autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第18章

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by　the　late　revolution。〃

〃It　IS　a　pity　so　much　lace　and　such　exquisite　work　should　be　put　on　a
pocket…handkerchief；〃　said　Anne；　almost　involuntarily。　〃I　fear　if　they
were　on　something　more　suitable；　I　might　buy　them。〃

A　smile；　a　slight　blush；　and　curtsy；　concluded　the　interview；　and　the
young　ladies　hastily　left　the　shop。　Mr。　Bobbinet　was　disappointed；　as；
indeed；　was　Col。　Silky；　who　was　present；　en　amateur；　but　the　matter
could　not　be　helped；　as　these　were　customers　who　acted　and　thought
for　themselves；　and　all　the　oily　persuasion　of　shop…eloquence　could　not
influence　them。

｛en　amateur　=　in　the　guise　of　a　connoisseur｝

〃It　is　quite　surprising；　colonel；〃　observed　Mr。　Bobbinet；　when　his
customers　were　properly　out　of　hearing；　〃that　THESE　young　ladies
should　let　such　an　article　slip　through　their　fingers。　Their　father　is　one　of
the　richest　men　we　have；　and　yet　they　never　even　asked　the　price。〃

〃I　fancy　it　was　not　so　much　the　PRICE　that　held　'em　back；〃　observed
the　colonel；　in　his　elegant　way；　as　something　else。　There　are　a　sort　of
customers　that　don't　buy　promiscuously；　they　do　every　thing　by　rule。
They　don't　believe　that　a　nightcap　is　intended　for　a　bed…quilt。〃

Bobbinet　&　Co。　did　not　exactly　understand　his　more　sophisticated
partner；　but　before　he　had　time　to　ask　an　explanation；　the　appearance
of　another　customer　caused　his　face　to　brighten；　and　changed　the
current　of　his　thoughts。　The　person　who　now　entered　was　an
exceedingly　brilliant　looking　girl　of　twenty；　dressed　in　the　height　of
fashion；　and　extremely　well；　though　a　severe　critic　might　have　thought
she　was　OVER　dressed　for　the　streets；　still　she　had　alighted　from　a
carriage。　Her　face　was　decidedly　handsome；　and　her　person　exquisitely
proportioned。　As　a　whole；　I　had　scarcely　ever　seen　a　young　creature
that　could　lay　claim　to　more　of　the　loveliness　of　her　sex。　Both　the　young
ladies　who　had　just　left　us　were　pleasing　and　pretty；　and　to　own　the
truth；　there　was　an　air　of　modest　refinement　about　them；　that　was　not　so
apparent　in　this　new　visiter；　but　the　dazzling　appearance　of　the　latter；　at
first；　blinded　me　to　her　faults；　and　I　saw　nothing　but　her　perfection。　The
interest　manifested　by　the　masterI　beg　his　pardon；　the　boss　of　the
storeand　the　agitation　among　the　clerks；　very　plainly　proved　that　much
was　expected　from　the　visit　of　this　young　lady；　who　was　addressed；
with　a　certain　air　of　shop…familiarity；　as　Miss　Halfacrea　familiarity　that
showed　she　was　an　habituee　of　the　place；　and　considered　a　good
customer。

Luckily　for　the　views　of　Bobbinet　&　Co。；　we　were　all　still　lying　on　the
counter。　This　is　deemed　a　fortunate　circumstance　in　the　contingencies　of
this　species　of　trade；　since　it　enables　the　dealer　to　offer　his　uncalled…for
wares　in　the　least　suspicious　and　most　natural　manner。　It　was　fortunate；
also；　that　I　lay　at　the　bottom　of　the　little　pilea　climax　being　quite　as
essential　in　sustaining　an　extortionate　price；　as　in　terminating　with　due
effect；　a　poem；　a　tragedy；　or　a　romance。

〃Good　morning；　Miss　Halfacre；〃　said　Mr。　Bobbinet；　bowing　and
smiling；　if　his　face　had　been　half　as　honest　as　it　professed　to　be；　it　would
have　GRINNED。　〃I　am　glad　you　have　come　in　at　this　moment；　as　we
are　about　to　put　on　sale　some　of　the　rarest　articles；　in　the　way　of
pocket…handkerchiefs；　that　have　ever　come　to　this　market。　The　Misses
Burton　have　just　seen　them；　and　THEY　pronounce　them　the　most
beautiful　articles　of　the　sort　they　have　ever　seen；　and　I　believe　they　have
been　over　half　the　world。〃

〃And　did　they　take　any；　Mr。　Bobbinet？　The　Miss　Burtons　are　thought
to　have　taste。〃

〃They　have　not　exactly　PURCHASED；　but　I　believe　each　of　them　has　a
particular　article　in　her　eye。　Here　is　one；　ma'am；　that　is　rather　prettier
than　any　you　have　yet　seen　in　New　York。　The　price　is　SIXTY　dollars。〃

The　word　SIXTY　was　emphasized　in　a　way　to　show　the　importance
that　was　attached　to　PRICEthat　being　a　test　of　more　than　common
importance　with　the　present　customer。　I　sighed　when　I　remembered　that
poor　Adrienne　had　received　but　about　ten　dollars　for　MEan　article
worth　so　much　more　than　that　there　exhibited。

〃It　is　really　very　pretty；　Mr。　Bobbinet；　very　pretty；　but　Miss　Monson
bought　one　not　quite　as　pretty；　at　Lace's；　and　SHE　payed　SIXTY…
FIVE；　if　I　am　not　mistaken。〃

〃I　dare　say；　we　have　them　at　much　higher　prices。　I　showed　YOU　this
only　that　you　might　see　that　OUR　SIXTIES　are　as　handsome　as　MR。
LACE'S　sixty…FIVES。　What　do　you　think　of　THIS？〃

〃That　IS　a　jewel！　What　IS　the　price；　Mr。　Bobbinet？〃

〃Why；　we　will　let　YOU　have　it　for　seventy；　though　I　do　think　it　ought　to
bring　five　more。〃

〃Surely　you　do　not　abate　on　pocket…handkerchiefs！　One　doesn't　like　to
have　such　a　thing　TOO　low。〃

〃Ah；　I　may　as　well　come　to　the　point　at　once　with　such　a　customer　as
yourself；　Miss　Halfacre；　here　is　the　article　on　which　I　pride　myself。
THAT　article　never　WAS　equalled　in　this　market；　and　never　WILL　be。〃

I　cannot　repeat　half　the　exclamations　of　delight　which　escaped　the　fair
Eudosia；　when　I　first　burst　on　her　entranced　eye。　She　turned　me　over
and　over；　examined　me　with　palpitating　bosom；　and　once　I　thought　she
was　about　to　kiss　me；　then；　in　a　trembling　voice；　she　demanded　the
price。

〃ONE　HUNDRED　DOLLARS；　ma'am；〃　answered　Bobbinet；
solemnly。　〃Not　a　cent　more；　on　my　honor。〃

〃No；　surely！〃　exclaimed　Eudosia；　with　delight　instead　of　alarm。　〃Not　a
HUNDRED！〃

〃ONE　HUNDRED；　Miss　Eudosia；　to　the　last　cent；　then　we　scarcely
make　a　living　profit。〃

〃Why；　Mr。　Bobbinet；　this　is　the　highest　priced　handkerchief　that　was
ever　sold　in　New　York。〃　This　was　said　with　a　sort　of　rapture；　the　fair
creature　feeling　all　the　advantage　of　having　so　good　an　opportunity　of
purchasing　so　dear　an　article。

〃In　America；　ma'am。　It　is　the　highest　priced　handkerchief；　by　twenty
dollars；　that　ever　crossed　the　Atlantic。　The　celebrated　Miss　Jewel's；　of
Boston；　only　cost　seventy…nine。〃

〃Only！　Oh；　Mr。　Bobbinet；　I　MUST　have　it。　It　is　a　perfect　treasure！〃

〃Shall　I　send　it；　Miss　Eudosia；　or　don't　you　like　to　trust　it　out　of　your
sight？〃

〃Not　yet；　sir。　To　own　the　truth；　I　have　not　so　much　money。　I　only　came
out　to　buy　a　few　trifles；　and　brought　but　fifty　dollars　with　me；　and　Pa
insists　on　having　no　bills。　I　never　knew　any　body　as　particular　as　Pa；　but
I　will　go　instantly　home　and　show　him　the　importance　of　this　purchase。
You　will　not　let　the　handkerchief　be　seen　for　ONE　houronly　ONE
hourand　then　you　shall　hear　from　me。〃

To　this　Bobbinet　assented。　The　young　lady　tripped　into　her　carriage；
and　was　instantly　whirled　from　the　door。　In　precisely　forty…three
minutes；　a　maid　entered；　half　out　of　breath；　and　laid　a　note　on　the
counter。　The　latter　contained　Mr。　Halfacre's　check　for　one　hundred
dollars；　and　a　request　from　the　fair　Eudosia　that　I　might　be　delivered　to
her　messenger。　Every　thing　was　done　as　she　had　desired；　and；　in　five
minutes；　I　was　going　up　Broadway　as　fast　as　Honor　O'Flagherty's　（for
such　was　the　name　of　the　messenger）　little　dumpy　legs　could　carry　me。



CHAPTER　X。

Mr。　Henry　Half　acre　was　a　speculator　in　town…lotsa　profession　that
was；　just　then；　in　high　repute　in　the　city　of　New　York。　For　farms；　and　all
the　more　vulgar　aspects　of　real　estate；　he　had　a　sovereign　contempt；　but
offer　him　a　bit　of　land　that　could　be　measured　by　feet　and　inches；　and　he
was　your　man。　Mr。　Halfacre　inherited　nothing；　but　he　was　a　man　of
what　are　called　energy　and　enterprise。　In　other　words；　he　had　a　spirit
for　running　in　debt；　and　never　shrunk　from　jeoparding　property　that；　in
truth；　belonged　to　his　creditors。　The　very　morning　that　his　eldest　child；
Eudosia；　made　her　valuable　acquisition；　in　my　person；　Henry　Halfacre；
Esq。；　was　the　owner　of　several　hundred　lots　on　the　island　of　Manhattan；
of　one　hundred　and　twenty…three　in　the　city　of　Brooklyn；　of　nearly　as
many　in　Williamsburg；　of　large　undivided　interests　in　Milwaukie；
Chicago；　Rock　River；　Moonville；　and　other　similar　places；　besides
owning　a　considerable　part　of　a　place　called　Coney　Island。　In　a　word；
the　landed　estate　of　Henry　Halfacre；　Esq。；　〃inventoried；〃　as　he
expressed　it；　just　two　millions；　six　hundred　and　twelve　thousand　dollars；
a　handsome　sum；　it　must　be　confe