autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第23章

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a　word；）　for　a　gathering　had　been　made；　while　our　pretty　hostesses
were　dancing；　in　order　to　compare　our　beauty。　There　we　lay　quite　an
hour；　a　congress　of　pocket…handkerchiefs；　making　our　comments　on　the
company；　and　gossiping　in　our　own　fashion。　It　was　only　the　next　day
that　I　discovered　the　reason　we　were　thus　neglected；　for；　to　own　the
truth；　something　had　occurred　which　suddenly　brought　〃three…figure；〃
and　even　〃two…figure〃　people　of　our　class　into　temporary　disrepute。　I
shall　explain　that　reason　at　the　proper　moment。

｛consoeurs　=　fellow　sisters｝

The　conversation　among　the　handkerchiefs　on　the　sofa；　ran　principally
on　the　subject　of　our　comparative　market　value。　I　soon　discovered　that
there　was　a　good　deal　of　envy　against　me；　on　account　of　my　〃three
figures；〃　although；　I　confess；　I　thought　I　cut　a　〃poor　figure；〃　lying　as　I
did；　neglected　in　a　corner；　on　the　very　first　evening　of　my　appearance　in
the　fashionable　world。　But　some　of　the　opinions　uttered　on　this
occasionalways　in　the　mesmeritic　manner；　be　it　rememberedwill　be
seen　in　the　following　dialogue。

〃Well！〃　exclaimed　25；　〃this　is　the　first　ball　I　have　been　at　that　I　was　not
thought　good　enough　to　have　a　place　in　the　quadrille。　You　see　all　the
canaille　are　in　the　hands　of　their　owners；　while　we；　the　elite　of　pocket…
handkerchiefs；　are　left　here　in　a　corner；　like　so　many　cloaks。〃

｛canaille　=　riff…raff｝

〃There　must　be　a　reason　for　this；　certainly；〃　answered　45；　〃though
YOU　have　been　flourished　about　these　two　winters；　in　a　way　that　ought
to　satisfy　one　of　YOUR　pretensions。〃

An　animated　reply　was　about　to　set　us　all　in　commotion；　when　80；
who；　next　to　myself；　had　the　highest　claims　of　any　in　the　party；　changed
the　current　of　feeling；　by　remarking

〃It　is　no　secret　that　we　are　out　of　favor　for　a　night　or　two；　in
consequence　of　three　figures　having　been　paid　for　one　of　us；　this　very
day；　by　a　bossess；　whose　father　stopped　payment　within　three　hours
after　he　signed　the　cheque　that　was　to　pay　the　importer。　I　overheard　the
whole　story；　half　an　hour　since；　and　thus；　you　see；　every　one　is　afraid　to
be　seen　with　an　aristocratic　handkerchief；　just　at　this　moment。　But
bless　you！　in　a　day　or　two　all　will　be　forgotten；　and　we　shall　come　more
into　favor　than　ever。　All　is　always　forgotten　in　New　York　in　a　week。〃

Such　was；　indeed；　the　truth。　One　General　Jackson　had　〃removed　the
deposits；〃　as　I　afterwards　learned；　though　I　never　could　understand
exactly　what　that　meant；　but；　it　suddenly　made　money　scarce；　more
especially　with　those　who　had　none；　and　every　body　that　was
〃extended〃　began　to　quake　in　their　shoes。　Mr。　Halfacre　happened　to　be
in　this　awkward　predicament；　and　he　broke　down　in　the　effort　to　sustain
himself。　His　energy　had　over…reached　itself；　like　the　tumbler　who　breaks
his　neck　in　throwing　seventeen　hundred　somersets　backwards。



CHAPTER　XII。

Every　one　is　more　apt　to　hear　an　unpleasant　rumor　than　those　whom　it
immediately　affects。　Thus　Eudosia　and　her　mother　were　the　only
persons　at　Mrs。　Trotter's　ball　who　were　ignorant　of　what　had
happened；　one　whispering　the　news　to　another；　though　no　one　could
presume　to　communicate　the　fact　to　the　parties　most　interested。　In　a
commercial　town；　like　New　York；　the　failure　of　a　reputed　millionaire；
could　not　long　remain　a　secret；　and　every　body　stared　at　the　wife　and
daughter；　and　me；　first；　as　if　they　had　never　seen　the　wives　and
daughters　of　bankrupts　before；　and　second；　as　if　they　had　never　seen
them　surrounded　by　the　evidences　of　their　extravagance。

But　the　crisis　was　at　hand；　and　the　truth　could　not　long　be　concealed。
Eudosia　was　permitted　to　cloak　and　get　into　the　carriage　unaided　by
any　beau；　a　thing　that　had　not　happened　to　her　since　speculation　had
brought　her　father　into　notice。　The　circumstance；　more　than　any　other；
attracted　her　attention；　and　the　carriage　no　sooner　started　than　the　poor
girl　gave　vent　to　her　feelings。

〃What　CAN　be　the　matter；　Ma？〃　Eudosia　said；　〃that　every　person　in
Mrs。　Trotter's　rooms　should　stare　so　at　me；　this　evening？　I　am　sure　my
dress　is　as　well　made　and　proper　as　that　of　any　other　young　lady　in　the
rooms；　and　as　for　the　handkerchiefS；　I　could　see　envy　in　fifty　eyes；
when　their　owners　heard　the　price。〃

〃That　is　all；　dearthey　DID　envy　you；　and　no　wonder　they　stared
nothing　makes　people　stare　like　envy。　I　thought　this　handkerchief　would
make　a　commotion。　Oh！　I　used　to　stare　myself　when　envious。〃

〃Still　it　was　odd　that　Morgan　Morely　did　not　ask　me　to　dancehe
knows　how　fond　I　am　of　dancing；　and　for　the　credit　of　so　beautiful　a
handkerchief；　he　ought　to　have　been　more　than　usually　attentive　to…
night。〃

Mrs。　Halfacre　gaped；　and　declared　that　she　was　both　tired　and　sleepy；
which　put　an　end　to　conversation　until　the　carriage　reached　her　own
door。

Both　Mrs。　Halfacre　and　Eudosia　were　surprised　to　find　the　husband　and
father　still　up。　He　was　pacing　the　drawing…room；　by　the　light　of　a　single
tallow　candle；　obviously　in　great　mental　distress。

〃Bless　me！〃　exclaimed　the　wife〃YOU　up　at　this　hour？what　CAN
have　happened？　what　HAS　come　to　our　door？〃

〃Nothing　but　beggary；〃　answered　the　man；　smiling　with　a　bitterness
which　showed　he　felt　an　inhuman　joy；　at　that　fierce　moment；　in　making
others　as　miserable　as　himself。　〃Yes；　Mrs。　Henry　Halfacreyes；　Miss
Eudosia　Halfacre；　you　are　both　beggarsI　hope　that；　at　least；　will
satisfy　you。〃

〃You　mean；　Henry；　that　you　have　failed？〃　For　that　was　a　word　too
familiar　in　New　York　not　to　be　understood　even　by　the　ladies。　〃Tell　me
the　worst　at　onceis　it　true；　HAVE　you　failed？〃

〃It　IS　trueI　HAVE　failed。　My　notes　have　been　this　day　protested　for
ninety…five　thousand　dollars；　and　I　have　not　ninety…five　dollars　in　bank。
To…morrow；　twenty…three　thousand　more　will　fall　due；　and　this　month
will　bring　round　quite　a　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　more。　That
accursed　removal　of　the　deposits；　and　that　tiger；　Jackson；　have　done　it
all。〃

To　own　the　truth；　both　the　ladies　were　a　little　confounded。　They　wept；
and　for　some　few　minutes　there　was　a　dead　silence；　but　curiosity　soon
caused　them　both　to　ask　questions。

〃This　is　very　dreadful；　and　with　our　large　family！〃　commenced　the
mother〃and　so　the　general　has　it　all　to　answer　forwhy　did　you　let
him　give　so　many　notes　for　you？〃

〃Nonoit　is　not　thatI　gave　the　notes　myself；　but　he　removed　the
deposits；　I　tell　you。〃

〃It's　just　like　him；　the　old　wretch！　To　think　of　his　removing　your
deposits；　just　as　you　wanted　them　so　much　yourself！　But　why　did　the
clerks　at　the　bank　let　him　have　themthey　ought　to　have　known　that
you　had　all　this　money　to　pay；　and　people　cannot　well　pay　debts
without　money。〃

〃You　are　telling　that；　my　dear；　to　one　who　knows　it　by　experience。　That
is　the　very　reason　why　I　have　failed。　I　have　a　great　many　debts；　and　I
have　no　money。〃

〃But　you　have　hundreds　of　lotsgive　them　lots；　Henry；　and　that　will
settle　all　your　difficulties。　You　must　remember　how　all　our　friends　have
envied　us　our　lots。〃

〃Ay；　no　fear；　but　they'll　get　the　lots；　my　dearunless；　indeed；〃　added
the　speculator；　〃I　take　good　care　to　prevent　it。　Thank　God！　I'm　not　a
DECLARED　bankrupt。　I　can　yet　make　my　own　assignee。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　wouldn't　say　a　word　about　itdeclare　nothing；　and　let　'em
find　out　that　you　have　failed；　in　the　best　manner　they　can。　Why　tell
people　your　distresses；　so　that　they　may　pity　you。　I　hate　pity；　above　all
thingsand　especially　the　pity　of　my　own　friends。〃

〃Oh；　that　will　be　dreadful！〃　put　in　Eudosia。　〃For　Heaven's　sake；　Pa；
don't　let　any　body　pity　us。〃

〃Very　little　fear　of　that；　I　fancy；〃　muttered　the　father；　〃people　who　shoot
up　like　rockets；　in　two　or　three　years；　seldom　lay　the　foundations　of
much　pity　in　readiness　for　their　fall。〃

〃Well；　I　declare；　Dosie；　this　is　TOO　bad　in　the　old　general；　after　all。　I'm
sure　it　MUST　be　unconstitutional　for　a　president　to　remove　your　father's
deposits。　If　I　were　in　your　place；　Mr。　Halfacre；　I　wouldn't　fail　just　to
spite　them。　You　know　you　always　said　that　a　man　of　energy　can　do　any
thing　in　this　country；　and　I　have　heard　Mr。　Munny　say　that　he　didn't
know　a　man　of　greater　energy　than　yourself。〃

The　grin　with　which　the　ruined　speculator　turned　on　hi