第9章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Elinor Wyllys",免费读到尾

  Taylor,shetookoffherhat,andremainedsometimeinthecabin——apieceofgood-naturewhichMr。Ellsworthseemedtothinkill-timed。AstheydrewneartheHighlands,however,shereturnedtoherseatondeck;forthemorningwaslovely,andshedidnotwishtolosethescenery。ShefoundMrs。Hilsonsittingnearheraunt。

  “Ah,MissElinor!——howdoyoudo?”exclaimedthecitylady。“ItisthefirsttimeIhavehadachanceofseeingyousinceyoureturnedfromtheWestIndies。YouhavenotbeenmuchinNewYork,Ibelieve,sinceyouarrived?”

  “Onlyforadayortwo。“

  “AndhowdidyouliketheWestIndies?IstheremucharistocracyatHavana?”

  “Wefounditverypleasantthere;andtheclimatewasofsomuchservicetomyaunt,thatIshallalwaysrememberHavanawithgratitude。“

  “Youdidnotgointosociety,then?”

  “0h,yes;wemademanypleasantacquaintances。“

  “Well,ifIgoabroad,IhopeitwillbetoEngland;thoughI

  shouldlikeverywelltovisitthestoresofParis。“

  “Haveyouseenyourcousin,CharlesHubbard,sincehearrivedfromItaly?”inquiredElinor。

  “Yes;hecalledatourboarding-house。HeisatLongbridgenow,butheiscomingtoSaratoga,shortly;forhetoldmehehadengagedtotakeseveralviewsofLakeGeorge。“

  “Iamsorrybedidnotcometoseeusintown;butIamdelightedtohearheisgoingtoSaratoga。Grandpapa,Mrs。HilsontellsmeCharlesHubbardwillbeatSaratoga,withus!”

  “Iamverygladtohearit,mychild;IwanttoseeCharlie。“

  “Hashebroughthomemanypictures?”continuedElinor。

  “Ireallydon\'tknow;Ididnotthinkofaskinghim。“

  “Ishouldsupposeyouwouldbeanxioustoseeyourcousin\'spaintings。“

  “Oh,no;portraitsaretheonlypicturesthatinterestme。I

  alwayshavethe\'BookofBeauty,\'wheneveritcomesout;youknowtheyarelikenessesofthePeeressesoftheEnglishNobility。“

  {“BookofBeauty“=“Heath\'sBookofBeauty“anannualvolumewithengravingsoffamousBritishwomen,sponsoredbyCharlesHeath1785-1848London:Longmans,1833-1847}

  Elinorbowed。“Yes,Ihaveseenthebook。“

  “Ihavethe\'ChildrenoftheNobility,\'too,boundincrimsonsilk;itisaveryfascinatingcollection。Myfriend,Mrs。

  Bagman,tellsmetheyareexcellentlikenesses,particularlythechildrenofhisRoyalHighness,theLord-Mayor。“

  {“ChildrenoftheNobility“=“PortraitsoftheChildrenoftheNobility,“Asimilarpublication,alsosponsoredbyCharlesHeathLongmans:London,1838}

  Absurdassuchamistakeinheraldrymayseem,onemightvouchforhavingheardothersquiteasextraordinary。

  “Theymaybelike,“saidElinor,smilinginspiteofherself;

  “butIcannotagreewithyouastotheirbeauty。Ihaveseenthevolume,anditstruckmetheartistsmusthavemadecaricaturesofmanyofthechildren,who,nodoubt,wereprettyinreality。“

  “Iwaslookingatthoseengravingsonlyyesterday,“saidMr。

  Ellsworth,anxioustoengageElinor\'sattention;“theyalmostamounttoalibelonchildhood;theygivetheideaofmincing,affectedlittlecreatures,attheveryagewhenchildrenarealmostinvariablynaturalandinteresting。Ishouldquarrelverymuchwithaportraitofmylittlegirl,inthesamefashion。“

  “Butitisveryseldomyouseeportraitsofchildren,thatarereallychild-like,“observedElinor。“Andthenwhatatrial,topaintapretty,innocentlittlecreature,infulldress,starchedandtrim!”

  “Childrenarecharmingsubjectswhenproperlytreated;Idelightinsuchpictures,“saidMaryVanAlstyne。

  “Youwouldhavebeenoftendelightedthen,inItaly,MissVanAlstyne。Raphael\'scherubsareasperfectintheirway,ashismenandwomen。“

  {“Raphael\'scherubs“=WhilelivinginFlorencein1829,JamesFenimoreCooperandhisfamilyadmiredthe“MadonnadelBaldacchino“sometimescalled“LaMadonnadelTrono“byRaphaelItalianpainter,1483-1520,atthePittiPalace,andespeciallythetwosingingangels“perhapsIshouldcallthemcherubsatthefootofthethrone。HecommissionedtheAmericansculptorHoratioGreenough1805-1852tosculptforhimagroupcalled“TheChantingCherubs,“basedtheangelsorcherubs}

  Mrs。Hilson,unwillingtobethrownoutoftheconversation,againaddressedElinor。

  “Whenyoujoinedus,MissWyllys,wewerespeakingofthefireoppositeyourhotel。Wereyounotdreadfullyalarmed?Ihearyouwerethere;althoughIdidnotfindyouathomewhenIcalled。“

  “Weweredisturbed,ofcourse;butIcan\'tsaythatwewerepersonallyalarmed。Thewind,youmayremember,carriedeverythingintheoppositedirection。“

  “Didit?Well,Iwastoomuchfrightenedtonoticeanything;youknowitwasinthesameblockasourboarding-house。“

  “Yes;youwerenearerthedangerthanwewere。“

  “Oh,Iwasdreadfullyfrightened。TherewasoneofourladieswantedtopersuademetolookatTrinityChurch,lightedupbythefire;Ibelieveshereallythoughtitafascinatingsight。

  Herecomesagentlemanwhowasstayingatyourhotel,andhasnotgotoverhisfrightyet;itisoneofmyescorts——Ihavetwo,theBaronandthisgentleman;buttheBaronisnotondecknow——letmeintroduceyou;MonsieurBonnet,MissWyllys。Idobelieve,MonsieurBonnet,youwereasmuchalarmedasIwas。“

  “Alarm——Ah,Madame,Iwaseblouibythefire。Inallmylife,I

  neversawrealincendiebefore;though,ofcourse,IsawthePanoramaoftheincendiedeMoscou——IwasnotinRussiewithl\'Empereur。Atthespectaclewehaveincendiessometimes;butneverinthestreet。Ah,Ididnotseethathouseuntiltherooffall,whenlightburstthroughmyvolets,andIspringtothewindow。“

  {“ebloui“=dazzled;“incendiedeMoscou“=thefirewhichdestroyedMoscowin1812,whileitwasbeingoccupiedbytheEmperorNapoleon;“spectacle“=theater;“volets“=shuttersFrench}

  “Ishouldhavethoughtthenoisewouldhavecalledyououtbeforethat。“

  “Dutout;whenIhearcries,andpeoplemarching,Ithinktoutbonnementitwasanemeute,andIturnroundtofinishmysleep;

  IthinkmyselfhappynottobelongtotheGardeNationaleofNewYork,andnotbeafraidoftherappel。“

  {“dutout“=notatall;“toutbonnement“=simply;“emeute“=

  riot;“rappel“=calltoarmsFrench}

  “Whatdidyouthinkitwas?”

  “Anemeute,sansdoute,sayItomyself。Itwasuntintamarreepouvantable。“

  {“untintamarreepouvantable“=afrightfuluproarFrench}

  “Emeute;pray,whatisthat?”

  “Emeute?Alittlerevolution,aswehaveinParisconstamment。“

  “Why,mydearsir,ourrevolutionarywartookplacemorethanfiftyyearsago。Didyouexpecttofindusfightingnow?”

  “Certainement;IthoughtthewheelIhearwascannon。ButmonamiEel-SUNtellmenextday,thereisincendieeverynightsomewhereinNewYork。Undrolededivertisement,vraiment。Itisagreatdesagrement,ofacityotherwisesobeautiful,withsomanycharmingladies。“

  {“undrolededivertisement,vraiment“=truly,astrangeformofentertainment。“desagrement“=unpleasantfeatureFrench}

  “Thankyou,sir;youareverypolite。Ibelieve,MissWyllys,thatFrenchgentlemen,nomatterwhattheytalkabout,alwaysfindanopportunitytopayacompliment。“

  “C\'esttoutnaturel;celavasansdire;itisonlyourdevoir,Madame,toexprimertotheladiessomeofthemanyagreeablethingstheyinspire。“

  {“C\'esttoutnaturel……“=it\'sonlynatural;itgoeswithoutsaying;itisonlyourduty,Madame,toexpresstotheladies……

  French}

  “Worseandworse,“saidMrs。Hilson,laughing。“HowdifferentyouarefromCaptainKockney;heneversaidacivilthingtome,allthetimehewasinNewYork。“

  “LecapitaineCoquenaiswasanAnglais,whocannotfeelthetruepolitesseFrancaise。“

  “Heusedtosayitisnotaristocratictobepolitetootherpeople;hebelongstotheEnglisharistocracy,youknow。“

  “L\'aristocratie!Oh,thatisavilestateofthings。LavieillearistocratieofFrance,Madame,wasthecauseofourrevolution。

  ButinFrancenow,andinAmerica,thosehappycountree,thespiritofaristocracyisextinct。“

  “Ibegyourpardon,MonsieurBonnet,“saidMrs。Hilson,quiteindignantly。“Itistruetherearemanyplebeiansinthiscountry;butwehavealsomanypeopleofthehighestaristocracy。“

  “Ah,vousplaisantezavectantdegrace,Madame!”

  {“vousplaisantez……“=Youjokesogracefully,MadameFrench}

  “Itispleasant,certainly,tome;thoughsomepeoplemaynotappreciateit。Iamaveryaristocraticspirit。“

  “Ah,sansdoute,Madame;youhavesomuchesprit,youlaughatme,“saidtheFrenchman,whotookMrs。Hilson\'sprotestationasajoke。

  {“esprit“=witFrench}

  “No,indeed;Ineverwasmoreseriousinmylife。Ishouldsupposeyouwouldhavebeenstruckwiththehighstateofaristocracyatourboarding-house,forinstance。“

  MonsieurBonnetcouldonlyshrughisshoulders,beingquiteatalossforthelady\'smeaning。

  “Yes;Iamthoroughlypatricianandaristocratic;ifweonlyhadadespoticgovernment,totakeawayallprivilegesfromplebeians,Ishouldbeperfectlyhappy。Mylanguagesurprisesyou,Iperceive;butitisquitenaturalthatadescendantofaScotchBaronet,theDukeofPercy,shouldhavesimilarfeelings。“

  Moreandmorebewildered,MonsieurBonnetwasreducedtoabow。

  Happily,ashethought,thewarningbellwasrung;andtheusualcry,“PassengersforWestPointpleaselookoutfortheirbaggage!”changedthecurrentofMrs。Hilson\'sideas,orrathertheflowofherwords。

  Inanothermoment,Mrs。HilsonandMonsieurBonnet,withascoreortwoofothers,werelandedatWestPoint,andtheladiesofMr。Wyllys\'spartyfeltitnolittlerelieftoberidofsomucharistocracy。

  TheboathadsoonreachedPoughkeepsie,andmuchtoMr。

  Ellsworth\'sregret,Mr。Wyllysandhisfamilywentonshore。Mr。

  EllsworthhadbeenintroducedtoElinoratJane\'swedding。Hewasamanofthirty,awidower,withanonlychild,andhadforseveralyearsbeenthinkingofmarryingagain。Afterhavingmadeuphismindtotakethestep,henextdeterminedthathewouldnotmarryinahurry。Hewasnotamanofquickpassions,andwassometimesaccusedofbeingfastidiousinhistastes。HethoughtElinor\'smannercharming,andsoondiscoveredthatshehadeveryrecommendationbutbeauty,thewantofwhichwasheronlydrawback;helikedherfamily,andprobablywasnotsorrytohearthatshewouldhavealargeproperty。But,unfortunately,heseldommetMissElinorWyllys;shewasagreatpartofhertimeinthecountry,andheknewnobodyintheimmediateneighbourhood。HehadnotbeenaskedtoWyllys-Roof;norwashe,averyrecentacquaintance,ontermssufficientlyintimate,topresenthimselfatthedoor,bagandbaggage,withoutaninvitation。Morethanatwelvemonthintervened,inthemeantime;

  buthewasstillthinkingenoughofElinortomakehimwishforameeting,when,accidentally,theypassedafewdaystogetheratOldPointComfort,andafterwardsmetagain,notexactlybyaccidentitisbelieved,attheSulphurSprings,inVirginia。HisgoodopinionofElinorwasnotonlyconfirmedbythisintercourse,buthisadmirationverymuchincreased。Itwasonlynaturalitshouldbeso;themoreoneknewElinor,themoreonelovedher;goodsense,intelligence,sweetnessofdispositionlikeher\'s,unitedtothesimplegraceofmanner,peculiarlyherown,werebestappreciatedbythosewhosawherdaily。QuiteunawareofMr。Ellsworth\'sviews,andunconsciouslyinfluencedatfirst,perhaps,bythefactthathewasanoldfriendofHarry\'s,shesoonlikedhimasacompanion,andreceivedhimwithsomethingmorethanmerepoliteness。“Itisalwayspleasanttomeetwithanagreeable,gentlemanly,well-informedman,“thoughtElinor:atrainofreflectionwhichhassometimescarriedyoungladiesfartherthantheyatfirstintended。Undersuchcircumstances,someardentspiritswouldhavesettledthequestionduringafortnightpassedwiththeladytheyadmired;

  butMr。Ellsworth,thoughhethoughtElinor\'smannerencouraging,didnotcaretohazardahastydeclaration;hepreferredwaitingafewweeks,untiltheyshouldmeetagaininPhiladelphia,wheretheWyllysesintendedpassingthewinter。Butunfortunately,shortlyafterthefamilyreturnedhome,MissAgneswastakenill,andonherpartialrecovery,wasorderedtoawarmclimatebeforethecoldweather;andElinormerelypassedthroughPhiladelphiaonherwaytotheWestIndies,withherauntandgrandfather。Mr。

  Ellsworthwas,ofcourse,disappointed;heexpressedhisregretsaswarmlyashedared,duringamorningvisit,inaroomhalf-fullofcompany;andhehintedintermssopointedathishopesofahappymeetinginthespring,thatElinor\'ssuspicionswereforthefirsttimeexcited,whilethoseofMr。WyllysandMissAgneswereonlyconfirmed。Sincethen,Mr。EllsworthandElinorhadonlyseeneachotheronce,inthestreet,untiltheymetonboardthesteamboat,ontheirwaytoSaratoga。

  {“OldPointComfort“=asea-sideresortnearHampton,Virginia}

  CHAPTERIII。{XXVI}

  “Whocomeshere?”

  AsYouLikeIt。

  {WilliamShakespeare,“AsYouLikeIt“,II。vii。87orIII。iv。46}

  THEREwastobeaTemperancemeetingatLongbridge,oneofmoreimportancethanusual,asaspeakerofnotewastobeheardontheoccasion。

  “Areyouready,Catherine?”inquiredMr。Clappofhiswife,appearingattheparlour-door,holdinghishatandcaneinonehand,andrunningtheotherthroughhisbrowncurls。

  “Waitoneminute,dear,untilIhaveputacleancollaronWillie。“

  LittleWillie,whohadbeenhoppingabouttheroom,delightedwiththeimportanceofsittinguplaterthanhisyoungerbrothersandsisters,waspersuadedtostandstillforafewseconds,whilehismothertiedonthecleancollar;whenMr。Clapp,hiswife,andeldestboysetoutforthemeeting-house,whichtheyfoundalreadyhalf-filled。TheywerebeckonedintoapewneartoonealreadyoccupiedbytheVanHornes,MissPatsey,andCharlie。

  Astheeveningwasverypleasant,men,women,andchildrencrowdedin,untilalargeaudiencewasbroughttogether,urged,asusual,bydifferentmotives;somecamefromcuriosity,othersfromalwayspreferringaneveninginpublictoaneveningathome;some,fromsincererespectfortheobjectofthemeeting,manyforthesakeofthespeeches,andmanyothersmerelybecausetheywereeverreadytofollowthegeneralexample。Mr。Clapphadnosoonerfoundseatsforhiswifeandchild,thanhebegantolookabouthim;hiseyewanderedovertheheadsaround,apparentlyinquestofsomeone;atlengthhissearchseemedsuccessful;itrestedonaman,whosewholeappearanceanddressproclaimedhimtobeasailor。

  Themeetingwasopenedbyprayer,twodifferentministersofficiatingontheoccasion;one,avenerable-lookingoldman,offeredasimple,fervent,Christianprayer;thesecond,amuchyoungerperson,placingonehandinhiswaistcoatpocket,theotherundertheflapsofhiscoat,advancedtothefrontofthestaging,andcommenced,whatwasafterwardspronouncedoneofthe“mosteloquentprayerseveraddressedtoacongregation。“

  Thespeechesthenfollowed。Thefirstspeaker,whoseemedthebusiness-manoftheevening,gavesomeaccountofthestatisticsoftheSociety,concludingwithashortaddresstothosepresent,hopingtheywould,uponthatoccasion,enroltheirnamesasMembersoftheLongbridgeTemperanceSociety。

  Theprincipaloratoroftheevening,Mr。Strong,thencameforward;hemadeaspeechofsomelength,andonethatwasveryimpressive。Nothingcouldbemoreclear,morejust,moretrue,thanthepicturehedrewofthemanifoldevilsofintemperance;avicesodeceitfulinitsfirstappearance,sotreacherousinitsgrowth;sodegrading,sobrutalizinginitsenjoyments;soblastingandruinousinitseffects——ruinoustobodyandmind,heartandsoul——blastingallhopesforthislifeandforthenext,solongasitremainsunconquered。Heentreatedhisfriendstocountthecostofindulgenceinthisvice;lossofproperty,lossofhealth,lossofcharacter,lossofintellectandfeeling,lossofconscience,untilrousedinthosefearfulmomentsofterrorandfury,thepeculiarpunishmentofdrunkenness。Hebeggedhishearerstolookatthisevilunderallitsaspects,fromthemomentitdestroysthedailypeaceofitsmiserablevictimsandallconnectedwiththem,untilitleavesthem,indeath,withoutahope,exposedtothefearfulpenaltyofsin。Ashewenton,theheartofmanyawretchedwifeandmotheracknowledgedthebittertruthofhisobservations;manyaguiltyconscienceshrunkundertheprobe。Hethenmadeajustandreasonableestimateofthedifficultiestoberesistedinconqueringthisevil;hedidnotattempttodenythattherewereobstaclestobeovercome;heshowedalltheforceofbadhabit,allthedangeroftemptation——butifthereweredifficultiesintheway,itwasequallytruethatthepowertosubduethemwasfullywithinthereachofeveryman。Hewentontorepresentthehappyeffectsofachangefromeviltogood;arestorationtousefulness,peace,comfort,andrespectability,whichhashappilybeenseeninmanyaninstance。Heconcludedbyappealingtohishearersasmen,toshakeoffadebasingslavery;asChristians,tofleefromaheinoussin;andheentreatedthem,iftheyhadnotdonesobefore,totake,onthatevening,thefirststepinthecheering,honourable,blessedcourseoftemperance。

  Mr。Strong\'sspeechwas,infact,excellent;allhesaidwasperfectlytrue,itwaswell-expressed,andhismannerwaseasy,natural,anddignified。

  HewasfollowedbyWilliamCassiusClapp;thelawyerhadbeenveryanxioustospeakatthismeeting。TemperancesocietieswereverypopularatthattimeinLongbridge,andhewas,ofcourse,desirousofnotlosingsogoodanopportunityofappearingbeforethepubliconsuchanoccasion;hethoughtitwouldhelphimoninhisroadtowardstheAssembly。Runninghisfingersthroughhiscurls,hetookhisplaceonthestage,andcommenced。Hewasveryfluentbynature,andinanimation,infanaticalzealforthecause,hefarsurpassedMr。Strong:anyothercause,by-the-bye,haditbeenpopular,wouldhavesuitedhimjustaswell。Inassertion,indenunciation,hedistinguishedhimselfparticularly;hecalleduponeveryindividualpresenttocomeforwardandsignthepledge,underpenaltyofpublicdisgrace;itwasthewillofthecommunitythatthepledgeshouldbesigned,publicopiniondemandedit,thepublicwillrequiredit;everyindividualpresentwhoneglectedtosignthepledgeoftotalabstinence,hepronouncedtobe“instigatedbyaristocraticpride,“andwouldleavethathouse,stigmatizedas“anti-Christian,andanti-republican;“andinconclusionhethrewinsomethingabout“liberty。“

  Mr。Clappsatdownamidmuchapplause;hisspeechwaswarmlyadmiredbyaportionofhishearers。Alldidnotseemtoagreeonthesubject,however,tojudge,atleast,bytheirmannerandexpression;for,duringthedeliveryoftheirbrother-in-law\'soration,MissPatseyHubbardseemedtobegenerallylookingdownatthefloor,whileCharliewaslookingupattheceiling:andthereweremanyotherspresent,whothoughtMr。Clapp\'sfluencymuchmorestrikingthanhiscommonsense,orhissincerity。Itisalwayspainfultohearagoodcauseinjuredbyabaddefence,toseetruthdisgracedbyunworthyweaponsemployedinhername。ItwouldhavebeenquiteimpossibleforMr。Clapptoprovehalfhisboldassertions,tojustifyhalfhissweepingdenunciations。

  Still,inspiteofthefanaticalcharacterofsomeoftheadvocatesofTemperance,whodistortherjustproportionsasavirtue——lovelyinherowntruecharacter——yetdrunkennessisavicesohateful,thatonewouldneverwishtoopposeanysociety,howeverimperfectlymanaged,whoseobjectistoopposethatdangerousandcommonevil。Letitnotbeforgotten,however,thattotalabstinencefromspirituousliquorsisnottheonegreatdutyofman;intemperanceisnottheonlysintowhichhumannatureisinclined。

  Mr。Clapp\'sspeechwasthelastfortheevening。

  “Iwishyoujoy,Mrs。Clapp,“saidMrs。Tibbs,leaningforwardfromtheseatbehindthelawyer\'sprettylittlewife,andnoddingasshespoke。

  “Ireallycongratulateyou;Mr。Clapphassurpassedhimself;suchanimation,suchaflowofeloquence!”addedMrs。Bibbs。

  Katesmiled,andlookedmuchgratified;sheevidentlyadmiredherhusband\'sspeechesasmuchasshedidhishair。

  Themomentforenrollingnewnameshadnowcome;numbersoftheaudiencewentforwardtosigntheTotalAbstinencePledge。Therewasoneworthywoman,awidow,sittingnearMissPatsey,whoseonlysonhad,duringthelastyearortwo,fallenintohabitsofintemperance;hisattentionhadquitelatelybeenattractedtotheTemperanceSocieties,hehadreadtheirpublications,hadbeenstruckbyashortspeechofMr。Strongonaformeroccasion;

  andhismother\'sjoymaypossiblybeimagined,asshesawhimriseandaddhisnametothelistofmembersengagingtoabstainfromintoxicatingliquors。Therewereseveralotherswhoseheartswerecheered,onthesameoccasion,byseeingthosetheylovedbest,thoseoverwhomtheyhadoftenmourned,takethissteptowardsreformation。Amongtherest,amandressedasasailorwasseenapproachingthetable;whenhisturncameheputdownhisname,andthiswasnosoonerdone,thanMr。Clappadvancedandshookhimwarmlybythehand。

  “Whoisthatman,Catherine,speakingtoMr。Clapp?——helookslikeasailor,“inquiredMissPatsey。

  “Idon\'tknowwhoitis;someclientIsuppose;Williamseemedverymuchpleasedathissigning。“

  Mr。Clapp,aftershakinghandswithhisfriend,thesailor,madehiswaythroughthecrowd,untilhereachedthepewwherehiswifeandlittleboyweresitting。TakingWilliebythehand,heledhimtothetable,placedthepeninhisfingers,andlefthimtowriteWilliamC。Clapp,jr。aswellashecould——noeasymatter,by-the-bye,forthechildwasnotveryexpertincapitalletters。AsWilliewastheyoungestindividualonthelist,hissignaturewasreceivedbyaburstofapplause。Thelittlefellowwasextremelyelatedbybeingmadeofsomuchconsequence;totellthetruth,heunderstoodverylittleofwhathewasabout。

  Ifrespectfortemperancewereimplantedinhismindonthatevening,itwasalsoaccompaniedbystillmoredecidedideasofthegreatimportanceoflittleboys,withthegermofaconfusednotionastotheabsolutenecessityoftheapprobationofaregularlyorganizedpublicmeeting,tofostereveryindividualvirtueinhimself,andinthehumanraceingeneral。MissPatseyverymuchdoubtedthewisdomofmakingherlittlenephewplaysuchaprominentpartbeforethepublic;shehadold-fashionednotionsaboutthemodestyofchildhoodandyouth。Themother,hersisterKate,however,wasneverdisposedtofindfaultwithanythingherhusbanddid;itwasallrightinhereyes。Mr。Clapphimselftooktheopportunitytothanktheaudience,inashortbutemphaticburst,fortheirsympathy;concludingbyexpressingthehopethathisboywouldonedaybeasmuchdisposedtogratitudeforanypublicfavours,andasentirelysubmissive,bodyandsoul,tothepublicwillofhisowntime,ashehimself——thefather——wasconsciousofbeingatthatmoment——withinafewweeksofelection。

  Themeetingwasshortlyafterconcludedbyatemperancesong,andagoodprayerbytheelderminister。

  Astheaudiencecrowdedoutofthedoor,Mr。Clappnoddedagaintothesailor,whenpassingnearhim。

  “Whoisthatman,William?”askedMrs。Clapp,astheyreachedthestreet。

  “ItisapersoninwhomIamwarmlyinterested——aninjuredman。“

  “Indeed!——oneofyourclientsIsuppose。“

  “Yes;Iamnowpledgedtoservehimtothebestofmyability。“

  “Helookslikeasailor。“

  “Heisasailor,justreturnedfromathreeyears\'whalingvoyage。Youwillbesurprised,Catherine,whenyouhearthatman\'sstory;butthetimehascomewhenitmustberevealedtotheworld。“

  “Youquiteexcitemycuriosity;Ihopeyouwilltellmethestory?”

  “Yes;youshallhearit。ButwhereareyoursisterandCharles;

  aretheygoinghomewithus?”

  “No;Iamverysorry;buttheytoldmeatthemeetingtheycouldnotstay,astheyhadcomeoverinMrs。VanHorne\'scarriage。Itisapity,forIhadmadesomeice-cream,andgatheredsomeraspberries,expresslyforthem;andwehavehardlyseenCharlessincehearrived。ButPatseywantsustospendthedayatthegreyhouse,to-morrow,childrenandall。“

  Mr。Clappassentedtothisarrangement;althoughhesaidheshouldnotbeabletodomorethangooverhimselfforhisfamilyintheevening,onaccountofbusiness。

  KatehadonlyherhusbandandWillietoshareherexcellentice-creamandbeautifulraspberries,onthatwarmevening;thetriodidjustice,however,tothesenicerefreshments;andlittleWillieonlywishedhecouldsignatemperancepledgeeveryevening,ifhecouldsituplaterthanusual,andeatanexcellentsupperafterit。

  Afterthelittlefellowhadbeensenttobed,andhismotherhadtakenalookatheryoungerchildren,whoweresleepingsweetlyintheirusualplaces,thelawyerandhiswifewereleftaloneintheparlour。Itwasacharmingmoon-lightevening,thoughverywarm;andKatehavingloweredthelamp,threwherselfintoarocking-chairnearthewindow;whileMr。Clapp,whohadhadratherafatiguingday,wasstretchedoutonthesofa。

  “Itisearlyyet,William;supposeyoutellthestoryyoupromisedme,aboutyourclient,thesailor。“

  “Idon\'tmuchliketotellit,Catherine;andyetitistimeyouknewsomethingaboutit,forwemustproceedtoactionimmediately。“

  “Oh,tellme,byallmeans;youhavereallymademequitecurious。YouknowverywellthatIcankeepasecret。“

  “Certainly;andIrequestyouwillnotmentionthefactsIshallrelate,toanyone,forsometime;notuntilwehavetakenthenecessarylegalsteps。“

  “Ofcoursenot,ifyouwishit;andnowforthestory。Yousaidthispoormanhadbeeninjured。“

  “Grosslyinjured。“

  “Inwhatmanner?”

  “Hehasbeentreatedinthemostunjustifiablemannerbyhisnearestrelatives。Hisreputationhasbeeninjured,andhehasbeentyrannicallydeprivedofaverylargeproperty。“

  “Isitpossible!——poorfellow!Cannothingbedoneforhim?”

  “Thatiswhatweshallsee。Yes,Iflattermyselfifthereislawintheland,weshallyetbeabletorestorehimtohisrights!”

  “Doeshebelongtothispartofthecountry?”

  “Hedoesnothimself;butthosewhoarerevellinginhiswealthdo。“

  “Whatishisname?——DoIknowhisfamily?”

  “Youwillbedistressed,Catherine,whenyouhearthename;youwillbeastonishedwhenyoulearnthewholestory;butthetimeforconcealmenthasgonebynow。Severalyearsagothatpoorsailorcametome,inraggedclothing,inpovertyanddistress,andfirstlaidhiscomplaintbeforeme。Ididnotbelieveawordofwhathetoldme;Ithoughtthemanmad,andrefusedtohaveanythingtodowiththecause。Hebecamedisgusted,andwenttoseaagain,andforsometimegaveupallhopeofbeingreinstatedinhisrights;theobstaclesseemedtoogreat。Butatlengthaveryimportantwitnessinhisfavourwasaccidentallythrowninhisway:attheendofhiscruisehecametomeagain,andI

  confessIwasastoundedattheevidencehethenlaidbeforeme。

  Itisconclusive,beyondadoubt,toanyunprejudicedmind,“saidMr。Clapp,rousinghimselffromhisrecumbentposition。

  “Butyouhavenottoldmetheman\'sname。“

  “HisnameisStanley——WilliamStanley。“

  “YousaidIknewhim;butIneverheardofhim;Idon\'tknowthefamilyatall。“

  “Yes,youdo;youknowthemonlytoowell;youwillbeasmuchsurprisedasIwasmyself——asIamstill,wheneverIallowmyselftodwellonthesubject。Mr。Stanleyisthecousin-germanofyourfriend,MissElinorWyllys。Mr。Wyllyshimself,Mrs。Stanley,thestep-mother,andyoungHazlehurst,aretheindividualswhostandbetweenhimandhisrights,“continuedMr。Clapp,rising,andwalkingacrosstheroom,asheranhisfingersthroughhisbrowncurls。

  “Impossible!”exclaimedKate,asthefanshehelddroppedfromherhand。

  “JustwhatIsaidmyself,atfirst,“repliedMr。Clapp。

  “Butsurelyyouaredeceived,William——howcanitbe?”continuedthewife,inamazement。“WealwaysthoughtthatMr。Stanleywaslostatsea,yearsago!”

  “Exactly——itwasthoughtso;butitwasnottrue。“

  “Butwherehashebeeninthemeantime?——Whydidhewaitsolongbeforehecametoclaimhisinheritance?”

  “Thesameunhappy,recklessdispositionthatfirstsenthimtosea,kepthimrovingabout。Hedidnotknowofhisfather\'sdeath,untilfouryearsafterithadtakenplace,andheheardatthesametimethathehadbeendisinherited。Whenhecamehome,afterthatevent,hefoundthathewasgenerallybelievedtohavebeenlostintheJefferson,wreckedintheyear18。Hewas,infact,theonlymansaved。“

  “Howveryextraordinary!Butwhyhasheneverevenshownhimselfamonghisfriendsandconnexionsuntilnow?”

  “Why,mydear,hishabitshavebeenunhappilyverybadineverywayforyears;theywere,indeedthecauseofhisfirstleavinghisfamily。Hehatedeverythinglikerestraint——eventhecommonrestraintsofsociety,andcaredfornothingbutasailor\'slife,andthatintheworstshape,itmustbeconfessed。Buthehasnowgrownwiser——hehasdeterminedtoreform。Youobservedhesignedthetemperancepledgethisevening?”

  “Itallsoundssostrangely,thatIcannotyetbelieveit,William。“

  “Idaresaynot——ittookmefouryearstobelieveit。“

  “Butwhatdoyoumeantodo?Ihopeyouarenotgoingtoundertakealaw-suitagainsttwoofourbestfriends,Mr。WyllysandMr。Hazlehurst?”

  “ThatmustdependonMr。WyllysandMr。Hazlehurst,themselves。I

  haveundertaken,Catherine,todomybesttowardsrestoringthisinjuredmantohisproperty。“

  “Oh,William;supposethismanisinthewrong,afterall!Don\'tthinkofhavinganythingtodowithhim。“

  “Mydear,youtalklikeawoman——youdon\'tknowwhatyousay。IfIdon\'tactinthepremises,doyousupposehewon\'tfindanotherlawyertoundertakehiscause?”

  “Lethimhaveanother,then:butitseemstoobadthatweshouldtakesidesagainstourbestfriends;ithardlyseemshonourable,William,todoso。“

  “Honour,alone,won\'tmakeayounglawyer\'spotboil,Icantellyou。“

  “ButIhadratherlivepoorly,andworkhardallmylife,thanthatyoushouldundertakeadishonestcause。“

  “Itisallveryprettytalking,butIhavenomindtolivepoorly;IintendtoliveaswellasIcan,andIdon\'tlookuponthisStanleycauseasabadoneatall。Imustsay,Catherine,youareratherharduponyourhusband,andseemtothinkmoreoftheinterestsofyourfriends,thanofhisown。“

  “Howcanyoutalkso,William,whenyouknowyoucan\'tthinkit,“

  saidthewifereproachfully,tearsspringingtohereyes。

  “Well,Ionlyjudgefromwhatyousayyourself。Butinmyopinionthereisnodangerofalaw-suit。AsMr。Stanley\'sagent,IshallfirstapplytoMrs。StanleyandMr。Hazlehursttoacknowledgehisclaim;andwhentheevidenceislaidbeforethem,Ihavenokindofdoubtbuttheywillimmediatelygiveuptheproperty;astheyaresomeofyourveryhonourablepeople,ImustsayIthinktheyareboundtodoso。“

  “Certainly,iftheevidenceissoclear;butitseemstome,fromallIhaveheardsinceIhavebeenalawyer\'swife,thatevidenceneverissoveryclear,William,butthatpeopledisagreeaboutit。“

  “Well,Iflattermyselfthatpeoplewillbestaggeredbytheproofswecanbringforward;Ifeelsureofpublicopinion,atleast。“

  Katewassilenced;butthoughshecouldthinkofnothingmoretourge,shewasveryfarfromfeelingeasyonthesubject。

  “Ihopewithallmyheartitwillbesettledamicably,“sheaddedatlength。

  “Thereiseveryprobabilitythatitwill。Thoughthestorysoundssostrangelytoyounow——justasitdidtome,atfirst——yetwhenyoucometohearallthefacts,youwillfindthereisscarcelyroomforashadowofdoubt。“

  “HowsorrymotherandPatseywillbewhentheyhearit!”

  “Ican\'tseewhytheyshouldbesorrytoseeamanreinstatedinhisrights,afterhavingbeendeprivedofthemforeighteenyears。IftheyarenotblindedbytheirpartialityfortheWyllysesandHazlehursts,theycannothelpbeingconvincedbytheevidencewecanshow。“

  “Howoldisthisman——thissailor——thisMr。Stanley?”

  “Justthirty-six,hetellsme。DidyouremarkhislikenesstoMr。

  Stanley\'sportraitatWyllys-Roof?thatwasthefirstthingthatstruckme。“

  “No;Ihardlylookedathim。“

  “Youmustexpecttoseehimoftennow;Ihaveinvitedhimtodinnerforto-morrow。“

  “Forto-morrow?Well,UncleDoziehassentmethisafternoonabeautifulmessofgreenpeas,andyouwillhavetogetsomethingnicefrommarket,inthewayofpoultryandfish。Though,I

  supposeashehasbeenacommonsailorsolong,hewon\'tbeveryparticularabouthisdinner。“

  “Heknowswhatisgood,Icantellyou。Youmustgivehimsuchadinnerashewouldhavehadathisfather\'sinoldtimes。“

  “Well,justasyouplease,William;only,ifyoureallycareforme,donotletthemandeceiveyou;besureyousiftthematterthoroughly——whatyoucallcross-examinehim。“

  “Neveryoufear;IknowwhatIamabout,Katie;thoughifIwastofollowyouradviceinlawmatters,Ireckonweshouldallofusstarvetogether。“

  “Ihopeitwillallturnoutwell,butIseemtofeelbadlyaboutit,“saidKatewithasigh,assherosetolightacandle;“onlydon\'tbetoohasty——taketime。“

  “WehavetakentimeenoughIthink,asitis。WeareonlywaitingnowforMr。HazlehursttoarriveinPhiladelphia,whenweshallputforwardourclaim。“

  CHAPTERIV。{XXVII}

  “Theycalltheerich。“

  COWPER。

  {WilliamCowperEnglishpoet,1731-1800,“TranslationsofGreekVerses:OnAMiser“line1}

  WHENtheWyllysesarrivedatSaratoga,afterhavingpaidtheirpromisedvisittotheirfriendsatPoughkeepsie,thefirstpersonstheysawinthestreet,astheyweredrivingtoCongressHall,wereMrs。Creighton,Mr。Ellsworth,andMr。Stryker,whowereloiteringalongtogether。ItseemedtheexcursiontoNahanthadbeenpostponed,orgivenup。

  ThebrotherandsistersoondiscoveredthattheWyllyseswereamongthatafternoon\'sarrivals,andinthecourseofanhourortwocalledattheirrooms。

  “HereamI,MissWyllys,“saidMrs。Creighton,“thebestofsisters,givingupmyownprivateplanstogratifythisbrotherofmine,whowouldnotletmerestunlessIpromisedtopassanotherweekhere。“

  “Josephinemakesthemostofhercomplaisance;butIdon\'tthinkshewassoverymuchaversetogivingupNahant。Iamsureatleast,shedidnotcarehalfsomuchaboutgoing,asIdidaboutstaying。“

  Mr。Strykeralsoappeared,tomakehisbowtotheladies。ThisgentlemanhadindeedcometoSaratoga,withtheexpressintentionofmakinghimselfparticularlyagreeabletoMissElinorWyllys。

  AslongagoasJane\'swedding,hehadhadhiseyeonher,but,likeMr。Ellsworth,hehadseldombeenabletomeether。Mr。

  Strykerwasamanbetweenfortyandfifty,possessingsomelittleproperty,averygoodopinionofhimself,andquiteareputationforclevernessandknowledgeoftheworld。Hewasoneofthosemenwhohanglooseonsociety;heseemedtohaveneitherrelationsnorconnexions;nooneknewhisorigin:foryearshehadoccupiedthesamepositioninthegayworldofNewYork,withthisdifference,thatatfive-and-twentyhewasknownasBobStryker;atfive-and-thirtyhewasColonelStryker,thetraveller;andatfive-and-fortyhehadreturnedtoNewYork,afterasecondlongabsence,asMr。Stryker,toutcourt。Hepridedhimselfuponbeingconsideredagentlemanatlarge,amanoftheworld,whoseopiniononallsubjectswasworthhearing。

  SincehislastreturnfromEurope,hehadannouncedthathewaslookingaboutforthatnecessaryencumbrance,awife;buthetookgoodcarenottomentionwhathecalledhisfutureintentions,untilhehadactuallycommittedhimselfmorethanonce。Hehadseveraltimeskindlyofferedtorichandbeautifulgirls,totakechargeofthemselvesandtheirfortunes,buthisserviceshadbeenasoftenpolitelydeclined。Hewasnotdiscouraged,however,bytheserepulses;hestilldeterminedtomarry,butexperiencehadtaughthimgreaterprudence——hedecidedthathisnextadvancesshouldbemadewithmorecaution。Hewouldshunthegreatbelles;fortunehemusthave,buthewouldadoptoneoftwocourses;hewouldeitherlookoutforsomeveryyoungandverysillygirl,whocouldbepersuadedintoanything,orhewouldtrytodiscoversomerichwoman,withaplainface,whowouldbeflatteredbytheattentionsoftheagreeableMr。Stryker。WhilehewasmakingthesereflectionshewasintroducedtoElinor,andwearesorrytosayit,sheappearedtohimtopossessthedesirablequalifications。Shewascertainlyveryplain;andhefoundthattherewasnomistakeinthereportofherhavingreceivedtwoimportantlegaciesquitelately。MissElinorWyllys,thankstothesebequests,toherexpectationsfromhergrandfatherandMissAgnes,andtotheLongbridgerailroad,wasnowgenerallyconsideredafortune。Itistrue,commonreporthadaddedverylargelytoherpossessions,bydoublingandquadruplingtheiramount;foratthatprecisemoment,peopleseemedtobegrowingashamedofmentioningsmallsums;thousandswereinvariablycountedbyroundfiftiesandhundreds。ShouldanygentlemanbecuriousastothepreciseamountofthefortuneofMissElinorWyllys,heisrespectfullyreferredtoWilliamCassiusClapp,AttorneyatLaw,Longbridge,consideredexcellentauthorityonallsuchsubjects。LestanyoneshouldbedisposedtomistrustthisstoryofElinor\'snewly-acquiredreputationasanheiress,weshallproceedatoncetoproveit,byevidenceofthemostconvincingcharacter。

  {“toutcourte“=byitself;“period“French}

  Onemorning,shortlyafterthearrivaloftheWyllysesatSaratoga,Mr。WyllysenteredtheroomwhereMissAgnesandElinorweresittingtogether,withahandfulofpapersandlettersfromthemail。SeveraloftheseletterswereforElinor,andasshereadsthemweshalltakethelibertyofpeepingoverhershoulder——theircontentswillspeakforthemselves。Thefirstwhichshetookupwaswrittenonveryhandsomepaper,perfumed,andinanenvelope;butneitherthesealnorthehandwritingwasknowntoElinor。Itranasfollows:

  “CHARMINGMISSWYLLYS:——

  “Itmayappearpresumptuousinoneunknowntoyou,toaddressyouonasubjectsoimportantasthatwhichisthethemeofthisepistle;butnothavingthehonourofyouracquaintance,Iamcompelledbydirenecessity,andtheardentfeelingsofmyheart,topourforthonpapertheexpressionofthestrongadmirationwithwhichyouhaveinspiredme。LovelyMissWyllys,youarebuttoowellknowntome,althoughIscarcelydaretohopethatyoureyehasrestedforamomentonthefeaturesofyourhumbleadorer。IamaEuropean,onewhohasmovedinthefirstcirclesofhisnativeland,andaftercommencinglifeasamilitaryman,wascompelledbypersecutiontofleetothehospitableshoresofAmerica。Chequeredasmylifehasbeen,happy,thricehappyshallIconsiderit,ifyouwillbutpermitmetodevoteitsremainingyearstoyourservice!Withoutyoursmiles,thelastdaysofmycareerwillbemoregloomythanallthathavegonebefore。ButI

  cannotbelieveyousocruel,sohard-hearted,astorefusetoadmittoyourpresence,oneconnectedwithseveralfamiliesofthenobilityandgentryinthenorthofEngland,merelybecausethenameofHoracedeVerehasbeensulliedbyappearingonthestage。Letmehope——“

  Elinorreadnofarther:shethrewtheletterasidewithanexpressionofdisgustandmortification。Itwasbutoneofhalf-a-dozenofsimilarcharacter,whichshehadreceivedduringthelastyearortwofromutterstrangers。Shetookupanother,aplain,honest-lookingsheet。

  “MADAM:——

  “Ifthenewstore,beingerectedonyourlotinMarketStreet,betweenFourthandFifth,isnotalreadyleased,youwillconferanobligationifyouwillletusknowtowhomwemustapplyforterms,&c。,&c。Thelocationandpremisesbeingsuitable,weshouldbegladtorent。Thebestofreferencescanbeofferedonourpart。

  “Beggingyouwillexcusethisapplication,asweareignorantofthenameofyouragentinPhiladelphia,wehavethehonourtobe,Madam,“Yourmostobedientservants,“McMUNNY&CO。,“Grocers,Market,betweenFrontandSecond。“

  Abusinessletter,itappears,tobeattendedtoaccordingly。Nowforthethird——adelicatelittleenvelopeofsatinpaper,bluewax,andtheseal“sempereadem。“

  {“sempereadem“=alwaysthesameLatin}

  “MYSWEETMISSELINOR:——

  “WhenshallweseeyouatBloomingdale?Youarequitetoocruel,todisappointussooften;wereallydonotdeservesuchshabbytreatment。HereisthemonthofJune,withitsroses,andstrawberries,andtenthousandothersweets,andamongthemyoumustpositivelyallowustohopeforavisitfromourverydearfriendsatWyllys-Roof。Shouldyourvenerablegrandpapa,ormyexcellentfriend,MissWyllysbeunhappilydetainedathome,asyoufeared,donotletthatbethemeansofdeprivingusofyourvisit。IneednotsaythatWilliamwouldbeonlytoohappytodriveyoutoBloomingdale,atanytimeyoumightchoose;butifthatplan,HISplan,shouldfrightenyourpropriety,Ishallbeproudtotakechargeofyoumyself。Anneisnotonlypiningforyourvisit,butverytiredofansweringadozentimesaday,herbrother\'squestions,\'WhenshallweseeMissWyllys?\'——\'IsMissWyllysnevercoming?\'

  “Idonotthink,mysweetyoungfriend,thatyoucanhavethehearttodisappointusanylonger——and,therefore,Ishallcertainlylookforoneofyourcharminglittlenotes,writteninanamiable,complyingmood。

  “Annesendsherverybestlove;WilliambegstobeveryPARTICULARLYrememberedtoMissElinorWyllys。

  “WithathousandkindmessagestoyourgrandfatherandMissWyllys,Iremainasever,mydearyoungfriend,“Yours,mostdevotedlyandpartially,“ARABELLAHUNTER。“

  {“Bloomingdale“=afashionableandstillruralareaofManhattanIsland,thoughtechnicallypartofNewYorkCity}

  Elinorreadthisnotewithadoubtfulsmile,whichseemedtosayshewashalf-amused,half-provokedbyit。Throwingitcarelesslyonthesofa,sheopenedthefourthletter;itwasinachildishhand。

  “MYDEARMISSWYLLYS:——

  “Mymotherwishesmetothankyoumyself,foryourlastactofgoodnesstous——butIcannevertellyouallwefeelonthesubject。Mydearmothercriedwithjoyalltheevening,aftershehadreceivedyourletter。Iamgoingtoschoolaccordingtoyourwish,assoonasmothercanspareme,andIshallstudyveryhard,whichwillbethebestwayofthankingyou。Themusic-mastersayshehasnodoubtbutIcanplaywellenoughtogivelessons,ifIgoonaswellasIhaveinthelastyear;I

  practiseregularlyeveryday。Motherbidsmesay,thatnowshefeelssureofmyeducationforthenextthreeyears,oneofherheaviestcareshasbeentakenaway:shesaystoo,thatalthoughmanyfriendsintheparishhavebeenverygoodtous,sincemydearfatherwastakenawayfromus,yet\'noactofkindnesshasbeensoimportanttous,nonesocheeringtotheheartofthewidowandthefatherless,asyourgenerousgoodnesstohereldestchild;\'theseareherownwords。Motherwillwritetoyouherselfto-morrow。Ithankyouagain,dearMissWyllys,formyself,andI

  remain,veryrespectfullyandverygratefully,“Yourobligedservantandfriend,“MARYSMITH。“

  ThislastletterseemedtorestoreallElinor\'sgoodhumour,actingasanantidotetothethreewhichhadprecededit。Thecorrespondencewhichwehavetakenthelibertyofreading,willtestifymoreclearlythananyassuranceofours,tothefactthatourfriendElinornowstandsinvestedwiththedignityofanheiress,accompaniedbythedangers,pleasures,andannoyances,usuallysurroundinganunmarriedwoman,possessingthereputationofafortune。WhereverElinornowappeared,thenameofafortuneprocuredherattention;theplainfacewhichsomeyearsbeforehadcausedhertobeneglectedwhereshewasnotintimatelyknown,wasnolongeranobstacletothegallantryoftheveryclasswhohadshunnedherbefore。Indeed,thewantofbeauty,whichmighthavebeencalledhermisfortune,wasnowtheverygroundonwhichseveralofhersuitorsfoundedtheirhopesofsuccess;asshewaspronouncedsoveryplain,thedandiesthoughtitimpossibleshecouldresistthecharmoftheirownpersonaladvantages。Elinorhad,inshort,herfullshareofthosepersecutionswhicharesuretobefallallheiresses。Thepeculiarevilsofsuchapositionaffectyoungwomenverydifferently,accordingtotheirvariousdispositions。HadElinorbeenweakandvain,shewouldhavefallenintothehandsofafortune-hunter。

  Hadshebeenofagloomytemper,disgustatthecoarseplotsandmanoeuvres,soeasilyunravelledbyaclear-sightedperson,mighthavemadeherapreytosuspicion,andallbutmisanthropic。Hadshebeenvulgar-minded,shewouldhavebeenpurse-proud;ifcold-hearted,shewouldhavebecomeonlythemoreselfish。Vanitywouldhavemadeherridiculouslyostentatiousandconceited;ajealoustemperwouldhavebecomeself-willedanddomineering。

  Changeofpositionoftenproducesanapparentchangeofcharacter;sometimestheeffectisinjurious,sometimesitisadvantageous。Butwetrustthatthereader,onrenewinghisacquaintancewithElinorWyllys,willfindher,whileflatteredbytheworldasanheiress,essentiallythesameincharacterandmanner,asshewaswhenoverlookedandneglectedonaccountofanunusuallyplainface。Ifashadeofdifferenceisperceptible,itisonlythenaturalresultoffourorfiveyearsofadditionalexperience,andshehasmerelyexchangedthefirstretiringmodestyofearlyyouth,foragreaterportionofself-possession。

  Inthefirstmonthsofhernewreputationasanheiress,Elinorhadbeenastonishedattheboldnessofsomeattacksuponher;

  then,astherewasmuchthatwasridiculousconnectedwiththeseproceedings,shehadbeendiverted;but,atlength,whenshefoundthemrapidlyincreasing,shebecameseriouslyannoyed。

  “Whatamiserablepuppettheseadventurersmustthinkme——itiscruellymortifyingtoseehowconfidentofsuccesssomeofthemappear!”sheexclaimedtoheraunt。

  “Iamverysorry,mychild,thatyoushouldbeannoyedinthisway——butitseemsyoumustmakeupyourmindtotheseimpertinences——itisonlywhateverywomanwhohaspropertymustexpect。“

  “Itisreallyintolerable!ButIamdeterminedatleastthattheyshallnotfillmyheadwithsuspicions——andInevercanenduretobeperpetuallyonmyguardagainstthesesortofpeople。Itwillnotdotothinkofthem;thatistheonlywaytokeepone\'stemper。IfIknowmyself,therenevercanbeanydangertomefrommenofthatkind,eventhemostagreeable。“

  “Takecare,“saidMissAgnes,smiling,andshakingherhead。

  “Well,Iknowatleastthereisnodangeratpresent;butasweallhavemomentsofweakness,Ishallthereforeveryhumblybegthatifyoueverseemeintheleastdanger,youwillgivemewarning,dearAunt;averysharpwarning,ifyouplease。“

  “InsuchacaseIshouldcertainlywarnyou,mydear。Itstrikesmethatseveralofyourmostdisagreeableadmirers——“

  “HowcallyoucallthemADMIRERS,AuntAgnes?”

  “Well,severalofyourpursuers,then,arebeginningtodiscoverthatyouarenotayoungladyeasilypersuadedintobelievingherselfanangel,andcapableoffancyingthemthemostchivalrousanddisinterestedofmen。“

  Thiswasquitetrue;therewasaquietdignity,withanoccasionaltouchofdecisioninElinor\'smanner,thathadalreadyconvincedseveralgentlementhatshehadmorefirmnessofcharacterthansuitedtheirviews;andtheyhadaccordinglywithdrawnfromthefield。

  “Suppose,Elinor,thatIbeginbygivingyouawarning,thismorning?”continuedMissAgnes,smiling。

  “Youarenotserious,surely,Aunt?”repliedElinor,turningfromsomemusicshewasunpacking,tolookatMissWyllys。

  “Yes,indeed;Iamserious,sofarasbelievingthatyouareatthismomentexposedtothemanoeuvresofagentlemanwhomyoudonotseemintheleasttosuspect,andwhoisdecidedlyagreeable。“

  “Whomcanyoumean?”saidElinor,runningoverinherheadthenamesofseveralpersonswhomshehadseenlately。“Yousurelydonotsuspect——No;Iamsureyouhavetoogoodanopinionofhim。“

  “IamveryfarfromhavingaparticularlygoodopinionofthepersonIreferto,“saidMissAgnes;“Ithinkhimatleast,nothingbetterthanafortune-hunter;andalthoughitisverypossibletodomanyworsethingsthanmarryingformoney,yetI

  hopeyouwillneverbecomethewifeofamanwhoseprinciplesarenotabovesuspicionineveryway。“

  “Iamdisposedjustatpresent,Icanassureyou,dearAunt,tohaveaparticularlypooropinionofamerefortune-hunter。“

  “Yes;youdonotseemtofeelveryamiablytowardstheclass,justnow,“saidMissAgnes,smiling。

  “Butwhoistheindividualwhostandssolowinyouropinion?”

  “Itisyouropinion,andnotmine,whichistheimportantone,“

  repliedMissAgnes。

  “Ah,Iseeyouarejoking,Aunt;youhalffrightenedmeatfirst。

  Asfarashavingnofearsformyself,Iamreallyinanalarmingstate。“

  “Soitwouldseem。Buthaveyoureallynosuspicionsofoneofourvisitersoflastevening?”

  Elinorlookeduneasy。

  “Isitpossible,“shesaid,loweringhervoicealittle,“thatyoubelieveMr。Ellsworthtobeacommonfortune-hunter?I

  thoughtyouhadaverydifferentopinionofhim。“

  “Youareright,mychild,“saidMissAgnes,apparentlypleasedbythisallusiontotheirfriend;“Ihave,indeed,ahighopinionofMr。Ellsworth;buthewasnotouronlyvisiterlastevening,“

  “IsitMr。Stryker?Ihavehalf-suspectedsomesuchthingmyself,lately;Icannottakecreditforsomuchinnocenceasyougaveme。ButitisnotworthwhiletotroubleoneselfaboutMr。

  Stryker;heiscertainlyoldenough,andworldly-wiseenoughtotakecareofhimself。Ifheactuallyhasanysuchviews,histimewillbesadlythrownaway。ButitismuchmoreprobablethatheisreallyinlovewithMrs。Creighton;anditwouldbeveryridiculousinme,toimaginethatheisevenpretendingtocareforme,whenheisattachedtosomeoneelse。“

  “HemayflirtwithMrs。Creighton,but,ifIamnotmistaken,heintendstoofferhimselfbeforelongtoMissWyllys;andI

  thoughtyouhadnotremarkedhisadvances。“

  “Ifancy,dearAunt,thatmenlikeMr。Strykerseldomcommitthemselvesunlesstheyfeelprettysureofsuccess。“

  Theconversationwashereinterrupted,ElinorwasengagedtoridewithMr。Wyllys,whonowreturnedfromthereading-roomforhisgrand-daughter。Mrs。Creightonwasalsogoingoutwithherbrother,andproposedthetwopartiesjoining;aninvitationwhichMr。Wyllyshadveryreadilyaccepted。Thehorseswereordered,Elinorwassoonequipped,andonjoiningMrs。Creightonatthedoor,shewasassistedtomountbyMr。Ellsworth。Mr。

  Strykerhadalsobeeninvitedtoridewiththembytheprettywidow。

  Itwasalovelymorning,andtheymovedoffgailyononeoftheroadsleadingtoSaratogaLake;Elinorenjoyingtheairandtheexercise,Mr。Ellsworthatherside,doinghisbesttomakehissocietyagreeable,Mrs。Creightonengagedinmakingaconquestofthetwogentlemenbetweenwhomsherode。Yes,weareobligedtoconfessthefact;onherpartatleast,therewasnothingwantingtomakeupaflirtationwithMr。Wyllys。Thewidowbelongedtothatclassofladies,whosethirstforadmirationreallyseemsinsatiable,andwhoappearanxioustocompelallwhoapproachthemtofeeltheeffectoftheircharms。Elinorwouldhavebeenfrightened,hadshebeenawareoftheattackmadethatmorningbyMrs。Creighton,onthepeaceofherexcellentgrandfather,nowinhisseventy-thirdyear。NotthattheladyneglectedMr。

  Stryker——bynomeans;shewasverycapableofmanagingtwoaffairsofthekindatthesamemoment。AlltheremarkssheaddressedparticularlytoMr。Wyllys,weresensibleandlady-like;thoseshemadetoMr。Stryker,wereclever,worldly,andpiquant;whilethegeneraltoneofherconversationwasalwaysawell-bredmedleyofmuchfashionablelevity,withsomegoodsenseandpropriety。Mr。Strykerscarcelyknewwhethertobepleased,ortoregretthathewasobligedtorideatherside。HehadlatelybecomeparticularlyanxioustoadvanceinthegoodgracesofMissElinorWyllys,fortworeasons;hehadlostmoney,andwasverydesirousofappropriatingsomeofElinor\'stohisownuse;andhehadalsofelthimselftobeinimminentdangeroffallinginlovewithMrs。Creighton,andhewishedtoputitoutofhisownpowertoofferhimselftoherinamomentofweakness。

  Muchasheadmiredthebeauty,thewit,andtheworldlyspiritoftheprettywidow,hewashalf-afraidofher;hejudgedherbyhimself;heknewthatshewasartful,andheknewthatshewaspoor;forherlatehusband,Mr。Creighton,duringashortmarriedlife,hadrunthroughallhiswife\'sproperty,aswellashisown,andhiswidowwasnowentirelydependentuponherbrother。

  Theattentionofthetwogentlemenwasnot,however,entirelyengrossedbyMrs。Creighton。Mr。Strykerwasbynomeanswillingtoresignthefieldtohisrival,Mr。Ellsworth;andMr。Wyllyswasnotsomuchcharmedbytheconversationofhisfaircompanion,butthathiseyecouldrestwithpleasureonthecouplebeforehim,ashethoughttherewaseveryprobabilitythatElinorwouldatlengthgratifyhislong-cherishedwish,andbecomethewifeofamanhebelievedworthyofher。AsthepartyhaltedforafewmomentsonthebankoftheLake,Mr。WyllyswasparticularlystruckwiththeexpressionofspiritandinterestwithwhichElinorwaslisteningtoMr。Ellsworth\'sdescriptionofthelakesofKillarney,whichhehadseenduringhislastvisittoEurope;andwhenthegentlemanhadaddedaludicrousaccountofsomePaddyismofhisguide,shelaughedsogailythatthesoundrejoicedhergrandfather\'sheart。

  Elinorhadlongsinceregainedherformercheerfulness。Foratime,Harry\'sdesertionhadmadehersad,butshesoonfeltitadutytoshakeoffeveryappearanceofgloom,forthesakeofhergrandfatherandaunt,whosehappinesswassodeeplyinterwovenwithherown。Religiousmotivesalsostrengthenedherdeterminationtoresisteveryrepiningfeeling。Thetruespiritofcheerfulnessis,infact,thefruitoftwoofthegreatestvirtuesofChristianity——steadfastfaith,andunfeignedhumility;

  anditisakintothankfulness,whichisonlythenaturalconsequenceofasenseofourownimperfections,andoftheunmeritedgoodnessofProvidence。

  “Wehavehadacharmingride,MissWyllys!”saidMrs。Creighton,asthepartyreturnedtothehotel。

  “Verypleasant,“saidElinor。

  “Delightful!”exclaimedMr。Ellsworth。“Ihopeweshallhavesuchanothereveryday。“

  “ThenImusttryandfindananimal,withratherbetterpacesthantheonewhichhasthehonourofcarryingmeatpresent,“

  saidMr。Stryker。

  “ButMrs。Creightonhasbeensoveryagreeable,thatIshouldthinkyouwouldhavebeenhappytoaccompanyherontheworsthorseinSaratoga,“observedMr。Wyllys。

  “Onlytooagreeable,“repliedMr。Stryker,ashehelpedtheladytodismount,whileMr。EllsworthperformedthesameservicetoElinor。

  CHAPTERV。{XXVIII}

  “Idobeseechyourgrace,forcharity,IfeveranymaliceinyourheartWerehidagainstme,nowtoforgivemefrankly。“

  HenryVIII。

  {WilliamShakespeare,“HenryVIII“,II。i。79-81}

  ONEevening,aboutaweekafterthearrivaloftheWyllyses,therewasadanceatCongressHall,wheretheywerestaying。Mrs。

  Creighton,withherbrother,whowerealreadyengagedtomeetsomefriendsthere,urgedElinorverymuchtojointhem;butshedeclined,notwishingtoleaveJane。Mr。Ellsworth,whohadbeenverydevoted,oflate,seemedparticularlyanxioussheshouldgo。

  ButalthoughElinor\'smannerbetrayedsomelittleembarrassment,ifnotindecision,asthegentlemanurgedherdoingso,stillshepersistedinremainingwithhercousin。

  {“CongressHall“=themostfashionablehotelinSaratogaSprings——builtin1811,theoriginalbuildingburnedin1866}

  “Well,Iamsorrywecannotpersuadeyou,MissWyllys;thoughI

  daresayyouwillhaveaverypleasanteveninginyourownparlour。“

  “Wemustput,offourgameofchessuntilto-morrow,Mrs。

  Creighton,“saidMr。Wyllys。

  “Yes,unfortunatelyforme;forIhavefullydeterminedtobeatyou,sir,atournexttrial。Well,Frank,wecannotstayherealltheevening;Idaresay,ourfriends,theStevensons,arelookingforusintheball-roomalready。“

  “Mrs。Creightonisaveryprettywoman,“observedMr。Wyllys,asheseatedhimselfatthechess-board,oppositehisdaughter,afterthebrotherandsisterhadlefttheroom。

  “Yes,averyprettywoman;andshealwayslookswellinherevening-dress,“repliedMissAgnes。

  ElinordevotedherselftoJane\'samusement。Eversincetheyhadbeentogether,shehadgivenupagreatpartofhertimetoMrs。

  Taylor,whomshewasveryanxioustocheerandenliven,thatshemightpersuadehertothrowoffthemelancholyandlowspirits,whichhercousinseemedpurposelytoencourage。Thesickbabywasbetter,andElinorwasinhopesthatbeforetheyparted,sheshouldsucceedinawakeningJanetoasomewhatbetterframeofmind。Shewasverydesirousthatthetimetheyweretogethershouldnotbelost;andherkindnesswassounwearied,hermannerwassoaffectionateandsoothing,andtheadviceshesometimesallowedherselftogive,wassoclearandsensible,thatatlastJaneseemedtofeelthegoodeffectsofhercousin\'sefforts。

  AfterMr。Ellsworthandhissisterhadlefttheroomtojointhedancers,JanesuddenlyturnedtoElinor,withtearsinhereyes。

  “Howkindyouare!”shesaid。“Idaresayyouwouldliketogodown-stairs;——butyouaretoogoodtome,Elinor!”

  “Nonsense,Jenny;Ican\'thelpitifIwould。DoyouthinkI

  shouldenjoydancing,ifIknewyouweresittingaloneinthisdarkcorner,whilegrandpapaandAuntAgnesareplayingchess!

  Youarelookingagreatdealmorewoe-begonethanyououghtto,nowbabyissomuchbetter。“

  “Youspoilme,“saidJane,shakingherhead,andsmilingwithmorefeelingthanusualinherunexpressiveface。

  “Ishallspoilyouagreatdealmorebeforewegetthrough。Nextweek,whenMr。Taylorcomes,IintendtotalkhimintobringingyouovertoWyllys-Roof,topayagoodlongvisit,likeoldtimes。“

  “Ihadmuchratherthinkofoldtimes,thanofwhatistocome。

  Thereisnothingpleasantformetolookforwardto!”

  “Howcanyouknowthat,Jane?Ihavelearnedonelessonbyexperience,thoughIamonlyayearolderthanyou,dear——anditis,thatifweareoftendeceivedbyhope,sowearequiteasoftenmisledbyfear。“

  “Ibelieve,Elinor,youaremybestfriend,“saidJane,holdingoutherhandtohercousin。

  “Oh,youhavemoregoodfriendsthanyouthinkfor,andmuchgoodofeverykind,thoughyouwillshutyoureyestothefact。“

  “Itmaybeso,“saidJane;“Iwilltrytofollowyouradvice,ifIcan。“

  “Tryhard,then,“saidElinor,“andallwillgowell。Andnow,shallIsingyouthesongMrs。Creightoncutshort?”

  Shebegantosing“AuldLangSyne;“butthesongwasinterruptedbeforeshehadfinishedthesecondverse。Severalpersonswereheardapproachingtheirroom,whichwasinaretired,quietpartofthehouse;thedoorsoonopened,andinwalkedRobertHazlehurst。

  “Well,goodpeople,“heexclaimed,“youtaketheworldasquietlyasanybodyIknow!Wesupposed,ofcourse,youwereattheball,butElinor\'svoicebetrayedyou。Thisway,Louisa,“hesaid,returningtothedoor,afterhavingshakenhandswithMr。WyllysandMissAgnes。

  “HowgladIamtoseeyou!”exclaimedElinor——“youareasgoodasyourword;butwedidnotexpectyouforseveraldays;“andJaneandherselfwenttothedoortomeetMrs。Hazlehurst。

  “And,pray,whatreasonhadyoutosupposethatweshouldnotkeepourword?”saidthelatter,assheappeared。

  “WethoughtHarrywouldprobablydetainyou,“saidElinor。

  “Notatall;webroughthimalongwithus。“

  “Thatwasagoodarrangementwehadnotthoughtof,“observedMissAgnes。

  Harryenteredtheroom。Hewasnotentirelyfreefromembarrassmentatfirst;butwhenMr。Wyllysmethimwithsomethingofthecordialmannerofoldtimes,heimmediatelyrecoveredhimself。HekissedthehandofMissAgnes,asinformerdays,andsalutedElinorinthesameway,insteadofthemorebrotherlygreetingswithwhichheusedtomeetherofold。

  “AndhereisJane,too,Harry,“saidMrs。Hazlehurst,whohadjustembracedhersister。“Youhavebeensolongaway,thatI

  daresayyouhaveforgottenhalfyouroldfriends。“

  “Notatall,“saidHarry,crossingtheroomtoJane。“Ithinkmyselfaveryluckyfellow,atfindingthemallcollectedheretogether,formyespecialbenefit。ImetMr。TaylorforamomentinNewYork,“hecontinued,addressingJane。

  “Didhesaywhenhewascomingforme?”repliedMrs。Taylor,offeringherhandtoherkinsman。

  “HetoldmethatheshouldbeatSaratogaveryshortly。“

  “Ihavealetterforyouinmytrunk,Jane,“saidMrs。RobertHazlehurst。

  “Don\'tyouthinkourinvalidmuchbetter,already,Louisa?”askedElinor。

  “Yes;shedoescredittoyournursing。“

  “Nowonder,“saidJane;“forduringthelastmonthIhavebeenpettedallthetime——firstbyMrs。Taylor,thenbyAuntAgnesandElinor。“

  “It\'sverypleasanttobepetted,“saidHarry;“that\'spreciselywhatIcamehomefor。Igiveyoumynotice,Louisa,Iexpectagreatdealfromyouinthenextthreemonths。“

  “Isthatthelengthofyourholiday?”inquiredMissAgnes。

  “Sosaysmymaster,Mr。Henley。Iunderstand,“headded,turningtoElinor,“thatyouhavealltheagreeablepeopleinthecountrycollectedhere。“

  “Therearesomethousandsofus,agreeableanddisagreeable,altogether。Theysaytheplacehasneverbeenmorecrowdedsoearlyintheseason。“

  “SoI\'mtold。IwaswarnedthatifIcame,Ishouldhavetomakemybedinthecellar,orontheroof。AreEllsworthandMrs。

  Creightonatthishouse,orattheother?”

  “TheyarestayingattheUnitedStates。Theyareherethisevening,however,atthedance。“

  {“UnitedStates“=theothermajorhotelinSaratogaSprings,lessfashionableatthistimethanCongressHall}

  “Indeed!——IhavehalfamindtotakeEllsworthbysurprise。Willtheyadmitagentlemanintravellingcostume,doyouthink?”

  “Idaresaytheywill;buthereareyourfriends,comingtolookforyou。“

  Atthesamemoment,Mr。EllsworthandMrs。Creightonjoinedtheparty。

  “Howd\'yedo,Ellsworth?——Gladtoseeyou,mydearfellow!”criedtheyoungmen,shakingeachotherviolentlybythehand。

  “Howdoyoudo,Mr。Hazlehurst?”addedthelady,“Welcomebackagain。Butwhathaveyoudonewithyoursister-in-law?——forIdidnotcometocalluponyoualone。Ah,hereyouare,Mrs。

  Hazlehurst。Mybrotherobservedyoupassingthroughthehall,asyouarrived,andwedeterminedthatitwouldbemuchpleasantertopasshalfanhourwithyou,thantofinishthedance。Wehavebeenwishingforyoueveryday。“

  “Thankyou。Weshouldhavesetoutbefore,ifwehadnotwaitedforHarry。ElinortellsmehalfPhiladelphiaishere,already。“

  “Yes;thehouseshavefilledupverymuchsinceIfirstcame;forIamashamedtosayhowlongIhavebeenhere。“

  “Why,yes:IunderstoodyouweregoingtoNahant。“

  “Weoughttohavebeentherelongago;butIcouldnotmovethisobstinatebrotherofmine。HehasneverfoundSaratogasodelightful,Mrs。Hazlehurst,“addedthelady,withanexpressivesmile,andalooktowardsElinor。“Ican\'tsay,however,thatI

  atallregretbeingforcedtostay,formanyofourfriendsarehere,now。Mr。Hazlehurst,Ihopeyouhavecomehomemoreagreeablethanever。“

  “Ihopesotoo,Mrs。Creighton;foritisoneofourchiefdutiesasdiplomatists,\'totellliesforthegoodofourcountry,\'inanagreeableway。ButIamafraidIhavenotimprovedmyopportunities。Ihavebeenverymuchoutofhumourforthelastsixmonths,atleast。“

  “Andwhy,pray?”

  “BecauseIwantedtocomehome,andMr。Henley,myboss,insisteduponprovingtomeitwouldbethemostfoolishthingIcoulddo。

  Hewassomuchintheright,thatIresenteditbybeingcross。“

  “Butnowhehascomehimself,andbroughtyouwithhim。“

  “Nothankstohim,though。ItwasallUncleSam\'sdoings,whowantstosendusfromtheEquatortotheNorthPole。“

  “AreyoureallygoingtoRussia,Hazlehurst?”askedMr。

  Ellsworth。

  “Certainly;youwouldnothavemedesert,wouldyou?”

  “Oh,no;don\'tthinkofit,Mr。Hazlehurst;itmustbeaverypleasantlife!”exclaimedMrs。Creighton。“Ionlywish,Frank,thatyouwereenoughofapoliticiantobesentasministersomewhere;Ishoulddelightindoingthehonoursforyou;thoughIdaresayyouwouldratherhavesomeoneelseinmyplace。“

  “WewillwaituntilIamsentasambassadortoTimbuctoo,beforeIanswerthequestion。“

  “Youhavegrownhalf-a-dozenshadesdarkerthanyouusedtobeasayoungster,Harry;orelsethislampdeceivesme,“observedMr。

  Wyllys。

  “IdaresayImayhaveafreshtingeoftheolive。ButIamjustfromsea,sir,andthatmayhavegivenmeanadditionalcoat。“

  “Didyousuffermuchfromheat,onthevoyage?”askedMissWyllys。

  “NothalfasmuchasIhavesinceIlanded。ItappearedtomePhiladelphiawasthewarmestspotIhadeverbreathedin;worsethanRio。IwasdelightedwhenLouisaproposedmycomingtoSaratogatoseemyfriends。“

  “Youwillfinditquitewarmenoughhere,“saidMr。Wyllys。“Thethermometerwas92{degrees}intheshade,yesterday。“

  “Idon\'texpecttobewellcooled,sir,untilwegettoSt。

  Petersburgh。Afterasea-voyage,Ibelieveonealwaysfeelsthecoldless,andtheheatmorethanusual。ButwhereisMrs。

  Stanley?——wehopedtofindherwithyou。Isshenotstayingatthishouse?”

  “Yes;butsheleftusearly,thisevening,notfeelingverywell;

  youwillnotbeabletoseeheruntilto-morrow,“saidMissAgnes。

  “Iamsorrysheisnotwell;howisshelooking?”

  “Particularlywell,Ithink;shemerelycomplainedofahead-achefromridinginthesun。“

  “Mrs。Stanleyhasbeenveryanxiousforyourreturn;butshewillbeasagreeablysurprisedastherestofus,tofindyouhere,“

  saidElinor。

  “Thankyou。Ilookuponmyselfasparticularlyfortunate,tofindsomanyoldfriendscollectedinonespot,insteadofhavingtorunabout,andhuntforeachinadifferentplace,justnowthatIamlimitedfortime。“

  “YououghttobegreatlyindebtedtoFrankandmyself,forbreakingourwordandstayinghere;insteadofkeepingourpromiseandgoingtoNahant,aswehadengagedtodo,“saidMrs。

  Creighton。

  “Certainly;Ilookuponitaspartofmygoodluck;butIshouldhavemademyappearanceatNahant,ifyouhadactuallyrunawayfromme。“

  “Ishallbelieveyou;forImakeitapointofalwaysbelievingwhatisagreeable。“

  “AsIknewMrs。Hazlehurstandyourbrotherhadengagedroomshere,Ihopedyouwouldjoinus,soonafteryourarrival,“saidMr。Ellsworth。

  “Itwasmuchthebestplanforyou,“saidMr。Wyllys。

  Harrylookedgratifiedbythisfriendlyremark。

  Itwasalreadylate;andMrs。Hazlehurst,whohadbeenconversinginacornerwithJane,complainedofbeingfatiguedbyherday\'sjourney,whichbrokeuptheparty。TheHazlehursts,likeMrs。

  Creightonandherbrother,werestayingattheUnitedStates,andtheyallwentofftogether。

  WhenElinor,asusual,kissedMr。Wyllysbeforeretiringtoherownroom,shehesitatedamoment,andthensaid:

  “Imustthankyou,grandpapa,forhavinggrantedmyrequest,andreceivedHarryasofold。Itismuchbetterthatthepastshouldbeentirelyforgotten。Self-respectseemstorequirethatweshouldnotshowresentmentunderthecircumstances,“sheadded,colouringslightly。

  “Icannotforgetthepast,Elinor。Harrydoesnotstandwithmewhereheoncedid,bythesideofmybelovedgrandchild;butwewillnotthinkofthatanylonger,asyousay。Ihopeforbetterthingsfromthefuture。Blessyou,dear!”

  CHAPTERVI。{XXIX}

  “Thefoamuponthewaters,notsolight。“

  COWPER。

  {WilliamCowperEnglishpoet,1731-1800,“Truth“line43}

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