the fortunes of oliver horn-第35章

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nd　forever　if　the　noise　did　not　cease。　This　dire　threat　being　duly　reported　to　the　two　Misses　Teetum　hadit　was　afterward　　learnedso　affected　them　both　that　Miss　Ann　had　gone　to　bed　with　a　chill　and　Miss　Sarah　had　warded　off　another　with　a　bowl　of　hot　camomile　tea。

This　story；　true　as　it　undoubtedly　was；　did　not　entirely　clear　up　the　situation。　One　part　of　it　sorely　puzzled　McFudd。　Why　did　Miss　Euphemia　need　Mrs。　Van　Tassell's　protection；　and　why　should　the　loss　of　it　stir　Miss　Ann　to　so　violent　an　outburst？　This　question　no　member　of　the　Skylarks　could　answer。

The　solution　came　that　very　night；　and　in　the　most　unexpected　way；　Waller　bearing　the　glad　tidings。

Miss　Euphemia；　ignoring　them　all；　was　to　be　married　　at　St。　Mark's　at　6　P。M。　on　the　following　Monday；　and　Mrs。　Van　Tassell　was　to　take　charge　of　the　wedding　　reception　in　the　front　parlor！　The　groom　was　the　strange　young　man　who　had　sat　for　some　days　beside　Miss　Euphemia；　passing　as　Miss　Ann's　nephew；　and　who　really　was　a　well…to…do　druggist　with　a　shop　on　Astor　Place。　All　of　the　regular　boarders　of　the　house　were　to　be　invited。

The　explosion　of　this　matrimonial　bomb　so　cleared　the　air　of　all　doubt　as　to　the　guilt　of　Mrs。　Van　Tassell；　that　a　secret　meeting；　attended　by　every　member　of　the　Skylarks；　was　at　once　held　in　Waller's　room　with　the　result　that　Miss　Ann's　invitations　to　the　wedding　were　unanimously　accepted。　Not　only　would　the　resident　members　goso　the　original　resolution　ran　but　the　non…resident　and　outside　members　would　also　be　on　hand　to　do　honor　to　Miss　Euphemia　and　her　distinguished　chaperone。　This　amendment　being　accepted；　McFudd　announced　in　a　sepulchral　tone　that；　owing　to　the　severity　of　the　calamity　and　to　the　peculiarly　painful　circumstances　which　surrounded　their　esteemed　fellow…skylarker；　the　Honorable　Sylvester　　Ruffle…shirt　Tomlins；　his　fellow…members　would　wear　crape　on　their　left　arms　for　thirty　days。　This　also　was　carried　unanimously；　every　man　except　Ruffle…shirt　Tomlins　breaking　out　into　the　〃Dead　Man's　Chorus〃a　song；　McFudd　explained；　admirably　　fitted　to　the　occasion。

When　the　auspicious　night　arrived；　the　several　dress…suits　of　the　members　were　duly　laid　out　on　the　piano　and　hung　over　the　chairs；　and　each　gentleman　proceeded　to　array　himself　in　costume　befitting　the　occasion。　Waller；　who　weighed　200　pounds；　squeezed　himself　into　McFudd's　coat　and　trousers　（McFudd　weighed　150）；　the　trousers　reaching　a　little　below　the　painter's　knees。　McFudd　wrapped　Waller's　coat　about　his　thin　girth　and　turned　up　the　bagging　legs；　of　the　unmentionables　six　inches　above　his　shoes。　The　assorted　costumes　of　the　other　members　were　equally　grotesque。　The　habiliments　themselves　were　of　proper　cut　and　make；　according　to　the　standards　of　the　timespike…tailed　coats；　white　ties；　patent…　leather　pumps；　and　the　customary　trimmings；　but　the　effects　produced　were　as　ludicrous　as　they　were　incongruous；　though　the　studied　bearing　of　the　gentlemen　　was　meant　to　prove　their　unconsciousness　of　the　fact。

The　astonishment　that　rested　on　Mrs。　Van　Tassell's　　face　when　this　motley　group　filed　into　the　parlor　and　with　marked　and　punctilious　deference　paid　their　respects　to　the　bride；　and　the　wrath　that　flashed　in　Miss　Euphemia's　eyes；　became　ever　after　part　of　the　traditions　of　the　club。　Despite　Mrs。　Van　Tassell's　protest　against　the　uproar　on　the　top　floor；　she　had　invariably　spoken　in　high　terms　to　her　friends　and　intimates　of　these　very　boarderstheir　acquaintance　was　really　part　of　her　social　capitalcommenting　at　the　same　time　upon　their　exalted　social　and　artistic　positions。　In　fact；　many　of　her　own　special　guests　had　attended　the　wedding　solely　in　the　hope　of　being　brought　into　more　intimate　relations　with　this　　distinguished　group　of　painters；　editors；　and　musicians；　some　of　whom　were　already　being　talked　about。

When；　however；　McFudd　stood　in　the　corner　of　Miss　Teetum's　parlor　like　a　half…scared　boy；　pulling　out　the　fingers　of　Waller's　kid　gloves；　an　inch　too　long　for　him；　and　Waller；　Fred；　and　my　Lord　Cockburn　　stumbled　over　the　hearth…rug　one　after　the　other；　and　Oliver；　feeling　like　a　guilty　man　and　a　boor；　bowed　and　scraped　like　a　dancing…master；　and　Bowdoin　the　painter；　and　Simmons　and　Fog…horn　Cranch；　talked　platitudes　with　faces　as　grave　as　　undertakers；　the　expectant　special　guests　invited　by　Mrs。　Van　Tassell　began　to　look　upon　her　encomiums　　as　part　of　an　advertising　scheme　to　fill　Miss　Teetum's　rooms。

The　impression　made　upon　the　Teetum　contingent　by　the　appearance　and　manners　of　the　several　members　even　Oliver's　reputation　was　ruinedwas　equally　disastrous。　It　was；　perhaps；　best　voiced　by　the　druggist　groom；　when　he　informed　Mrs。　Van　T。　from　behind　his　lemon…colored　glovethat　〃if　that　was　the　gang　he　had　heard　so　much　of；　he　didn't　want　no　more　of　'em。〃

But　these　and　other　jollifications　were　not　long　to　continue。　Causes　infinitely　more　serious　were　at　work　undermining　the　foundations　of　the　Skylarks。　The　Lodge　of　Poverty；　to　which　they　all　belonged；　gay　as　it　had　often　been；　was　slowly　closing　its　door；　the　unexpected；　which　always　hangs　over　life；　was　about　to　happen；　the　tie　which　bound　these　men　together　　was　slowly　loosening。　Its　members　might　give　the　grip　of　fellowship　to　other　members　in　other　lodges　over　the　globe；　but　no　longer　in　this　one　on　the　top　floor　of　the　house　on　Union　Square。

One　morning　McFudd　broke　the　seal　of　an　important…　looking　letter　bearing　a　Dublin　post…mark　on　the　upper　right…hand　corner　of　the　envelope；　and　the　family　crest　on　its　flap。　For　some　moments　he　sat　still；　looking　straight　before　him。　Then　two　tears　stole　out　and　glistened　on　his　lashes。

〃Boys；〃　he　said；　slowly；　〃the　governor　says　I　must　come　home；〃　and　he　held　up　a　steamer　ticket　and　a　draft　that　barely　equalled　his　dues　for　a　month's　board　and　washing。

That　night　he　pawned　his　new　white　overcoat　with　the　bone　buttons　and　velvet　collarthe　one　his　father　had　sent　him；　and　which　had　been　the　envy　of　every　man　in　the　club；　and　invested　every　penny　of　the　proceeds　in　a　supper　to　be　given　to　the　Skylarks。　The　invitation　ran　as　follows：

Mr。　Cornelius　McFudd　respectively　requests　the　pleasure　of　your　presence　at　an　informal　wake　to　be　held　in　honor　of　a　double…breasted　overcoat；　London　cut。　The　body　and　tail　will　be　the　ducks；　and　the　two　sleeves　and　velvet　　collar　the　Burgundy。

Riley's：　8　p。m。　Third　floor　back。

The　following　week　he　packed　his　two　tin　boxes；　boarded　the　Scotia；　and　sailed　for　home。


The　keystone　having　dropped　out；　it　was　not　long　before　the　balance　of　the　structure　came　down　about　the　ears　of　the　members。　My　Lord　Cockburn　the　following　　week　was　ordered　South　by　the　bank　to　look　after　some　securities　locked　up　in　a　vault　in　a　Georgia　trust　company；　and　which　required　a　special　messenger　　to　recover　themthe　growing　uneasiness　in　mercantile　circles　over　the　political　outlook　of　the　country　having　assumed　a　serious　aspect。　Cockburn　　had　to　swim　rivers；　he　wrote　Oliver　in　his　first　letter；　and　cross　mountains　on　horseback；　and　sleep　in　a　negro　hut；　besides　having　a　variety　of　other　　experiences；　to　say　nothing　of　several　hair…breadth　escapes；　none　of　which　availed　him；　as　he　returned　home　after　all；　without　the　bonds。

These　financial　straws；　indicating　the　direction　and　force　of　the　coming　political　winds；　began　to　accumulate。　　The　lull　before　the　hurricanethe　stagnation　　in　commercial　circlesbecame　so　ominous　that　soon　the　outside　members　and　guests　of　the　club　ceased　coming；　being　diligently　occupied　in　earning　their　bread；　and　then　Simmons　sent　the　piano　home　it　had　been　loaned　to　him　by　reason　of　his　profession　　and　positionand　only　Fog…horn　Cranch；　Waller；　　Fred；　Oliver；　and　Ruffle…shirt　Tomlins　were　left。　Alter　a　while；　Waller　gave　up　his　room　and　slept　in　his　studio　and　got　his　meals　at　the　St。　Clair；　or　went　without　them；　so　light；　by　reason　of　the　hard　times；　was　the　demand　for　sheep　pictures　of　Waller's　particular　　make。　And　later　on　Tomlins　went　abroad；　and　Cranch　moved　West。　And　so　the　ruin　of　the　club　was　complete；　and　so；　too；　this　merry　band　of　roysterers；　with　one　or　two　exceptions；　passes　out　of　those　pages。

Dear　boys　of　the　long　ago；　what　has　become　of　you　all　since　those　old　days　in　that　garret…room　on