autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第30章

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〃They　DO　say；　but　I　will　not　vouch　for　its　truth；　that　Mr。　and　Mrs。
Monson　insist　on　all　their　children　calling　them　'father'　and　'mother；'
instead　of　'pa'　and　'ma。'　〃

〃Why；　Mr。　W。；　that　is　downright　monarchical；　is　it　not？〃

〃It's　difficult　to　say　what　is；　and　what　is　not　monarchical；　now…a…days；
though　I　think　one　is　pretty　safe　in　pronouncing　it　anti…republican。〃

〃It　is　patriarchal；　rather；〃　observed　a　wit；　who　belonged　to　the　group。

Into　this　〃aristocratical〃　set　I　was　now　regularly　introduced。　Many
longing　and　curious　eyes　were　drawn　toward　me；　though　the　company
in　this　house　was　generally　too　well　bred　to　criticise　articles　of　dress
very　closely。　Still；　in　every　country；　aristocracy；　monarchy；　or
democracy；　there　are　privileged　classes；　and　in　all　companies　privileged
persons。　One　of　the　latter　took　the　liberty　of　asking　Julia　to　leave　me　in
her　keeping；　while　the　other　danced；　and　I　was　thus　temporarily
transferred　to　a　circle；　in　which　several　other　pocket…handkerchiefs　had
been　collected；　with　a　view　to　compare　our　several　merits　and　demerits。
The　reader　will　judge　of　my　surprise；　when；　the　examination　being
ended；　and　the　judgment　being　rendered　altogether　in　my　favor；　I　found
myself　familiarly　addressed　by　the　name　that　I　bore　in　the　family　circle；
or；　as　No。　7；　for　pocket…handkerchiefs　never　speak　to　each　other
except　on　the　principle　of　decimals。　It　was　No。　12；　or　my　relative　of　the
extreme　cote　gauche；　who　had　strangely　enough　found　his　way　into　this
very　room；　and　was　now　lying　cheek　by　jowl　with　me　again；　in　old　Mrs。
Eyelet's　lap。　Family　affection　made　us　glad　to　meet；　and　we　had　a
hundred　questions　to　put　to　each　other　in　a　breath。

｛cote　gauche　=　left　wing；　politically｝

No。　12　had　commenced　life　a　violent　republican；　and　this　simply
because　he　read　nothing　but　republican　newspapers；　a　sufficiently
simple　reason；　as　all　know　who　have　heard　both　sides　of　any　question。
Shortly　after　I　was　purchased　by　poor；　dear　Adrienne；　a　young
American　traveler　had　stepped　into　the　magasin；　and　with　the
recklessness　that　distinguishes　the　expenditures　of　his　countrymen；
swept　off　half　a　dozen　of　the　family　at　one　purchase。　Accident　gave　him
the　liberal　end　of　the　piece；　a　circumstance　to　which　he　never　would
have　assented　had　he　known　the　fact；　for　being　an　attache　of　the
legation　of　his　own　country；　he　was　ex　officio　aristocratic。　My　brother
amused　me　exceedingly　with　his　account　of　the　indignation　he　felt　at
finding　himself　in　a　very　hot…bed　of　monarchical　opinions；　in　the　set　at
the　American　legation。　What　rendered　these　diplomates　so　much　the
more　aristocratic；　was　the　novelty　of　the　thing；　scarcely　one　of　them
having　been　accustomed　to　society　at　home。　After　passing　a　few　months
in　such　company；　my　brother's　boss；　who　was　a　mere　traveling
diplomatist；　came　home　and　began　to　run　a　brilliant　career　in　the　circles
of　New　York；　on　the　faith　of　a　European　reputation。　Alas！　there　is　in
pocket…handkerchief　nature　a　disposition　to　act　by　contraries。　The
〃more　you　call；　the　more　I　won't　come〃　principle　was　active　in　poor　No。
12's　mind；　and　he　had　not　been　a　month　in　New　York　society；　before
he　came　out　an　ultra　monarchist。　New　York　society　has　more　than　one
of　these　sudden　political　conversions　to　answer　for。　It　is　such　a　thorough
development　of　the　democratic　principle；　that　the　faith　of　few　believers
is　found　strong　enough　to　withstand　it。　Every　body　knows　how　much　a
prospect　varies　by　position。　Thus；　you　shall　stand　on　the　aristocratic
side　of　a　room　filled　with　company；　and　every　thing　will　present　a　vulgar
and　democratic　appearance；　or；　vice　versa；　you　shall　occupy　a　place
among　the　oi　polloi；　and　all　is　aristocratic；　exclusive；　and　offensive。　So　it
had　proved　with　my　unfortunate　kinsman。　All　his　notions　had　changed；
instead　of　finding　the　perfection　he　had　preached　and　extolled　so　long；
he　found　nothing　to　admire；　and　every　thing　to　condemn。　In　a　word；
never　was　a　pocket…handkerchief　so　miserable；　and　that；　too；　on
grounds　so　philosophical　and　profound；　met　with；　on　its　entrance　into
active　life。　I　do　believe；　if　my　brother　could　have　got　back　to　France；　he
would　have　written　a　book　on　America；　which；　while　it　overlooked
many　vices　and　foibles　that　deserve　to　be　cut　up　without　mercy；　would
have　thrown　even　de　Tocqueville　into　the　shade　in　the　way　of　political
blunders。　But　I　forbear；　this　latter　writer　being　unanswerable　among
those　neophytes　who　having　never　thought　of　their　own　system；　unless
as　Englishmen；　are　overwhelmed　with　admiration　at　finding　any　thing　of
another　character　advanced　about　it。　At　least；　such　are　the　sentiments
entertained　by　a　very　high　priced　pocket…handkerchief。

｛magasin　=　shop；　ex…officio　=　by　virtue　of　his　positionCooper
frequently　criticized　American　diplomats　for　taking　on　the　conservative
views　of　the　monarchial　governments　to　which　they　were　accredited；　oi
polloi　=　common　people；　rabble　（Greek）；　de　Tocqueville　=　Alexis　de
Tocqueville　=　French　writer　（1805…1859）；　famous　for　his　account　of
American　culture；　〃Democracy　in　America〃　（1835　and　1840）Cooper
had　provided　Tocqueville　with　letters　of　introduction　for　his　1832
American　visit；　but　resented　the　extreme　admiration　accorded　his
book｝

Mademoiselle　Hennequin；　I　took　occasion　to　remark；　occupied　much　of
the　attention　of　Betts　Shoreham；　at　Mrs。　Leamington's　ball。　They
understood　each　other　perfectly；　though　the　young　man　could　not　get
over　the　feeling　created　by　the　governess's　manner　when　she　first　met
with　me。　Throughout　the　evening；　indeed；　her　eye　seemed　studiously
averted　from　me；　as　if　she　struggled　to　suppress　certain　sentiments　or
sensations；　that　she　was　unwilling　to　betray。　Now；　these　sentiments；　if
sentiments　they　were；　or　sensations；　as　they　were　beyond　all　dispute；
might　be　envyrepinings　at　another's　better　fortunesor　they　might　be
excited　by　philosophical　and　commendable　reflections　touching　those
follies　which　so　often　lead　the　young　and　thoughtless　into　extravagance。
Betts　tried　hard　to　believe　them　the　last；　though；　in　his　inmost　heart；　he
would　a　thousand　times　rather　that　the　woman　he　loved　should　smile　on
a　weakness　of　this　sort；　in　a　girl　of　her　own　age；　than　that　she　should
show　herself　to　be　prematurely　wise；　if　it　was　wisdom　purchased　at　the
expense　of　the　light…heartedness　and　sympathies　of　her　years　and　sex。
On　a　diminished　scale；　I　had　awakened　in　his　bosom　some　such　uneasy
distrust　as　the　pocket…handkerchief　of　Desdemona　is　known　to　have
aroused　in　that　of　the　Moor。

｛Shakespeare；　〃Othello〃｝

Nor　can　I　say　that　Julia　Monson　enjoyed　herself　as　much　as　she　had
anticipated。　Love　she　did　not　Betts　Shoreham；　for　that　was　a　passion
her　temperament　and　training　induced　her　to　wait　for　some　pretty
unequivocal　demonstrations　on　the　part　of　the　gentleman　before　she
yielded　to　it；　but　she　LIKED　him　vastly；　and　nothing　would　have　been
easier　than　to　have　blown　this　smouldering　preference　into　a　flame。　She
was　too　young；　and；　to　say　the　truth；　too　natural　and　uncalculating；　to　be
always　remembering　that　Betts　owned　a　good　old…fashioned　landed
estate　that　was　said　to　produce　twenty；　and　which　did　actually　produce
eleven　thousand　a　year；　nett；　and　that　his　house　in　the　country　was
generally　said　to　be　one　of　the　very　best　in　the　state。　For　all　this　she
cared　absolutely　nothing；　or　nothing　worth　mentioning。　There　were
enough　young　men　of　as　good　estates；　and　there　were　a　vast　many　of
no　estates　at　all；　ready　and　willing　to　take　their　chances　in　the　〃cutting
up〃　of　〃old　Monson；〃　but　there　were　few　who　were　as　agreeable；　as
well　mannered；　as　handsome；　or　who　had　seen　as　much　of　the　world；　as
Betts　Shoreham。　Of　course；　she　had　never　fancied　the　young　man　in
love　with　herself；　but；　previously　to　the　impression　she　had　quite
recently　imbibed　of　his　attachment　to　her　mother's　governess；　she　had
been　accustomed　to　think　such　a　thing　MIGHT　come　to　pass；　and　that
she　should　not　be　sorry　if　it　did。

I　very　well　understand　this　is　not　the　fashionable；　or　possibly　the　polite
way　of　describing　those　incipient　sentiments　which　form　the　germ　of
love　in　the　virgin　affections　of　young　ladies；　and　that　a　skillful　and　ref