第8章

TheseatstheyhadleftweretakenbyMrs。deVauxandColonelStryker：thelady，amiddle-agedwoman，fashionablydressed；thegentleman，rathermorethanmiddle-agedinhisappearance，anddecidedlylesssoinhisdressandmanners。

“YoungTaylorisahandsomefellow，andlooksthebride-groomverywell！”exclaimedMr。Stryker。“HowtheseTaylorshavepushedupwards；IneverheardofthembeforeIwenttoEuropethislasttime，fiveorsixyearsago。“

“Thatisjustaboutthemomenttheyfirstburstuponthehorizon。

Mr。Taylorseemsdeterminedtomakeupforlosttime。Heisverydisagreeabletousladies；butthegentlemenlikehimonaccountofhiscleverness；theysayheisageniusinallbusinessmatters。“

“Tojudgebyhisexpression，themanseemsambitiousof\'lessuccesdesalon，\'also。Wheredidheimporthismannersfrom，I

wonder？——theyhaveasortofbright，newlook，asifhehadnotyetworntheglossoff。“

{“lessuccesdesalon“=drawing-roomvictories(French)}

“Don\'tlaughathim；——hegivesexcellentdinners。“

“Doeshe？Can\'tyouintroduceme，immediately？\'Icil\'ontfaitnocesetfestins。\'Iseemtosmelltheturtle-soup，already。“

{“Icil\'ont……“=weddingfeastsandbanquetsgivenhere(French)}

“Idoubtwhetheryoutasteit，nevertheless，untilnextautumn。

Everybodyisgoingoutoftown；theysaythatistheonlydrawbacktothesatisfactionoftheTaylorsatthiswedding。“

“Whatisthedrawback，pray？”

“Theycannothaveasmanygrandpartiesastheyareentitledto，onaccountoftheseason。“

“Thatmustbedistressing，indeed，tothebrides-maids。

By-the-bye，IseeMissWyllysisoneofthem。Sheisgoingtoturnoutafortune，Ihear；——doyouknowher？”

“Fromachild。Lastyearnoonedreamedofherbeingafortune；

butwithinthelastfewmonths，Mr。deVauxtellsme，shehasinheritedaveryhandsomepropertyfromoneofhermother\'sfamily；and，inadditiontoit，somenewrail-road，orsomethingofthatkind，hasraisedthevalueofwhatsheownedbefore。“

“Whatistheamount，doyouknow？”

“Upwardsoftwohundredthousand，Mr。deVauxthinks。“

“MissWyllysiscertainlynobeauty；but，doyouknow，Ithinkthereissomethingdecidedlydistinguishedinherappearanceandmanner！Iwasonlyintroducedtheotherday；IdidnothappentoknowtheWyllyses。“

“Ihaveknownthemallmylife，andlikethemallverymuch。I

ratherwonder，though，atMissElinor\'sbeinghereasbride\'s-maid。Butitisareconciliation，Isuppose。PerhapssheandyoungHazlehurstwillmakeupagain，andwemaybeinvitedtoanotherwedding，beforelong。“

“Perhapsso。Howlongdoesittakeayoungladytoresentaninfidelity？Acalendarmonth，Isuppose；or，inextremecases，ayearandaday。By-the-bye，theprettywidow，Mrs。Creighton，hasthrownoffherweeds，Isee。“

“Yes，shehascomeoutagain，armedforconquest，Isuppose。Whataflirtsheis！Andasartfulassheispretty，Mr。Stryker。Butperhapsyouareoneofheradmirers，“continuedthelady，laughing。

“Ofcourse，itisimpossiblenottoadmireher；butIamafraidofher，“saidMr。Stryker，shrugginghisshoulders。“Iamhorriblyafraidofallprettywidows。“

“Mr。Hazlehurstdoesnotseemafraidofher。“

“Notabit——heistherehalfhistime；butthenheisyoungandventuresome。Weoldcampaignersaremorewary。“

“Heisanoldfriendofherbrother\'s，Ibelieve；isMr。

Ellsworthhere？”

“Yes，thereheis，talkingtoMissWyllys。PerhapshemayinterferewithyourpredictionaboutherandmyfriendHazlehurst。“

“Possibly；buta-proposofweddings；whydon\'tyoumarry，yourself，Mr。Stryker？Youhavebeenadelightfulbeaunow，forhowmanyyears？”askedthelady，mischievously。

“Oh，thesefivelustres，Isuppose；forIbeganearly，“repliedMr。Stryker，whohadtoomuchworldlywisdom，nottomakeameritoffrankness，wherehecouldnothelpit。

{“lustre“=aperiodoffiveyears}

“Six，youmean，“saidMrs。deVaux，laughing。

“No，five，honestlycounted。Idon\'tknowexactlyhowoldImaybe；buttheotherdayIheardafellowsay，\'Strykercan\'tbemorethanfive-and-forty；\'andIdaresaybewasright。“

“Well，allowingyouareonlyfive-and-forty，don\'tyoumeantomarry，oneofthesedays？”

“Certainly。“

“Don\'tyouthinkittimetolookaboutyou？”

“Hightime；butwhowillhaveme？”continuedMr。Stryker，withgreatcomplacencyofmanner。

“Oh，halftheyoungladiesintheroom，Idaresay；excepting，ofcourse，thosewhohaverefusedyoualready，“saidMrs。deVaux，mischievously；foritwassuspectedthatMr。Strykerhadmetwithseveralrebuffs。Thisladyandgentlemaninspiteoftheirsmilingcountenancesandfriendlymanners，owedeachotheragrudge，ofoldstanding。Whodoesnotknowthatwherethespiritoflittlenessandvanityisall-powerful，thesepettytrialsandtriumphsaretoooftenthechiefspringofaction；aswasthecasewithMr。StrykerandMrs。deVaux。Happythey，whohavegoodprincipleandgoodfeelingenough，tocastofffollyonsosmallascale！

“Tellmewhatisyourtaste，andIwilllookoutforyou，“

continuedMrs。deVaux。

“Howkindyouare！——youdon\'tincludeMissdeVaux，ofcourse；

forshecan\'tendureme。Likeallmodestmen，Irequireonlyninehundredandninety-nineperfectionsinmywife。ButthenIinsistchieflyontwoessentials：shemusthavemoney，andshemustnothavebrothersandsisters；Ihaveaninvincibleantipathytocollaterals，whetherofbloodorconnexion。“

“MissWyllysistheverypersonforyou。Quiteafortunenow，theysay；andanorphan，withoutbrotherorsister；allyourequire。Then，youlikeherappearance，yousay；thoughsheisplain，sheisclever，too，andamiable。“

“Ofcourse；allyoungladiesareamiable，aretheynot？”

“Ionlyknowofoneobjection——sheistoogoodforyou。“

“Goodnessisnottobedespisedinawife。IshallrequireitfromthefutureMrs。Stryker；thoughnotveryparticularabouttherestoftheworld。Iammuchobligedtoyou，Mrs。deVaux，forthesuggestion；I\'llthinkofit，“saidMr。Stryker，deliberatelycrossingonelegovertheother，tomakehimselfcomfortable。

“You，whoknoweverybody，Mr。Stryker，“saidthelady，“pray，tellme，whoisthatbright-facedyoungman，orrather，boy，standingnearMr。WyllysandMrs。Stanley？”

“Youwishtomortifyme——Ineversawtheladbefore。“

“Icanansweryourquestion，Mrs。deVaux，“observedHarry，whohadjustapproached，andmadehisbow；“thatismyfriend，CharlieHubbard，theartist。Don\'tyourememberthefineviewofLakeOntario，thatwassomuchadmiredattheExhibition，thisspring？”

“Certainly。Isthattheyoungman？——Helookslikeagenius。“

“Ratherasageniusshouldlook；yourgreatlionsareoftenverytame-lookinganimals，“observedMr。Stryker。

“Hubbard\'sfaceonlydoeshimjustice，however；heisfulloftalent，“saidHarry。

“ISomeofhispicturesarecertainlyveryfine，“observedMrs。

deVaux。

“Ineversawwaterlikehis，“continuedHazlehurst；“suchvariety，andalwaystruetonature。Healmostpersuadesonetobelieveallhesaysaboutwater：hemaintainsthatithasmorevarietyofexpressionthananyotherinanimateobject，andhas，withal，anindependentcharacterofitsown；hesaysitissecondonlytothehumancountenance。“

“Heseemsquiteanenthusiast，“saidMrs。deVaux。

“Won\'thetakeitalloutintalk？”askedMr。Stryker，drily。

“LookathisviewofHell-Gateonacloudyevening，andsaysoifyoucan！”exclaimedHarry，warmly。

{“Hell-Gate“=anarrowchannelinNewYorkCity\'sEastRiver}

“Well，afterall，hesaysnomoreforwater，thanhasbeensaidbythepoetsofallnature，fromthetimeofthefirstpastoral；

theytellusthatthesunwillmakeabareoldmountainsmile，andthewindwillthrowthefinestforestintoafuss。“

“IdefyyoutoproveanyfussuponCharlie\'sworks！”

“Perhapsnot——Whereishisstudy？Ishouldliketoseewhathehasdone。Ishispencilalwaysamphibious？”

“Yes；Ibelievehehasneveryetpaintedalandscape，withoutitsportionofwater。Ifyouwishtoseehisstudy，youmustgosoon；

hesailsforItalynextmonth。“

“Ifhispartialityforwaterisreallyhonest，itmayhelphimoninhisprofession。Hasheagoodexecution？——thatisall-important。“

“Decidedlygood；andheimproveseveryday。Executionisreallyall-importanttoHubbard；fortherecanbenodoubtthathepossessesallanartist\'sconception。“

“Isuspectthough，hisnotionaboutexpressivewaterisnotoriginal。Itappearstome，someGermanorothercallswater，\'theeyesofalandscape。\'“

“Verypossibly；butCharlieHubbardisnotthemantostealotherpeople\'sideas，andpassthemoffforhisown。“

“Youmakeapointofalwaysbelievingtheworstofeverybody，Mr。

Stryker，“saidMrs。deVaux。

“IwishIcouldhelpit。“saidthegentleman，raisinghiseyebrows。

“Suppose，Mr。Hazlehurst，youtakehimtoMr。Hubbard\'sstudio，andforcehimtoadmirethatfinepictureofLakeOntario。I

shouldliketoseeitagain，myself；andMr。deVauxhasbeentalkingofcarryingusalltoMr。Hubbard\'s，sometime。“

HarryprofessedhimselfquiteatMrs。deVaux\'sservice。Mrs。

Stanley，hesaid，wasgoingtoseehisfriend\'spicturestheverynextday。Apartywassoonarranged，thehourfixed，andeverythingsettled，beforesupperwasannounced。AsMrs。deVauxandMr。Strykermovedtowardsthedoor，theywerefollowedbyMrs。CreightonandHarry。

“Whowastheyoungmanyouweretalkingwithatsupper，Josephine？”askedMr。Ellsworth，ashesteppedintothecarriageafterMrs。CreightonandHarry，indrivingawayfromthewedding。

“Whichdoyoumean？”

“Amereboy——oneofthegroomsmen，bythewhitefavoursinhisbutton-hole。“

“Oh，thatwasthegroom\'sbrother，Mr。PompeyTaylor，theyounger，averysimple，andratheranawkwardyounggentleman。I

hadthehonourofmakingtheacquaintanceofallthefamily，inthecourseoftheevening。IwasquiteamusedwithMr。Taylor，thefather；hereallyseemstohaveasgreatarelishforthevanitiesoflife，asanyyounggirloffifteen。“

“Becausetheyarequiteasnewtohim，“saidHazlehurst。

“Thatisdifficulttobelieveofaclever，calculatingmanoffifty，“observedMr。Ellsworth。

“Allclevermenoffiftyarenotquitefreefromnonsense，takemywordforit，“saidthelady。

“IappealtoMr。Hazlehurst，whoknowsMr。Taylor；asformyself，Iamconvincedbytheman\'smannerthisevening。“

“Youarecertainlycorrectinyouropinion，Mrs。Creighton。Mr。

Tayloris，nodoubt，acleverman；andyethetakesdelightineverypieceoffineryabouthishouse。Heismorepossessedwiththespiritofsheerostentation，thananymanIevermetwith。“

“Ah，youwanttosavethecreditofyoursex，bysettinghimdownasanexception！——thatisnotfair，Mr。Hazlehurst。“

Itwasapitythattheprettysmilewhichtheladybestowedonherbrother\'sfriendwasentirelythrownaway；butthelamp-lighthappenedtobelittlemorethandarknessvisible。

EndVolume1

ElinorWyllysbySusanFenimoreCooperINTWOVOLUMES。

VOL。II。

EDITEDBYJ。FENIMORECOOPER。

CHAPTERI{wouldbeCHAPTERXXIV，ifnumberedfrombeginningofVol。I}

“Butthereismatterforanotherrhyme；

AndItothiswouldaddanothertale。“

WORDSWORTH。

“AndhowdoMissandMadamdo；

Thelittleboy，andall？

Alltightandwell？andhowdoyou，GoodMr。What-do-you-call？”

COWPER。

{WilliamWordsworth(Englishpoet，1770-1850)，“PoemsoftheImagination：Hart-LeapWell“lines95-96。WilliamCowper(Englishpoet，1731-1800)，“TheYearlyDistress，or，TithingTimeatStockinEssex“lines33-36}

Itistobefearedthereaderwillfindfaultwiththischapter。

Butthereisnoremedy；hemustsubmitquietlytoabreakofthreeyearsinthenarrative：havingtochoosebetweentheunitiesandtheprobabilities，wegreatlypreferredholdingtothelast。Thefault，indeed，ofthishiatus，restsentirelywiththeyoungfolkofLongbridge，whosefortuneswehaveundertakentofollow；hadtheyremainedtogether，weshould，ofcourse，havebeenfaithfultoourdutyasachronicler；butourtaskwasnotsoeasy。Inthepresentstateoftheworld，peoplewillmoveabout——especiallyAmericanpeople；andmakingnoclaimtoubiquity，wewereobligedtowaitpatientlyuntiltimebroughtthewanderersbackagain，totheneighbourhoodwherewefirstmadetheiracquaintance。ShortlyafterJane\'smarriage，thewholepartybrokeup；JaneandherhusbandwenttoNew-Orleans，whereTallmanTaylorwasestablishedaspartnerinacommercialhouseconnectedwithhisfather。HazlehurstpassedseveralyearsinMexicoandSouth-America：anoldfriendofhisfather\'s，adistinguishedpoliticalman，receivedtheappointmentofEnvoytoMexico，andofferedHarrythepostofSecretaryofLegation。

Hazlehursthadlongfeltastrongdesiretoseethesoutherncountriesofthecontinent，andwasverygladofsopleasantanarrangement；helefthisfriendEllsworthtopractiselawalone，andaccompaniedMr。Henley，theMinister，toMexico；andfromthenceremoved，afteratime，toBrazil。CharliehadbeenstudyinghisprofessioninFranceandItaly，duringthesameperiod。EvenElinorwasabsentfromhomemuchmorethanusual；

MissWyllyshadbeenoutofhealthforthelastyearortwo；and，onheraccount，theypassedtheirsummersintravelling，andawinterintheWest-Indies。Atlength，however，thepartymetagainontheoldground；andweshalltakeupthethreadofournarrative，duringthesummerinwhichthecirclewasre-united。

Itistobehopedthatthisbreakinthemovementofourtalewillbeforgiven，whenwedeclare，thattheplotisabouttothicken；perplexities，troubles，andmisfortunesaregatheringaboutourLongbridgefriends；apieceofintelligencewhichwillprobablycheerthereader\'sspirits。Wehaveitontheauthorityofaphilosopher，thatthereissomethinggratifyingtohumannatureinthecalamitiesofourfriends；anaxiomwhichseemstrue，atleast，ofallacquaintancesmadeonpaper。

“{Minister“=adiplomaticrankbelowthatofAmbassador——aMinisterheadsaLegation，anAmbassadoranEmbassy；priortotheCivilWar，theUnitedStateswasnotconsideredanimportantenoughcountrytosendorreceiveAmbassadors。“SecretaryofLegation“=adiplomatservingunderaMinister。“Aphilosopher“

=Francois，DucdelaRochefoucauld(1618-1680)，Frenchauthorfamousforhismaximsorepigraphs：“Dansl\'adversitedenosmeilleursamis，noustrouvonsquelquechosequinenousdeplaitpas“=Inthemisfortuneofourbestfriends，wefindsomethingwhichisnotdispleasingtous。MaximNo。99，latersuppressed。

Bythe1840s，awellknownexpression}

Weheardailythatlifeisshort；and，surely，Timeflieswithfearfulrapidityifwemeasurehiscoursebyyears：

three-score-and-ten，theallottedspanofman，aresoonnumbered。

Butevents，thoughts，feelings，hopes，cares，arebettermarksforthedialoflife，thanhoursandminutes。Inthisview，thepathoflifeisalongroad，fullofmeaningandofmovementateverystep；andinthissenseonlyistimejustlyappreciated；

eachdaylosesitsinsignificance，andeveryyearlyrevolutionoftheearthbecomesapointineternity。

TheoccurrencesofthethreeyearsduringwhichwehavelostsightoftheLongbridgecirclewillspeakforthemselves，asourtaleisgraduallyunfolded。Itisevident，however，atthefirstglance，onreturningtotheoldground，thatthevillageitselfhasundergonesomealterations。Thoughbelongingtoapartofthecountryoccasionallyaccusedofbeing“unenterprising，“ithadnotprovedinsensibletothegeneralmovementfeltthroughouttherepublic，inthosehalcyondaysofbrilliantspeculation，whichcommencedwiththepromiseofgoodfortunetoall，andendedbybringingpovertytomany，anddisgracetoothers。Arail-roadnowrunsthroughtheprincipalstreet，andthenewdepot，alarge，uncouthbuilding，standsconspicuousatitstermination，lookingcommercialprosperity，andinternalimprovement。Severalnewstoreshavebeenopened，half-a-dozen“tastymansions“——chieflyimitationsofMr。Hubbard\'s——havebeenbuilt，anotherlargetavernhasbeencommenced，andtwoadditionalsteamboatsmaybeseenlyingatthewharf。Thevalueofpropertyinthevillageitself，issaidtohavedoubled，atleast；newstreetsarelaidout，andbranchrail-roadsaretalkedof；andmanypeopleflatterthemselvesthatLongbridgewillfigureinthenextcensusasaflourishingcity，withthefullhonoursofaCorporation，Mayor，andAldermen。Inthepopulation，correspondingchangesarealsoperceptible；manynewfacesareseeninthestreets，newnamesareobservedonthesigns；othersagainaremissedfromtheiroldhaunts，forthereisscarcelyafamilyintheplace，whichhasnotsentitsrepresentationwestward。

{“thosehalcyondays“=i。e。，beforetheeconomicPanicof1837，andtheseven-yeardepressionthatfollowed}

Mostofouroldacquaintances，however，stillremainonthespot，thispleasantafternooninJune，183。TherestandsMr。JosephHubbard，talkingtoJudgeBernard。ThatisDr。VanHorne，drivingoffinhisprofessionalsulkey。ThereareMrs。TibbsandMrs。

Bibbs，side-by-side，asofold。Mrs。GeorgeWyllyshasmoved，itseems；herchildrenareevidentlyathomeinadoor-yardontheoppositesideofthestreet，adjoiningtheHubbard“Park。“Onthedoorofthatbright-coloured，spruce-lookingbrickhouse，youwillseethenameofW。C。Clapp；andthereareapairofbootsrestingonthewindow-sillofanadjoiningoffice，whichprobablybelongtothepersonofthelawyer，himself。Now，wemayobserveMrs。HilsonandMissEmmelineHubbardflittingacrossthestreet，“fascinatingandaristocratic“asever。

{“sulkey“=lighttwo-wheeledcarriage，seatedforoneperson；

usuallyspelled“sulky“}

Letusleavethevillage，however，forthemoreimmediateneighbourhoodofWyllys-Roof；inwhich，itishoped，thereaderwillfeelmoreparticularlyinterested。TherestandsthelittlecottageoftheHubbards，lookingjustasitdidthreeyearssince；itispossiblethatoneortwoofthebull\'s-eyepanesofglassmayhavebeenbroken，andchanged，andthegreyshinglesarealittlemoremoss-grown；butitsgeneralaspectispreciselywhatitwaswhenwewerelastthere。Thesnow-ballandthesweet-briarareintheiroldplaces，eachsideofthehumbleporch；thewhiteblossomshavefallenfromthescraggybranchesofthesnow-ball，thisfirstweekinJune；thefreshpinkbudsareopeningonthefragrantyoungshootsofthesweet-briar。

Thereisourfriend，MissPatsey，wearingasun-bonnet，atworkinthegarden；andifyoulookthroughtheopendoorofthehouse，youwillseebeyondthepassageintotheneatlittlekitchen，wherewecatchaglimpseofMrs。Hubbard\'swhitecapoverthebackofherrocking-chair。Itispossiblethatyoumayalsoseethemerry，shining，blackfaceofalittlehandmaiden，whomMissPatseyhaslatelytakenintothefamily；and，asthetea-kettleisboiling，andtheday\'sworkchieflyover，thelittlethingisoftenseenatthishour，playingaboutthecornersofthehouse，withtheoldcat。Ah，thereisthelittleminx！——hersharpearshaveheardthesoundofwheels，andsheisalreadyattheopengate，toseewhatpasses。Awagonstops；whomhavewehere？LittleJudyisfrightenedhalfoutofherwits：ayoungmanshedoesnotknow，withhisfacecoveredwithbeard，afterafashionshehadneveryetseen，springsfromthewagon。

MissPatseyturnstolook。

“Charlie！”——sheexclaims；andinanothermomenttheyouthhasreceivedthejoyful，tearful，agitatedembraceofhismotherandsister。Thedarlingoftheirheartsisathomeagain；threeyearssince，heleftthem，aboy，tomeetdangersexaggeratedtenfoldbytheiranxioushearts；hereturns，aman，whohasfacedtemptationsundreamedofbytheirsimpleminds。Thewandererisoncemorebeneaththeirhumbleroof；theirpartialeyesrestagainonthatyoungface，changed，yetstillthesame。

Charliefindsthethreelastyearshavepassedlightlyoverhismotherandhissister；theirsarethesamekindlyfaces，thesamewell-knownvoices，thebestloved，themosttrustedfromchildhood。Afterthefirsteagermomentsofgreetingareover，andthefirsthurriedquestionshavebeenanswered，helooksabouthim。Hasnotthedearoldcottageshrunktoaverynut-shell？Heopensthedooroftheschool-room；thereareitstwobenches，anditshumbleofficialdesk，asofold；helooksintothelittleparlour，andsmilestothinkoftherespecthefeltinhischildishdaysforMissPatsey\'sdrawing-room：manyagildedgallery，manyabrilliantsaloonhashesinceenteredasasight-seer，withamorecarelessstep。Hegoesoutontheporch；

isitpossiblethatisthegarden？——whyitisnolargerthanatable-cloth！——heshouldhavethoughtthebedshehadsooftenweededcouldnotbesosmall：andthedoor-yard，onecanshakehandsacrossit！AndthereisWyllys-Roof，halfhidbytrees——heusedtoadmireitasamostvenerablepile；inrealityitisonlyaplain，respectablecountry-house：asthehomeoftheWyllyses，however，itmustalwaysbeanhonouredspottohim。ColonnadeManortoo——helaughs！Therearesomebuildingsthatseem，atfirstsight，toexcitetoirresistiblemerriment；theybelongtowhatmayhecalledthe“ridiculousorder“ofarchitecture，andconsistgenerallyofcaricaturesonnobleGreekmodels；Mr。

Taylor\'selegantmansionhad，undeniably，aclaimtoaconspicuousplaceamongthenumber。Charlielookswithapainter\'seyeatthecountry；thesceneryisofthesimplestkind，yetbeautiful，asinanimatenature，sinlessnature，musteverbeunderallhervarieties：hecastsaglanceupwardatthesky，brightandblueasthatofItaly；howoftenhashestudiedtheheavensfromthatveryspot！Thetreesarerichintheirsummerverdure，themeadowsarefragrantwithclover，andthroughMr。Wyllys\'swoodsthereisaglimpseofthebroadriver，gildedbytheeveningsun。Itisapleasingscene，ahappymoment；itisthefirstlandscapeheeverpainted，anditishome。

ThenCharliereturnstohismother；hesitsbyherside，shetakeshishandinherwitheredfingers，sherestsherfeeblesightonhisbrightface；whileMissPatseyispreparingallthedaintiesinthehouseforsupper。

“Well，littleone，whatisyourname？”saidCharlie，astheblackchildpassedhimwithaloadofgoodthings。

“Judy，sir，“saidthelittlegirl，withacurtsey，andahalf-frightenedlookatCharlie\'sface，fortheyoungartisthadchosentoreturnwithmoustaches；whetherhethoughtitprofessionalorbecoming，wecannotsay。

“WeshallbegoodfriendsIhope，Judy；ifyoumindmysisterbetterthanyoueverdidanybodyelseinyourlife，perhapsI

shallfindsomesugar-plumsforyou，“saidCharlie，pleasedtoseeablackfaceagain。

Mrs。Hubbardremarkedthat，uponthewhole，Judywasaprettygoodgirl；andthechildgrinned，untiltwodeepdimplesweretobeseeninhershiningdarkcheeks，andthedozenlittlenon-descriptbraidswhichprojectedfromherheadindifferentdirections，seemedtostandonendwithdelight。

“AndsoMr。Wyllysandtheladiesarenotathome。IwishIhadknownoftheirbeinginNew-York；Imightatleasthaveseenthemforamoment，yesterday。“

“IwonderMrs。Hilsondidnotmentiontheirbeingintown。“

“Juliannaneverknowswhatsheistalkingabout。ButIamgladtoheargoodaccountsofthemall。“

“Yes；MissWyllyshascomehomefromtheWest-Indies，muchbetter。“

“IsitreallytruethatMissElinorisgoingtobemarriedshortly？”

“Well，Ican\'tsaywhetherthestoryistrueornot。Sheseemstohavemanyadmirersnowshehasbecomeanheiress。“

“ButIdon\'tunderstandhowshecomestobesuchafortune。“

{“afortune“=shortforawomanoffortune，anheiress}

“Idon\'tunderstanditmyself；Mr。Clappcantellyouallaboutit。Youknowmostpeopleareagreatdealrichernowthantheywereafewyearsago。Iheardsomeonesaytheotherday，thatmyoldpupil\'spropertyinLongbridge，isworththreetimesasmuchnow，asitwasashorttimesince。“

“IsitpossibleLongbridgehasimprovedsomuch？”

“Andthenyouroldplay-fellowhashadtwolegaciesfromrelationsofhermother\'s；everybodyintheneighbourhoodistalkingofhergood-luck，andsayingwhatafortuneshewillturnout。Ionlyhopeshewillbehappy，andnotbethrownawayuponsomeoneunworthyofher，likeherpoorcousin；foritseemsyoungMr。Taylorisverydissipated。“

Charlieprobablysympathizedwiththisremark，thoughhemadenoreply。

“Mr。andMrs。TallmanTaylorareinNew-Yorknow，Ihear，justcomefromNew-Orleans。ThefamilyfromWyllys-Roofhavegoneovertoseethem，“addedMissPatsey。

“Yes，soIunderstand。Theywillbeherebeforelong，Isuppose。“

“Notimmediately；fortheyareallgoingtoSaratogatogether。

Dr。VanHornethoughtMissWyllyshadbetterpasstwoorthreeweeksattheSprings。“

“Thatisfortunateforme——Ishallseethemthesooner；forI

mustbeatLakeGeorgebeforethefirstofJuly。IhaveanorderforthreeviewsoftheLake，whichIhavepromisedtosendtoEnglandearlyinthefall。“

HereCharlieenteredintosomedetailsofhisaffairs，veryinterestingtohismotherandsister；andtheyseemedtobeinaverysatisfactorycondition，accordingtohisownmodestviews。

AfterawhiletheconversationagainreturnedtotheirLongbridgefriends。

“DidyouknowthatMr。Hazlehurstiscominghometoo，thissummer？”askedMissPatsey。

“Yes；hewrotemewordhehopedweshouldmeetbeforelong。HowdidthataffairwithMrs。Creightonturnout？”

“Wedidbeartheywereengaged；butitcouldnothavebeentrue，fortheladyhasbeeninPhiladelphia，andheinBrazil，forsometime，youknow。Iusedtoaskaboutsuchmattersonceinawhile，onpurposetowriteyouword。ButIhadnogreatopportunityofhearingmuchaboutMr。Hazlehurst；forafterthatunhappybusinessatWyllys-Roof，therewas，ofcourse，agreatcoolness；

forsometimeIneverheardhisnamementionedthere，andMr。

Wyllysseldomspeaksofhimnow。“

“Aretheynotreconciled，then？”

“Notentirely，Iamafraid；butyouknowtheyhavenotmetforthreeyears。“

“IshallhardlyknowmyselfatWyllys-Roof，withoutseeingMr。

HazlehurstandMissGrahamthere。“

“Youwillfindagreatchangeinthatrespect。Mrs。Taylorhasnotbeenheresincehermarriage；MissVanAlstyneseemstohavetakenherplace；sheisaverypleasantyounglady。Whenthefamilyisathomenow，thereseemsoftentobesomestrangegentlemanwiththem。“

“Fortune-hunters，Isuppose，“saidCharlie，withsomeindignation。“Well，thecourseoftrueloveneverhas，andneverwillrunquiteasitought，Isuppose。AndhowdoalltheLongbridgepeoplecomeon？——HowisUncleJosie？”

“Verywell，indeed；justasgoodasevertous。Youmustgotoseehimto-morrow。“

“Certainly；——andwhatisUncleDozieabout？”

“Atworkinthevegetable-garden，asusual。Hesentmeafinebasketofsalad，andradishes，andonions，thismorning。“

“ClapphasgotintoanewhouseIsee。“

“Yes；heisinverygoodbusiness，Ibelieve；yousawCatherine，yousay？”

“Yes，foraminuteonly。IranintokissKateandthechildren，whiletheywereharnessingahorseformeatthetavern。Katelooksverywellherself。Thechildrendidn\'tremembermuchofUncleCharlie；buttheyarepretty，healthylittlethings，nevertheless。“

Thegrandmotherassentedtothecommendationofherdaughter\'sfamily；shethoughtthemremarkablyfinechildren。“Catherinewasaveryfortunatewoman，“shesaid；“Mr。Clappwasaverysuperiorman，soverycleverthathemustdowell；andthechildrenwereallhealthy——theyhadgonethroughthemeasleswonderfully，thatspring。“

Charliehadnotquiteaselevatedanopinionofhisbrother-in-lawasthefemalesofthefamily；heallowedhismother\'sremarktopassunnoticed，however。

“AndsoMr。TaylorhasgivenupColonnadeManor，“hecontinued。

“Yes；hehasjustsoldittoMr。deVaux，afriendofMr。

Wyllys，“repliedMissPatsey。

“Whydidhesellit，pray？”

“Well，theyoungladieslikedbettertoliveaboutathotelsandboarding-housesinthesummer，Ibelieve；theythoughtitwastoodullatLongbridge。Mr。Taylordidn\'tcaremuchfortheplace：

youknowtherearesomepeople，who，assoonastheyhavebuiltahouse，andgoteverythinginniceorder，wanttosell；itseemsasiftheydidnotcaretobecomfortable；butIsupposeitisonlybecausetheyaresofondofchange。“

Wemayaswellobserve，bywayofparenthesis，thatthisfancyofgettingridofaplaceassoonasitisinfineorder，wouldprobablyneveroccurtoanymanbutanAmerican，andanAmericanoftheparticularvarietytowhichMr。Taylorbelonged。

“Idon\'twonderathiswantingtogetridofthehouse；butthesituationandtheneighbourhoodmighthavesatisfiedhim，I

think，“saidCharlie，asheacceptedMissPatsey\'sinvitationtoeatthenicesuppershehadpreparedforhim。

Ashetookhisseatatthetable，Mrs。Hubbardobserved，thatheprobablyhadnotseensuchshort-cakeasPatseymade，inRome——towhichCharlieassentedwarmly。Hehadwishedoneevening，inFlorence，hesaid，forsomeofhissister\'sshort-cake，andagoodcupofteaofhermaking；andthesamenighthedreamedthattheVenusdeMedicishadmadehimsome。Hewasashamedofhimselfforhavinghadsuchadream；butitcouldnotbehelped，suchwasthefact。

{“VenusdeMedicis“=FamousnudestatueoftheGoddessVenus——a1stCenturyBCcopyofalostGreekstatuebyCleomenesofAthens——intheUffiziGalleryinFlorence}

Mrs。Hubbardthoughtnowoman，Venusornot，oughttobeashamedofmakinggoodshort-cake；iftheywerebad，thatwouldbeadifferentmatter。

“Well，Charlie，nowyouhaveseenallthosepaintingsandfiguresyouusedtotalksomuchabout，whatdoyouthinkofthem？——aretheyreallysohandsomeasyouexpected？”askedhissister。

“Theyarewonderful！”exclaimedCharlie，withanimation；puttingdownashort-cakehehadjustbuttered。“Wonderful！——Thereisnootherwordtodescribethem。“

Mrs。Hubbardobserved，thatshehadsomenotionofapainting，fromtheminister\'sportraitintheparlour——Charlietookuphisshortcake——shethoughtapersonmighthavesatisfactioninapainting；suchapictureasthatportrait；butasforthosestonefiguresheusedtowishtosee，shecouldnotunderstandwhatwasthebeautyofsuchidol-likethings。

“Theyarenotatalllikeidols，mother；theyarethemostnobleconceptionsofthehumanform。“

Howcouldtheylookhuman？Hehimselfhadtoldhertheyweremadeoutofmarble；justsuchmarble，shesupposed，aswasusedfortomb-stones。

“IonlywishyoucouldseesomeofthestatuesinItaly；theLaocoon，Niobe，andothersIhaveseen。IthinkyouwouldfeelthenwhatIfelt——whatInevercandescribeinwords。“

{“Laocoon“=AfamousGreekstatue，intheVaticanatRome，ofaTrojanpriestandhistwosonsbeingcrushedbyserpents。“Niobe“

=afamousstatue，intheUffiziGalleryinFlorence(aRomancopyofalostGreekoriginalattributedtoScopas)，ofNiobe——

inGreekmythologythedaughterofTantaluswhosechildrenwereslaughteredbyZeusandwhowastransformedintoaweepingimageofstone}

Mrs。Hubbardsaidthenamessoundedveryheathen-liketoherears；shehadneverseenastatue，ofanydescriptionwhatever；

shedidn\'tthinkshecouldhaveanysatisfactioninlookingatone。Iftheyhadanycolourtothem，andweredressedupinuniforms，andhandsomeclothes，likethewax-figuresofGeneralWashington，NapoleonBonaparte，andLordNelson，shehadonceseen，theywouldbeworthlookingat，perhaps。

MissPatseywishedtoknow，ifamongthestatueshehadseen，therewereanysupposedtobelikenessesofthegreatmenthatwereadaboutinhistory？

“TherearemanystatuesandbustsinItaly，thatareundeniablyportraitsofsomeofthegreatestmenofantiquity，“hereplied。

“DoyousupposetheyarereallylikethoseoldRomans？Idon\'tmeansuchlikenessesastheportraitofourdearfather；butstillprettygoodforthoseoldtimes？”

“Farbetterthananythingofthekindyoueversaw，“repliedCharlie，drinkingoffacupoftea。

MissPatseythoughtthosemightbeworthseeing。AconversationfolloweduponthedelightCharliehadfeltinbeholdingcelebratedplaces，thescenesofgreateventsinpastages；adelightthatanAmericancanneverknowinhisowncountry，andwhich，onthatveryaccount，heenjoyswithafarkeenerzestthanaEuropean。MissPatseyseemedtoenteralittleintothispleasure；but，uponthewhole，itwasquiteevidentthatalltheimaginationofthefamilyhadfallentoCharlie\'sshare。Theyoungmanthoughtlittleofthis，however：whenJudyhadcarriedawaytheremainsofthesupper，hereturnedtohismother\'sside，andtheeveningpassedawayinthatpleasantfamilychat，sointerestingtothosewhofeelalike。Sympathyoftheheartisatieten-foldstrongerthansympathyofthehead；peoplemaythinkalike，andhateeachother；whilethosewhofeeltogether，areoftenledtoadoptthesameopinions。

WhenCharliehadreadtheusualeveningchapterintheBible，andhadreceivedhismother\'skissandblessing，helaidhimselfdownwithathankfulheart，inthelittlegarret-room，asinhischildishyears。Theyoungartist\'sdreamsthatnight，wereamingledcrowdoffancies；thememoriesofhisboyhoodrevivingintheiroldhaunts，accompaniedbymorerecentimagesbroughtfrombeyondtheOcean，andlinkedwithhalf-formedplansandideasforthefuture。Amongthesevisionsofthenight，weretwomoredistinctthantherest；onewasadeterminationtocommence，theverynextmorning，acopyofhishonouredfather\'sportrait，inwhichtheartist\'sobjectwasunusual；foritwashischiefaimtomakeitaslittleliketheoriginalbeforehim，aspossible。

Shallwerevealthefactthatanotherimage，wearingagentleraspectthanthestern，rigidfeaturesoftheminister\'sportrait，seemedtoflitbeforetheyoungpainter\'sfancy，comingunbidden，andminglingmoreespeciallywithrecollectionsofthepast？Asarayofmoonlightstoleintothelowdormer-window，theyoungmanturnedonhishumblebed，asighburstfromhislips，followedbythewords，“No，no！”

Weshallkeepthesecret。

CHAPTERII{XXV}

“Yonder，sure，theyarecoming。“

AsYouLikeIt。

{WilliamShakespeare，“AsYouLikeIt“，I。ii。147}

THEweatherhadbeenmorethanusuallywarmforseveralweeks，andthemorningafterCharlie\'sreturntoLongbridge，whenthesteamboatNorthAmericaleftthewharfatNew-York，herdecksandcabinswerefilledbysomefiveorsixhundredpassengers。Thereweremen，women，andchildren，ofvariouscharacters，coloursandconditions。Thesceneondeckwaspleasingandcheerful；thedaywaslovely，thesteamerlookedneatandbright，andthegreatmajorityofthefemalesweregailydressedintheirsummerattire；mostofthefaceslookedgood-humoured，asifpleasedtoescapefromtheheatandconfinementofthetown，tocoolerair，andasightofthewaterandgreenwoods。Onemighthavesupposeditapartyofpleasureonalargescale；infact，Americansseemalwaysgood-natured，andinapleasantmoodwheninmotion；suchistheirpeculiartemperament。ThepassengersonboardtheNorthAmericasoonbegantocollectinknots，family-groups，orpartiesofacquaintance；somechatting，somereading，somemeditating。

Therewasonedifficulty，however，wantofspacetomoveaboutin，orwantofseatsforsomeofthosewhowerestationary。

Aftertheboathadfairlybegunhertrip，andpeoplehadsettledthemselvesaswellastheycould，accordingtotheirdifferentfancies，aprettylittlewomanappearedatthedooroftheladies\'cabin。Inherlighthair，andsomewhatinsipidface，encasedinanextremelyfashionablehat，werecogniseMrs。

Hilson。Turningtowardsagentlemanwhoseemedwaitingnearthedoorforher，sheaddressedhim。

“Now，MonsieurBonnet，doexertyourgallantry，andfindmeaseatondeck。Thecabinisintolerablywarm，Icannotstayhere；——whereareEmmelineandtheBaron？”

“Yousee，Madame，“hesaid，pointingtowardsthecouple，“Montbruntakeatabouretatonce，whenwecomeonboard，andMademoiselleEmmelinenowhasit。Itwasverymaladroitinmenottokeeponeforyou；Ibegat\'ousandpardons。“

{“tabouret“=astool；“maladroit“=careless(French)}

“Haven\'tyougotaseat；thatisapity。ButIdaresayyoucaneasilyfindone。“

“Vraiment，machereMadameEEL-sun，thereisnosacrificeIwouldnotmaketoprocureyouone。Iamdesoleitshouldbeimpossible。

Ihavebeenlooking；butallthetabouretsandchairaretakenbyladiesandgentlemans。Youhaveadroledemaniereoftravelinthiscountree；somanypeopletogether，theladiesmustbevictimessometime。“

{“Vraiment，machere……“=truly，mydear……；“droledemaniere“

=funnyway(French)}

“Oh，no；youdon\'tknowhowtomanage，thatisall。HasnottheBaronachair？”

“Non，Madame；youseeheisdebout。“

{“debout“=standing(French)}

“Well，therearesomegentlemenseated；Iseethreeorfour——onequitenearyou。Askhimforhischair。“

TheFrenchmanshruggedhisshoulders，andlookedbewildered。

“Pray，askthatgentlemanforhischair，“repeatedthelady，pointingwithherparasoltoapersonsittingatnogreatdistance。

“But，Madame，thegentlemanwillnotknowwhatacharmingladywishforthechair——hewillnotgiveit。“

“Oh，nodanger；ifyoutellhimitisforalady，ofcoursehewillletyouhaveit。Why，howslowyouareaboutit；youarealmostasbadasCaptainKockney，whoneverdidanythingwhenhewasasked。“

“Ah，Madame，degracesdonotsaythat！——Igo。“

{“degraces“=please(French)}

AndMonsieurBonnet，edginghiswayhereandtherebehindtheladies，andbeggingtenthousandpardons，atlengthreachedthepersonMrs。Hilsonhadpointedouttohim。

“Whatdidyousay？”exclaimedthisindividual，lookinguprathergruffly，atbeingaddressedbyanutterstranger。

“Millepardons，Monsieur，“continuedMonsieurBonnet；“aladyisverymuchoppressedwithfatigue，andsendmetobegyouwillbeaimabletogiveheryourchair。“

{“millepardons“=excuseme；“aimable“=obligingenough(French)}

“Whatisit？”repeatedtheman，wholookedlikeanEnglishman；“I

don\'tunderstandyou。“

MonsieurBonnetagainurgedhisrequest，intermsstillmorecivil。Itwouldberenderingaverygreatservicetothelady，hesaid。

“Iamnotacquaintedwiththelady；Iadviseyoutolookforanemptychair，“repliedtheother，resolutelyturninghisfaceinanoppositedirection。

MonsieurBonnetshruggedhisshoulders，andwasmovingtowardsMrs。Hilsonaudesespoir，whenagentlemanly-lookingman，whowasseated，reading，notfarfromtheEnglishman，roseandquietlyofferedhisbenchfortheuseofthelady。MonsieurBonnetwas，ofcourse，allgratitude，andreturnedenchantetoMrs。Hilson，whotookthematterveryquietly；whileM。Bonnetseemedsurprisedathisownsuccess。

{“audesespoir“=indespair；“enchante“=delighted(French)}

Thegentlemanwhohadgivenuphisseat，wasobligedtocontinuestanding；shuttinguphisbook，hebegantolookabouthim，amongthecrowd，foracquaintances。Therewasaverygay，noisyparty，atnogreatdistance，whichfirstattractedhisattention；itconsistedoftwoprettyyoungwomeninthecentreofagroupofmen。Theshrillvoiceandrattlinglaughofonelady，mightbeverydistinctlyheardacrossthedeck；theotherwasleaningbacklistlesslyinherchair：oneoftheyoungmenwasreadingapaperwithasortoffamilyexpression，asiftheladieswerehisnearconnexions；and，onachair，atthesideofthesilentlady，satanoldgentleman，withaveryrustycoat，snuffynose，andaredhandkerchiefspreadononeknee，whileontheotherheheldaprettylittleboy，abouttwoyearsold。

“ItellyouIknowshewasdeadinlovewithhim！”criedtherattlingyounglady，atthetopofhervoice。Then，observingthegentleman，whowaslookinginthatdirection，shebowedwithacoquettishgraciousness。Thebowwasreturned，butthegentlemandidnotseemveryanxioustoapproachtheparty；whentheyounglady，beckoningwithherfinger，obligedhimtodrawnear。

“Now，Mr。Ellsworth，youarejustthemanIwanted。Threeofthesegentlemenareagainstme；Ihaveonlyoneonmyside，andI

wantyoutohelpmetofightthebattle。“

“MustIenlist，MissTaylor，beforeIknowwhetherthecauseisgoodorbad？”

“Oh，certainly，orelseyouarenotworthacent。ButI\'lltellyouhowthematterstands：youknowHelendeVauxandyouwereattheSprings，lastsummer，whensheandMr。VanAlstynewerethere。Well，Isayshewasdeadinlovewithhim，thoughshedidrefusehim。“

“Wasshe？”repliedMr。Ellsworth。

“Why，Iknowshewas；itwasasplainasapike-stafftoeverybodywhosawthemtogether。Andhere，thesegoodfolksprovokemeso；theysayifsherefusedhimshedidnotcareforhim；andhereismyridiculousbrother-in-law，Mr。St。Leger，saysIdon\'tknowanythingaboutit；andmysisterAdelinealwaysthinksjustasherhusbanddoes。“

“That\'squiteright，mydear，“saidtherustyMr。Hopkins，takingapinchofsnuff。“Ihopeyouwillfollowherexampleoneofthesedays。“

“Whataretheprecisesymptomsofayounglady\'sbeingdeadinlove？”askedthequiet，business-lookingTheodoreSt。Leger。

“Oh，youknowwellenoughwhatImean。YoumaysaywhatyoupleaseaboutHelendeVauxnotcaringforhim，Iknowbetter，“

continuedtheyounglady，inavoicethatmightbeheardontheothersideoftheboat。

“AsMissdeVaux\'smotherisonboard，supposeyoureferthequestiontoher，“saidMr。Ellsworth，inadrymanner。

“Isshe？——Ihopeshedidn\'thearus，“continuedtheyounglady，loweringhervoicehalfatone。“Butyouneednotaskher，though；forIdon\'tbelievehermotherknowsanythingaboutit。“

“YouaregoingtotheSprings，Isuppose，“saidMr。Ellsworth，bywayofchangingtheconversation。

“Iwishwewere！No；Adelinehastakenitintoherheadtoberomantic，forthefirsttimeinherlife。ShesayswemustgototheFalls；anditwillbeafortnightlostfromSaratoga。“

“But，haveyounowishtoseeNiagara？”

“Notabit；andIdon\'tbelieveAdelinehas，either。Butitisnowondershedoesn\'tcareabouttheSprings，nowshe\'smarried；shebegantogotherefouryearsbeforeIdid。“

“HaveyouneverbeentoNiagara，Mrs。St。Leger？”continuedMr。

Ellsworth，addressingtheeldersister；who，fromthegiddy，belleishAdeline，wasnowmetamorphosedintothehalf-soberyoungmatron——thewifeofanindividual，whoinspiteoftheromanticappellationofTheodoreSt。Leger，wasaveryquiet，industriousbusiness-man，thenephewandadoptedsonofMr。Hopkins，Adeline\'sBostonescort。Shehadbeensittingcontentedlybesidetheoldgentleman，forthelasthalfhour，leavingherunmarriedsistertoentertainthebeaux，accordingtoetiquette。

“No，IhaveneverbeentotheFalls；andallourpartybutmysisterEmma，seemedtothinkitwouldbeapleasantjaunt。“

“Mr。Hopkinshasenteredintoanengagementtosupplymewithatleasttwobeauxatatime，andaregularchangeallthewaytoNiagara，orelseIshouldn\'thavecome，“saidMissEmma。

“Weareengagedatleastbytheday，Ihope，“interposedoneoftheattendantyoungmen。

“No，indeed；Ishouldbetiredtodeathofyou，formorethananhouratatime。Isha\'n\'tspeaktoYOUagain，untilwehavepassedWestPoint。“

“Ihavehadnotroubleasyet，mydear，inpickinguprecruits，“

saidMr。Hopkins，whoseattentionseemedequallydividedbetweenhissnuff-box，andthelittleHopkins，junior，onhisknee——hisgreat-nephew。

“Iftherearetwo，that\'sallIcarefor；butIhatetohaveonlyonepersontotalkto。“

Mr。Ellsworthbithislips，topreventtheirexpressinghisopinion，thattheyoungladymustalwayshavealargecircleoflisteners。

“HaveyouseenMr。Wyllys\'spartythismorning？”inquiredAdeline。

“TheWyllyses！——Aretheyonboard？”exclaimedMr。Ellsworth，withsurpriseandpleasure。“IthoughtthematSaratogabythistime。“

“Oh，no；theyaresomewhereontheothersideoftheboat；mysister-in-law，Mrs。Taylor\'slittlegirliswiththem。

By-the-bye，Emma，IamgoingintothecabintolookafterJane；

willyougowithme？”

“No，indeed；Ihalethecabinofasteamboat！”

Adelinewasquitesatisfiedtoleavehersisterwiththeprospectofagoodsupplyofyoungmentoflirtwith；thoughmatrimonyhadchangedherinsomerespects，shestillconsidereditadutytoencouragetotheutmost，alllove-affairs，andflirtationsgoingoninherneighbourhood。Mr。Hopkinsresignedthelittleboytohismother\'scare；Mr。St。Legerhelpedhiswifethroughthecrowd；and，undercoverofthemovementmadetoallowAdelinetopass，Mr。Ellsworthmadehisescape。Hiseyehadbeenalreadydirectedtowardstheoppositesideoftheboat，wherehehaddiscoveredthevenerable，benevolentfaceofMr。Wyllys，withthreeladiesnearhim。Mr。EllsworthimmediatelyrecognisedMissAgnes，Elinor，andMaryVanAlstyne。Itwasseveralminutesbeforehecouldedgehiswaythroughthecrowd，tojointhem；butwhenhereachedthespot，hewasreceivedverycordiallybyMr。

WyllysandMissAgnes，inafriendlymannerbyMaryVanAlstyne，andpossiblytherewassomethingofconsciousnessbetrayedbyElinor。

“IthoughtyoualreadyatSaratoga！”exclaimedMr。Ellsworth。

“Weweredetainedseveraldays，waitingforMrs。Taylor，“repliedElinor，towhomtheremarkwasmade。

“WeshallnotbeatSaratogauntilMonday，“addedMr。Wyllys；“wearegoingtopassadayortwowithourfriends，theV——s，atPoughkeepsie。“

“Iamverysorrytohearit，“continuedMr。Ellsworth；“IhavepromisedtocarryMrs。CreightontoNahant，aboutthattime，andshallhavemyusualbadluckinmissingyou。“

{“Nahant“=sea-sideresortinMassachusetts，thenverypopular，justnorthofBoston}

“WemustpersuadeMrs。Creightonnottorunaway，“saidMr。

Wyllys。

AsElinorstoopedatthatmoment，tountiethehatoftheprettylittlecreatureatherside，itwasimpossibletosaywhetherthisintelligenceweredispleasingtoherornot。

“ThatisMrs。Taylor\'schild，isitnot？”observedMr。Ellsworth，lookingatthelittlegirl。“SheisverylikeMrs。St。Leger。“

“Doyoureallythinkso？——wefancyherlikehermother，“saidElinor。

“HowisTallmanTaylornow？——hewasnotwellwhentheypassedthroughPhiladelphia。“

“Helooksbadlystill，“saidMissAgnes。“Heisveryimprudent，anddistressesJaneverymuchbyhiscarelessness。“

“Gentlemenneverseemtodowhatisrightwheninvalids，“

observedMaryVanAlstyne，smiling。“Theyareeitherveryreckless，andindifferenttotheirhealth，orelseover-careful。“

“Whatdoyousay，Mr。Ellsworth；isthataccounttrue？”askedMissWyllys。

“Idaresayitis——Ihavenodoubtweareverytroublesometoournurses。But，fortunately，womenareendowedwithadoublestockofpatience，tomakeupforourdeficiencies。IsMr。Tayloronboard？——Ihavenotseenhim。“

“No；heremainedintowntoattendtosomebusiness，“repliedMissWyllys。“WehavechargeofMrs。Taylor，however，whowasveryanxioustogetintothecountry，onaccountofheryoungestchild。“

“Isee，Mr。Ellsworth，thatoldIronsideshasarrivedatNorfolk，bringingMr。HenleyfromRio，“observedMr。Wyllys。

{“OldIronsides“=theUnitedStatesFrigate“Constitution“；intheearly1800s，U。S。navalshipsfrequentlycarrieddiplomatstoandfromtheirstations}

“Certainly；shearrivedonTuesday。“

“IsawitintheGlobe，lastnight，grandpapa，Mr。HenleyhadarrivedatWashington。Harryiswithhim，ofcourse，“saidElinor，inaquiet，naturaltone。

“Isupposedyouknewoftheirarrival，“observedMr。Ellsworth。

“IhavealetterfromHazlehurstinmypocket。HeseemstohavehadquiteenoughofRio。“

“Mr。Henley，Iunderstand，istalkedofasministertoRussia，“

saidMr。Wyllys。

“Yes；Ibelievethataffairissettled。“

“DoesHazlehurstmentionwhetherheisgoingwithMr。Henley？”

“Thatmaybeastatesecret，“saidElinor，smiling。

“Hehashadanofferofthesituation，Ibelieve——butdoesnotseemtohavemadeuphismind；heiscominghometolookabouthim，hesays，havingthreemonths\'vacationatanyrate。“

TheshrilltoneofMissEmmaTaylor\'svoicewasatthismomentheardsodistinctly，fromtheothersideoftheboatthatMr。

Wyllyslookedupfromhispaper，andMr。Ellsworthsmiled。Itwasveryevidenttheyoungladyhadinheritedthepeculiartoneofvoice，andallthecast-offanimationofhereldersister。

“MissTaylorseemstobeinverygoodspirits，“remarkedMr。

Ellsworth。

“Yes；shealwaystalksandlaughsagreatdeal，“repliedMaryVanAlstyne。

“Theyarenolongeryourneighbours，Iunderstand，sir。“

“No；Mr。TaylorsoldColonnadeManorthisspring；DeVauxhaspurchasedit，andchangedthenameoftheplace。ItisnowtobecalledBroadlawn，whichiscertainlyagreatimprovement。“

“AndwheredoesMr。Taylor\'sfamilypassthesummer？”

“Why，Janetellsmeheisbuildingsomethinghecallsacottage，atRockaway，withinastone\'sthrowoftheprincipalhotel。TheythoughtLongbridgetooquiet。“

Mrs。Taylor\'slittlegirlhad，bythis，time，becomeverysleepy，andalittlefretful；andMissAgnesadvisedherbeingcarriedtohermother。Elinorledheraway，rather，itisbelieved，toMr。

Ellsworth\'sregret。

Itwasnoeasytasktomakeone\'swayamongthenurses，andbabies，andbaskets，fillingtheladies\'cabin，whichwasmorethanusuallycrowded。ButatlengthElinorreachedJaneandAdeline，whoweresittingtogether。

Asingleglancewassufficienttoshowthatachangehadcomeoverthesetwoyoungwomen，sincethegiddydaysoftheirgirlhood。Janewaspale，butbeautifulasever；shewasholdingonherkneesasickchild，abouttwomonthsold，whichapparentlyengrossedallherattention。Whatwouldbehersystemasamother，mightbeforetoldbythemannerinwhichshepacifiedthelittlegirlElinorhadbroughtwithher。

“Givehersomecandy，Dinah，“shesaidtotheblacknurse；whosebroad，good-naturedfacewassooncoveredwithshiningmarksofaffection，fromthehandsoftheprettylittlecharge。

Adelinewaslesschangedinherappearancethanhersister-in-law；thatistosay，shewasasprettyasever，andneitherthinnorpale。Buttherewassomethinginherexpression，andagreatdealinhermanner，thatwasnolongerwhatithadbeenofold。Thatexcessiveanimationwhichhaddistinguishedherasabelle，hadbeenallowedtodieaway；andtherestlessexpression，producedbyaperpetuallabourtomakeconquests，whichwas，atonetime，alwaystobetraceduponherfeatures，hadnowvanishedentirely。Initsplacetherewasatouchofmatronlycareandaffection，morenatural，andfarmorepleasing。

She，too，wassittingbythesideofherchild，drivingawaythefliesfromthelittlething，whowassleepinginaberth。AdelineTaylorhadmarriedwell，inthebestsenseoftheword。Notthatshedeservedmuchcreditfordoingso，sinceshehadonlyaccidentally，asitwere，becomeattachedtotheyoungmanwhohappenedtobethemostdeservingamonghersuitors。Chancehadhadagreatdealtowiththematch，asithaswithmanymatches。

Shehad，however，onemerit——thatofnotrejectinghimonaccountofhiswantoffortune；althoughatthetime，shemighthavemarriedamanwhowouldhavegivenherafour-story，four-windowhouseinBroadway。Mr。Taylorhadnotinterfered：shehaddoneasshepleasedintheaffair。Itistrue，thatherfatherratherinclinedtowardstherichestsuitor；still，hetookitforgranted，thatifTheodoreSt。Legerhadnotafortuneatthetime，beingamerchant，hewould，ofcourse，makeoneinafewyears。ButMr。Taylor\'sson-in-lawwasamanofverydifferentcharacterfromhimself；hewasaquiet，prudent，unostentatiousyoungman，ofgoodabilities，whohadreceivedbyeducationexcellentprinciples，andmoderateviews，andwhohadfalleninlovewithAdeline\'sprettyface。Mr。Hopkins，hisuncleandadoptedfather，wasaveryworthyman，thoughalittleeccentric，andrathertoomuchgiventosnuff，andoldcoats，andredhandkerchiefs。NoonestoodbetteronChangethanJohnHopkins，whosewordhadbeenasgoodashisbond，throughoutalonglife。

Hewasamanofsomepropertytoo，buthehadonlygivenhisnephewenoughtobeginlifeverymoderately。EvenwiththeveryliberalallowancewhichMr。Taylorfreelygavehischildren，Adeline，whenshemarried，wasobligedtoliveinamuchplainerandquieterwaythanshehaddoneforthelastfiveorsixyears。

{“Change“=thestockexchange}

Altogether，however，theyoungcoupleseemedtoagreeverywell，inspiteofthedifferenceintheircharacters：apretty，good-naturedwifewasalltheyoungmerchanthadwishedfor；andAdelinewasreallyattachedtoherhusband，whosechieffaultseemedtobeinhiscoats，whichwererathertoomuchafterthefashionofthoseofUncleHopkins。

Jane\'sfatehadprovedlesshappythanthatofherfriendAdeline。TallmanTaylor\'shabitsofextravagancehadledthemintodifficultiesinmorewaysthanone。Hehadspentfarmorethanhisincome，andhiscarelessnessinbusinesshadprovedagreatdisadvantagetothehousewithwhichhewasconnected。

Duringthelastyear，mattershadgrownworseandworse；hehadneglectedhiswife，andlostlargesumsatthegambling-table。

PoorJanehadpassedsomeunhappymonths，andtracesofsorrowweretobeseenonherpaleface。Towardsthelastofthewinter，youngTaylorhadbeendangerouslyillwithamalignantfeverprevailinginNewOrleans；andasalongconvalescenceinterferedwithhisdissipatedhabits，andconfinedhimforsometimetohisownhouse，hisfriendshopedthathewouldhavetimeandleisuretomakesomeusefulreflections。Buttheyweredeceived；sicknessandsufferingonlymadehimmoreselfishandirritable：poorJanehadalreadypaidaheavypenanceforherduplicity，andherobstinacyinmarryinghim。Mr。Taylorhadquarrelledwithhispartners；anditwastheobjectofhispresentvisittoNewYork，topersuadehisfathertomakesomeheavyadvancesinhisbehalf，asotherwisehewouldberuined。Jane，itistrue，knewbutlittleofherhusband\'saffairs；still，shesawandheardenoughtomakeheranxiousforthefuture，andshegaveherselfuptomelancholyrepining，whilehermannerlostallcheerfulness。Herfather\'sfamilywereinCharleston，andshehadnotseenthemformorethanatwelvemonth；butMr。RobertHazlehurst，MissAgnes，andElinorhaddoneallthatwaspossibletosupplytheirplace，sinceshehadbeenintheirneighbourhood。Adeline，too，waswellenoughdisposedtowardshersister-in-law，butshehadneitherthegoodsensenorthedelicacyofMissWyllysandElinor，andwasfarlesssuccessfulinherfriendlyefforts。ThesocietyofherauntandcousinseemedarelieftoJane；anditwasattheirrequestthatshewasgoingtopassafortnightwiththematSaratoga，whereMissAgneshadbeenorderedbyherphysician。

Elinor，onjoininghercousininthecabin，triedtopersuadeJanetohavethesickchildcarriedondeck，forthesakeofthefreshair，butshedidnotsucceed；andnotwishingtoleaveMrs。