteandbonhommie{sic}。Bothnations,however,aremoreselfishthantheItalians,orGermans,Ishouldsay。“

  “Still,youseemtoliketheFrenchthebestofthetwo。“

  “Well,theFrenchgenerallytreatAmericansmorecivillythantheEnglish。JohnBullisveryfondofgivinghimselfairsofsuperiority,afteradisagreeablefashionofhisown。NowaFrenchmanfancieshimselfsomuchmorecivilizedthantherestoftheworld,thathehasagood-naturedfeelingtowardseverybodybutJohnBull:hethinkshecanaffordtobeamiableandfriendly。“

  “Ifyouarespeakingofthebestpeopleineachcountry,however,“saidMr。Wyllys;“thatisnotthesurestwayofjudgingnationalcharacter。Wemusttaketheaverage。“

  “Iamawareofthat,sir。“

  “Atanyrate,youdon\'tseemtohavelikedthisMr。Ellery,“saidElinor。

  “Notintheleast;Iusedtothinkhimexcessivelyimpertinent,“

  exclaimedHarry,andashischolerrose,whilecertainrecollectionspassedthroughhismind,hecolouredagain。Tochangethesubject,hetookupthebagtheyoungladieshadbeenadmiring。

  “Whatfancifulnamemaybelongtothispieceoffinery;for,ofcourse,itisnotabag?”heasked。

  “Oh,itistoouseful,nottohaveastraight-forward,commonname;youmaycallitasac,though,ifyoulike。Icouldnotthinkofanythingmoreimaginative;canyou,Jane?”

  “Idaresay,thereisanothername;butIhaveforgottenit;

  everythinghasanameofitsown,inParis。“

  “Yourtablelookslikeafancy-shop,AuntAgnes,“continuedHazlehurst;“gloves,bags,purses,boxes,muslins,portfolios,andtwentyotherthings,jumbledtogether。“

  “Whatsortofwoodisthework-boxthatyouchoseforMissPatsey?”askedElinor。“Iamverygladyouthoughtofher。“

  “Harrydoesnotseemtohaveforgottenanyofhisfriends,whileinParis,“saidMissAgnes。

  Hazlehurstlookeddown。

  “Itissomedarkwood;notrose-wood,however。Itisratherplain;butaserviceable-lookingbox,“hesaid。

  “JustthethingforMissPatsey,“observedElinor。

  “Here,Elinor,“saidJane,“isthecapeIspokeof;“andsheunfoldedapaper,anddrewfromitapieceofmuslinwhichhadevidentlyreceivedaveryprettyshape,fineembroidery,andtastefulbowsofribandfromsomeParisianhand。“ThisistheoneIspokeof——Isitnotmuchprettierthananyyouhaveseen?”

  Elinorreceivedthecapefromhercousin,whowasunusuallyanimatedinitspraises;itwashelduptothelight;thenlaidonthetable;thedelicacyoftheworkwasadmired;thentheform,andtheribands;and,atlast,ElinorthrewitoverJane\'sshoulders,observing,atthesametime,thatitwasparticularlybecomingtoher。Harryseemeddeterminednottolook;and,inordertoresistanyinclinationhemayhavefelt,todoso,heresolutelytookupaReview,andbeganturningoveritspages。

  Theyoungladies\'admirationofthecapelastedseveralminutes,and,atlength,Elinorcalledupontherestofthepartytoadmirehowbecomingitwas。

  “Well,really,“exclaimedHarry,lookingrathercross,probablyatbeingdisturbedinhisreading,“youngladies\'loveoffineryseemsquiteinexhaustible;itissometimesincomprehensibletothedullerperceptionsofthemalesex。“

  “Don\'tbesaucy!”saidElinor。

  “Why,youcan\'tdenythefact,thatyouandJanehavebeendoingnothingelse,allthemorning,buttumbleoverthisParisfinery?”

  “Ibegyourpardon——wehavebeentalkingquitesensibly,too;

  havewenot,AuntAgnes?”

  “Muchasusual,Ibelieve,mydear,“repliedMissWyllys。

  “Prayobserve,thatthetablecontainssomethingbesidesfinery;

  herearesomeverygoodFrenchandItalianbooks;but,Isuppose,Janewillsay,thoseyouselectedyourself。“

  “Icertainlydid,“saidHarry;“andthemusic,too。“

  “Well,Ihavehalfamindnottotellyou,thatwelikethebooksandthemusicquiteaswellasanythinghere,“saidElinor,colouring;andthen,asifalmostfearingthatshehadbetrayedherfeelings,shecontinued,inagaytone。“But,whyareyousosevereuponusthismorning?”

  “Unpalatabletruth,Isuppose,“saidHarry,shrugginghisshoulders。

  “Pray,remember,sir,thatiffinerybethrownawayuponthenoblesex,atthepresentday,itwasnotalwaysso。Letmereferyoutocertainkings,who,notcontentwithstudyingtheirowndresses,havecondescendedtocomposethoseoftheirqueens,too。

  Rememberhowmanygreatheroes——yourTurennesandMarlboroughs——haveappearedindiamondsandsatin,velvetandfeathers!”

  {“Turenne“=HenridelaTourd\'Auvergne,VicomtedeTurenne1611-1675,afamousFrenchmilitarycommander;“Marlborough“=

  JohnChurchillMarlborough,DukeofMarlborough1650-1722,afamousBritishmilitarycommander}

  “Butthatwastwohundredyearsago。“

  “Theywereheroes,nevertheless;and,Isuppose,unefoiscaporal,toujourscaporal。But,ifyouprefersomethingnearertoourowntime,figuretoyourselfHoraceWalpole,andGeneralConway,somehalf-centurysince,consulting,intheircorrespondence,upontheparticularshadeofsatinbestsuitedtotheircomplexions——whetherpea-green,orwhite,werethemostfavourable。“

  {“unefoicaporal……“=onceacorporal,alwaysacorporalFrench;“Walpole“=HoraceWalpole1717-1797,Englishauthor;

  “Conway“=GeneralHenryConway1721-1795,Englishgeneralandpolitician}

  Hazlehurstlaughed。

  “Thereitis,inwhiteandblack!”saidElinor。“JustrememberGoldsmith,struttingaboutTempleGardens,inhisblush-colouredsatin,andfancyingeverybodyinlovewithhim,too!”

  {“Goldsmith“=OliverGoldsmith1730-1775,Britishauthor;

  “TempleGardens“=inLondonontheThamesRiver,nexttoTheTempleanancientEnglishschooloflaw}

  “Quarter!quarter!Nelly,“criedhergrandfather,laughing。

  “True,Imustconfess,“saidHarry,smiling;“butthatwasmorethanfiftyyearsago。Theworldhasgrownwiser,now。“

  “Hasit?”

  “Lookatoursobercoats,to-day——thelastParisfashions,too!”

  “Yes——butwhatisthereason?”criedElinor,laughingherself。

  “Youhavejustfoundoutthatfinery,andashowyexterior,areofnousetoyou——theydonotincreaseyourinfluencewiththeladies!Wedonotvalueamanmoreforashowyexterior!”

  “Isubmit,“saidHarry;buthecoloured,andseemedtoMissAgnes,moreembarrassedbyElinor\'sremarkthanwasnecessary。Hethrewdownhisbook,however,andcrossedtheroomtotakeaplacenearher。

  “Whatareyougoingtodothismorning?”hesaid,quietly。

  Awalkwasproposed,andsoonaftertheyoungpeople,accompaniedbyBruno,setouttogether。

  CHAPTERX。

  “Fashion,leaderofachatteringtrain。“

  COWPER。

  {WilliamCowperEnglishpoet,1731-1800,“Conversation“line457}

  MISSPATSEY\'Smotherwasmoreunwellthanusual;andafterbreakfastthefollowingmorning,Elinorpreparedalittlebasketofparticularlyfinepeaches,whichsheproposedcarryingtoMrs。

  Hubbard,herself。Harryofferedtoaccompanyher,andJanewaspersuadedtojointhem;althoughingeneral,shedislikedeverykindofmotionexceptdancing。

  ThetravellershadalreadyseenMissPatseyandheryoungestsister,andtheywerenowsofortunateastofindCharlieathome。HehadcomefromNewYork,theeveningbefore,and,ofcourse,wasmuchpleasedtoseehisyoungfriends;indeed,heshowedsomuchemotionatthemeeting,astochangecolourwhenhefirstsawthethreecousinsenterthelittlegate。

  “Why,Charlie,youhavegrownininches;aswellasindignity,sinceweparted,“saidHazlehurst,shakinghimwarmlybythehand。

  “Ishallneverarriveatanygreatelevationeitherway,“repliedtheyouth,aftershakinghandsalsowithJane。

  “Idon\'tknowthat;youhavegrownhalfafootsinceIsawyou,andyouhavedonewondersIhear,asapainter。Mr。Wyllys,andElinor,arebothgreatadmirersofyourpictures。“

  “Wondersarecomparative,youknow;IbelieveIhaveaccomplishedmore,forinstance,thanmymotheranticipated,forshethoughtI

  wasgoingtodevotemyselftosignsandwindow-blinds。“

  {“window-blinds“=windowshadeswereatthistimefrequentlydecoratedwithhandpaintedpictures}

  “Thatisyouraccountofthematter。Butdon\'tsupposeIhavenotlearnedthatMr。CharlesHubbardislookeduponasoneofourmostpromisingyoungartists,andthatseveralofhispicturesarethoughtthebestoftheirkindthathavebeenpaintedthissidetheAtlantic。“

  “YouareverymuchimprovedinflatterybyavisittoParis,“

  saidCharlie,smiling。

  “Onlysobertruth,asyoumustwellknow,Mr。CharlesHubbard。I

  hopeyouhavesomethinghereforustolookat;Iamreallyveryimpatienttoseesomeofyourpictures。IwishyoucouldhaveenjoyedhalfthefineworksofartthatIhaveseeninthelasttwoyears。“

  Hubbardrepliedthathehadstronghopesofgoingabroadhimselfbeforelong,thankstotheliberalityofhisuncle,andthepromiseofseveralordersfromdifferentgentlemen。Harrycongratulatedhimwarmly,thoughheregrettedthatCharlieshouldthinkofleavinghomejustashehimselfreturned。

  Theyoung1adiespaidtheirvisittoMrs。Hubbardinherbed-room,whileHarryandCharlietalkedoverahundreddifferentthingstogether;andafterengagingCharlestodineatWyllys-Roof,theywalkedhomeagain。

  “MissPatsey\'sparlourreallylooksneaterandsmallerthanever,“observedHarry。“AndIdon\'tthinkIhaveseensuchanhonest,good-natured,pleasantfaceasher\'s,sinceIleftLongbridge。Sheseemssatisfiednow,withtheideaofCharlie\'sbeinganartist。“

  “Sheisresignedtoit,rather,“saidElinor,“nowthatthematterisentirelysettled。“

  “Charlielookspale,“observedHarry;“hehasgrownthough,andheisnolongersoveryslightasheusedtobe。“

  “Heseemstobewell,“repliedElinor;“butattimeshisspiritsarenotgood。Hehasbeenmuchinterestedinyourmovements——quiteanxiousaboutyourreturn。“

  “Charlieisarightgoodfellow,“saidHarry;“Iwasinhopestoseeagreatdealofhim,thiswinter。“AtthismomentJanedroppedaglove;ofcourseHarrypickeditup,andhecontinuedsilentafterdoingso。

  “There,yousee,isMr。Taylor\'snewhouse,“observedElinor,asanopeninginagroveofyoungtreesallowedafullviewofahouseofsomesize,andverygreatpretensions。

  JanelookedatthehomeofherfriendAdelinewithinterest——Harryexclaimed,“Whatarchitecture!”

  “Don\'tabuseit,“saidElinor,“forIassureyou\'Mr。Taylor\'ssplendidmansion\'——\'Mr。Taylor\'smagnificentseat\'isverymuchadmired。“

  JustasthepartyreachedthepiazzaofWyllys-Roof,Mr。Taylor\'sbarouchedroveuptothedoor,andinaninstantMissAdelineTaylorhadthrownherself,andherfashionablemorning-dress,intoJane\'sarms。

  “Iwassogladtofindyouwerestayinghere!”sheexclaimed。“PaandIonlyarrivedfromSaratogalastnight;Ididnotexpectyouforamonthtocome。“

  “Wehadaveryshortpassagefortheseason,“saidJane,returningtheembracequitecordially。

  “Weseemtohavetakenallourfriendsratherbysurprise,MissTaylor,“saidHarry。

  “Well,ifIhadbeeninyourplace,IshouldhavestaidinParistillthelastminute;——though,Idaresay,YOUwereinahurrytogetbacktoLongbridge,Mr。Hazlehurst;nodoubtyouwantedtoseeMEverymuch。PutIwonderthatJanedidnotcontrivetostaythere。“

  Harrylookedalittleembarrassed,andJane,too,colouredalittle;thoughthereseemedtobenoverygoodreasonthateithershoulddoso。

  “DidyoufindSaratogapleasant,thissummer,MissTaylor?”askedElinor,drawingachairnearthebenchwherethetwofriendsweresitting,handinhand。

  “Oh,delightful!——Everyhousefull,fromthecellartothegarret。HowoftenIwishedforyou,Jane!ifitwasonlyearlierintheseasonIwouldmakepatakeusthereagain,justforthepleasureofshowingoffyournewFrenchfashions——youwouldbethegreatestbelleoftheseason。“

  “Weneednotinquirewhowasthebelle,“saidElinor;“suchimportantnewsreachesevensober,home-stayingpeoplelikeus。“

  “Oh,wehadhalfadozenbelles——alllively,prettygirls。Therewasayounggentleman,fromSavannah,atCongressHall,whowrotesomeversesaboutus,andcalledusthe\'ChimeofBells;\'itwasasortofimitationof\'ThoseEveningBells,\'andwaspublishedintheSaratogapapers。ButifJanehadbeenthere,Idon\'tthinkweshouldhavestoodmuchchance。“

  {“ThoseEveningBells,“popularsongbytheIrishpoetThomasMoore1779-1852,arrangedbySirJohnStevenson1761-1833}

  “Youthinkthepoetwouldhaverungabob-major,forJane?”

  “Certainly;withhertrunksfullofthingsfromParis,shewouldhavecarriedallbeforeher。“

  “Idon\'tthinkJanehasbroughtaverylargeshareoffinerywithher,“saidElinor。

  “No,indeed,“saidHarry;“onlyfivetrunksandthreeboxes,whichIhadthehonourofgettingthroughtheCustom-House。“

  “Butpartofitwasforherfriends,“saidElinor。

  “Youwouldhaveneededalargesupply,Icantellyou,Jane,“

  saidMissAdeline,“ifyouhadwantedtoout-dashus;forwedeterminedthisseason,somehalf-dozenofus,toout-dotheyoungladieswhoweretherelastyear。“

  “Didyousucceed?”saidHazlehurst。

  “Tobesurewedid。Wemadeafirmresolvenotonlytochangeourdresssixtimeseveryday,butnevertowearthesamedresstwice。Wedroveseveralfamiliesawaybythatmanoeuvre;butyouhavenoideawhatfunitwastous,whoenteredintothespiritofthething。Fortwodays,though,wewereingreattrepidation。

  TherewereacoupleofBaltimoregirlsthere,greatdashers,whowouldnotenterintoouragreement;andthespitefulthingsactuallychangedtheirdressseventimes,thetwofirstdays。“

  “Sevenchanges!”saidElinor;“howdidtheymanagethat?”

  “Why,theycamedowntobreakfastinawhitedress;afterbreakfasttheywoulddriveinanother,ofcourse;thentheywouldshowthemselvesinthedrawing-room,afterdriving,inapinkmuslin,perhaps;atdinner,theyworeanother;thenafterdinner,theywouldchangeagain;intheeveningtheyworeparty-dresses,ofcourse;andaftertheywentupstairs,theywouldvisiteachotherinwhattheycalleddressnight-wrappers。Now,wasn\'titmeaninthem?”

  “Very,“saidHarry,laughing。

  “Tobesureitwas。Changingsixtimeswasnomorethanwasnecessary;allwe\'eveningbells\'did,wasnevertowearthesamedresstwice。Wouldyoubelieveit,afterputtingsuchaboldfaceonthematter,thethirddaytheydisappearedsuddenly!Wehadagoodcrow,Icantellyou。Therewasapoorlittleinnocentthere,atthesametime,fromBoston,whotriedtobeatusonanothertack,asLieut。Johnsonsaid;theycalledhertheblue-bell。Well,sheneverchangedherdress,morning,noon,ornight——andjusttospiteus。But,dearme,weonlylaughed——wedidn\'tcareafigforher;althoughshewasverypretty,shecouldn\'tgetamantospeaktoher,exceptingoneoldfossilProfessor,whoworespectacles,andwalkedupanddownwithheronthepiazzaallthetime。“

  {“Lieut。Johnson“=notidentified}

  “ShewasnoworthyrivalfortheChimeofBells!”saidHarry。

  “Certainlynot。ButIcantellyou,thatafterwehadbeenthereaweek,twooftheChimewereingreatdanger,andoneofthemnolessapersonthanyourhumbleservant;theotherwasAnneHunter——Jane,yourememberAnneHunter,whowasatMrs。G——\'swithus?Well,AnneandIwereingreattrouble,oneday。Now,Mr。Hazlehurst,Ihopeyoucankeepasecret。“

  “Alady\'ssecret?——Canyoudoubtme,MissTaylor?”

  “Well,mindnow,younevermentionit;but,AnneandIgotdowntoourlastdozendresses,andwewerepledgedtostayaweeklonger。ThiswasMonday,andonThursdaytherewastobeapic-nic,givenexpresslytotheChimeofBells。Atfirst,I

  thoughtIwastheonlyoneinsuchadeplorablestate;but,happily,IdiscoveredthatAnne,whoseroomwasnexttomine,wasnobetteroff。Andnow,howdoyousupposewemanaged?”

  “Pray,whatdidyoudo?”saidElinor,laughing。

  “Totellthetruth,Isatdownandcried;forIamhigh-spirited,andIcouldnotbearthethoughtsofsuchamortification。ButAnneisanexcellentmanager,youknow,Jane——“

  “Yes,Irememberher。“

  “Annehadaplanthatcarriedallofftriumphantly。Sheproposedtome,topersuadetheotherthree\'eveningbells,\'thattodohonourtothepic-nic,weshouldbedressedalike,inasortofuniform。Well,ofcourse,theothersagreed;butthen,howtofindthefivedressesalike!Ofcourse,wecouldn\'twearanythingmadeinSaratoga。Thepoethadentreatedus,inasonnet,tobealldressedinwhite;sowefixeduponwhitebatiste——but,howtogetthem,wasthequestion。“

  “Iamallcuriosity——“saidElinor。

  “Oh!itwasbeautifullydone,——AnneproposedweshouldallwriteanadvertisementforatrustyescorttoNewYork,andpostituponthecurtainsoftheladies\'drawing-room。Whatfunwehad,whilewewerewritingtheadvertisements!Wetookanopportunity,whenweandourbeauxhadthedrawing-roomtoourselves,tovotethegentlemenoutofit。Afterawhile,theywent;but,whatdoyousupposethewretchesdid,Mr。Hazlehurst?”

  “Nothingungallant,Itrust。“

  “Yes;tospiteus,theycrowdedtothewindowsonthepiazza,tillwedroppedtheblinds。Well,foratime,wethoughtweweresafe;butsuddenlyAnneHuntershoutedout,andtherecomfortablyseatedinatreeclosetotheendwindow,wheretheblindwasbroken,wesawoneoftheyounggentlemenwithanote-bookinhishand!Wevowedwewouldn\'tbedefeated,sowepinnedupourpocket-handkerchiefstogether,and,fortunately,theycoveredthepeep-hole;andsoweshuthimout,atlast。“

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