autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第32章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


her　present　admirer　several　months；　if　dancing　in　the　same　set　can　be
called　KNOWING；　and　had　never　been　made　love　to　before；　at　least
in　a　manner　so　direct　and　unequivocal。　The　young　man　had　tact　enough
to　discover　that　he　had　an　advantage；　and　fearful　that　some　one　might
come　in　and　interrupt　the　tete　a　tete；　he　magnanimously　resolved　to
throw　all　on　a　single　cast；　and　come　to　the　point　at　once。

〃I　think；　Miss　Monson；〃　he　continued；　after　a　very　beautiful　specimen　of
rigmarole　in　the　way　of　love…making；　a　rigmarole　that　might　have　very
fairly　figured　in　an　editor's　law　and　logic；　after　he　had　been　beaten　in　a
libel　suit；　''I　think；　Miss　Monson；　you　cannot　have　overlooked　the
VERY　particular　attentions　I　have　endeavored　to　pay　you；　ever　since　I
have　been　so　fortunate　as　to　have　made　your　acquaintance？〃

〃I！Upon　my　word；　Mr。　Thurston；　I　am　not　at　all　conscious　of　having
been　the　object　of　any　such　attentions！〃

〃No？That　is　ever　the　way　with　the　innocent　and　single…minded！　This　is
what　we　sincere　and　diffident　men　have　to　contend　with　in　affairs　of　the
heart。　Our　bosoms　may　be　torn　with　ten　thousand　distracting　cares；　and
yet　the　modesty　of　a　truly　virtuous　female　heart　shall　be　so　absorbed　in
its　own　placid　serenity　as　to　be　indifferent　to　the　pangs　it　is
unconsciously　inflicting！〃

〃Mr。　Thurston；　your　language　is　stronganda　littlea　little
unintelligible。〃

〃I　dare　sayma'amI　never　expect　to　be　intelligible　again。　When　the
'heart　is　oppressed　with　unutterable　anguish；　condemned　to　conceal　that
passion　which　is　at　once　the　torment　and　delight　of　life'when　'his　lip；
the　ruby　harbinger　of　joy；　lies　pale　and　cold；　the　miserable　appendage
of　a　mang'　that　is；　Miss　Monson；　I　mean　to　say；　when　all　our　faculties
are　engrossed　by　one　dear　object　we　are　often　incoherent　and
mysterious；　as　a　matter　of　course。〃

Tom　Thurston　came　very　near　wrecking　himself　on　the　quicksands　of
the　romantic　school。　He　had　begun　to　quote　from　a　speech　delivered　by
Gouverneur　Morris；　on　the　right　of　deposit　at　New　Orleans；　and　which
he　had　spoken　at　college；　and　was　near　getting　into　a　part　of　the　subject
that　might　not　have　been　so　apposite；　but　retreated　in　time。　By　way　of
climax；　the　lover　laid　his　hand　on　me；　and　raised　me　to　his　eyes　in　an
abstracted　manner；　as　if　unconscious　of　what　he　was　doing；　and　wanted
to　brush　away　a　tear。

｛Gouverneur　Morris　=　American　Federalist　leader　and　diplomat　（1752…
1816）a　1795　American　treaty　with　Spain　granted　the　United　States
the　right　of　navigation　on　the　Mississippi　River　and　to　deposit　goods　at
New　Orleans　without　paying　customs　duties｝

〃What　a　confounded　rich　old　fellow　the　father　must　be；〃　thought　Tom；
〃to　give　her　such　pocket…handkerchiefs！〃

I　felt　like　a　wren　that　escapes　from　the　hawk　when　the　rogue　laid　me
down。

Alas！　Poor　Julia　was　the　dupe　of　all　this　acting。　Totally　unpracticed
herself；　abandoned　by　the　usages　of　the　society　in　which　she　had　been
educated　very　much　to　the　artifices　of　any　fortune…hunter；　and　vexed
with　Betts　Shoreham；　she　was　in　the　worst　possible　frame　of　mind　to
resist　such　eloquence　and　love。　She　had　seen　Tom　at　all　the　balls　in　the
best　houses；　found　no　fault　with　his　exterior　and　manners；　both　of　which
were　fashionable　and　showy；　and　now　discovered　that　he　had　a　most
sympathetic　heart；　over　which；　unknown　to　herself；　she　had　obtained　a
very　unlimited　control。

〃You　do　not　answer　me；　Miss　Monson；〃　continued　Tom　peeping　out　at
one　side　of　me；　for　I　was　still　at　his　eyes〃you　do　not　answer　me；　cruel；
inexorable　girl！〃

〃What　WOULD　you　have　me　say；　Mr。　Thurston？〃

〃Say　YES；　dearest；　loveliest；　most　perfect　being　of　the　whole　human
family。〃

〃YES；　then；　if　that　will　relieve　your　mind；　it　is　a　relief　very　easily
bestowed。〃

Now；　Tom　Thurston　was　as　skilled　in　a　fortune…hunter's　wiles　as
Napoleon　was　in　military　strategy。　He　saw　he　had　obtained　an　immense
advantage　for　the　future；　and　he　forbore　to　press　the　matter　any　further
at　the　moment。　The　〃yes〃　had　been　uttered　more　in　pleasantry　than　with
any　other　feeling；　but；　by　holding　it　in　reserve；　presuming　on　it　gradually；
and　using　it　in　a　crisis；　it　might　be　worth〃let　me　see；〃　calculated　Tom；
as　he　went　whistling　down　Broadway；　〃that　'yes'　may　be　made　to　yield
at　least　a　cool　100；000。　There　are　John；　this　girl；　and　two　little　ones。
Old　Monson　is　worth　every　dollar　of　700；000none　of　your
skyrockets；　but　a　known；　old　fortune；　in　substantial　houses　and　lands
let　us　suppose　the　old　woman　outlive　him；　and　that　she　gets　her　full
thirds；　THAT　will　leave　466；660。　Perhaps　John　may　get　a　couple　of
hundred　thousand；　and　even　THEN　each　of　the　girls　will　have　88；888。
If　one　of　the　little　things　should　happen　to　die；　and　there's　lots　of　scarlet
fever　about；　why　that　would　fetch　it　up　at　once　to　a　round　hundred
thousand。　I　don't　think　the　old　woman　would　be　likely　to　marry　again　at
her　time　of　life。　One　mustn't　calculate　too　confidently　on　THAT；
however；　as　I　would　have　her　myself　for　half　of　SUCH　thirds。〃

｛full　thirds　=　Old　Monson's　widow　would　under　American　common　law
receive　a　life　interest　in　one…third　of　his　real　property；　called　a　dower
right；　which　would　revert　to　his　children　if　she　died　without　remarrying。｝



CHAPTER　XVI。

For　a　week　nothing　material　transpired。　All　that　time　I　lay　in　the　drawer；
gaining　a　knowledge　of　what　passed；　in　the　best　manner　I　could。　Betts
Shoreham　was　a　constant　visitor　at　the　house；　and　Tom　Thurston　made
his　appearance　with　a　degree　of　punctuality　that　began　to　attract　notice；
among　the　inmates　of　the　house　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　street。　All
this　time；　however；　Tom　treated　Julia　with　the　greatest　respect；　and
even　distance；　turning　more　of　his　attention　toward　Mrs。　Monson。　He
acted　in　this　manner；　because　he　thought　he　had　secured　a　sufficient　lien
on　the　young　lady；　by　means　of　her　〃yes；〃　and　knew　how　important　it
was　for　one　who　could　show　none　of　the　usual　inducements　for　consent；
to　the　parents；　to　obtain　the　good…will　of　the　〃old　lady。〃

At　the　end　of　the　week；　Mrs。　Monson　opened　her　house　to　receive　the
world。　As　a　matter　of　course；　I　was　brought　out　on　this　occasion。　Now；
Betts　Shoreham　and　Mademoiselle　Hennequin　had　made　great　progress
toward　an　understanding　in　the　course　of　this　week；　though　the　lady
becoming　more　and　more　conscious　of　the　interest　she　had　created　in
the　heart　of　the　gentleman；　her　own　conduct　got　to　be　cautious　and
reserved。　At　length；　Betts　actually　carried　matters　so　far　as　to　write　a
letter；　that　was　as　much　to　the　point　as　a　man　could　very　well　come。　In
a　word；　he　offered　his　hand　to　the　excellent　young　French　woman；
assuring　her；　in　very　passionate　and　suitable　terms；　that　she　had　been
mistress　of　his　affections　ever　since　the　first　month　of　their　acquaintance。
In　this　letter；　he　implored　her　not　to　be　so　cruel　as　to　deny　him　an
interview；　and　there　were　a　few　exceedingly　pretty　reproaches；　touching
her　recent　coy　and　reserved　deportment。

Mademoiselle　Hennequin　was　obliged　to　read　this　letter　in　Julia's　room；
and　she　took　such　a　position　to　do　it；　as　exposed　every　line　to　my
impertinent　gaze；　as　I　lay　on　the　bed；　among　the　other　finery　that　was
got　out　for　the　evening。　Mrs。　Monson　was　present；　and　she　had
summoned　the　governess；　in　order　to　consult　her　on　the　subject　of　some
of　the　ornaments　of　the　supper　table。　Fortunately；　both　Julia　and　her
mother　were　too　much　engaged　to　perceive　the　tears　that　rolled　down
the　cheeks　of　the　poor　stranger；　as　she　read　the　honest　declaration　of　a
fervid　and　manly　love；　nor　did　either　detect　the　manner　in　which　the
letter　was　pressed　to　Mademoiselle　Hennequin's　heart；　when　she　had
done　reading　it　the　second　time。

Just　at　this　instant　a　servant　came　to　announce　Mr。　Shoreham's
presence　in　the　〃breakfast…room。〃　This　was　a　retired　and　little
frequented　part　of　the　house　at　that　hour；　Betts　having　been　shown　into
it；　in　consequence　of　the　preparations　that　were　going　on　in　the　proper
reception…rooms。

〃Julia；　my　dear；　you　will　have　to　go　belowalthough　it　is　at　a　most
inconvenient　moment。〃

〃No；　motherlet　Mr。　Betts　Shoreham　time　his　visits　betterGeorge；
say　that　the　ladies　are　ENGAGED。〃

〃That　will