autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第34章

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refined　taste　brought　all　the　comfort　and　reward　you　had　a　right　to
anticipate。

A　shade　of　anguish　crossed　the　face　of　Adriennefor　it　was　no　other
as　she　gazed　at　me；　and　recalled　all　the　scenes　of　her　sufferings　and
distress。　Then　I　knew　her　again；　for　time　and　a　poor　memory；　with
some　development　of　person；　had　caused　me　to　forget　the　appearance
of　the　lovely　creature　who　may　be　said　to　have　made　me　what　I　am；　but
one　glance　at　her；　with　that　expression　of　intense　suffering　on　her
countenance；　renewed　all　my　earlier　impressions。

〃I　received　as　much　as　I　merited；　perhaps；〃　returned　the　meek…minded
girlfor　she　was　proud　only　in　insisting　on　what　she　fancied　right〃and
enough　to　give　my　venerated　parent　Christian　burial。　They　were　days　of
want　and　sorrow　that　succeeded；　during　which；　Betts；　I　toiled　for　bread
like　an　Eastern　slave；　the　trodden…on　and　abused　hireling　of　a　selfish
milliner。　Accident　at　length　placed　me　in　a　family　as　a　governess。　This
family　happened　to　be　acquainted　with　Madame　Monson；　and　an　offer
that　was　brilliant　to　me；　in　my　circumstances；　brought　me　to　America。
You　see　by　all　this　how　unfit　I　am　to　be　your　wife；　monsieur。　You　would
blush　to　have　it　said　you　had　married　a　French　milliner！〃

〃But　you　are　not　a　milliner；　in　that　sense；　dearest　Adriennefor　you
must　suffer　me　to　call　you　by　that　nameyou　are　a　lady　reduced　by
revolutions　and　misfortunes。　The　name　of　Hennequin　I　know　is
respectable；　and　what　care　I　for　money；　when　so　much　worth　is　to　be
found　on　your　side　of　the　scale。　Money　would　only　oppress　me；　under
such　circumstances。〃

〃Your　generosity　almost　overcomes　my　scruples；　but　it　may　not　be。　The
name　to　which　I　am　entitled　is　certainly　not　one　to　be　ashamed　ofit　is
far　more　illustrious　than　that　of　Hennequin；　respectable　as　is　the　last；　but
of　what　account　is　a　NAME　to　one　in　my　condition！〃

〃And　your　family　name　is　not　Hennequin？〃　asked　the　lover；　anxiously。

〃It　is　not。　My　poor　grandmother　assumed　the　name　of　Hennequin；　when
we　went　last　to　Paris；　under　an　apprehension　that　the　guillotine　might
follow　the　revolution　of　July；　as　it　had　followed　that　of　'89。　This　name
she　enjoined　it　on　me　to　keep；　and　I　have　never　thought　it　prudent　to
change　it。　I　am　of　the　family　of　de　la　Rocheaimard。〃

The　exclamation　which　burst　from　the　lips　of　Betts　Shoreham；
betokened　both　surprise　and　delight。　He　made　Adrienne　repeat　her
declarations；　and　even　desired　her　to　explain　her　precise　parentage。　The
reader　will　remember；　that　there　had　been　an　American　marriage　in
Adrienne's　family；　and　that　every　relative　the　poor　girl　had　on　earth；　was
among　these　distant　connections　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic。　One　of
these　relatives；　though　it　was　no　nearer　than　a　third　cousin；　was　Betts
Shoreham；　whose　great…grandmother　had　been　a　bona　fide　de　la
Rocheaimard；　and　who　was　enabled；　at　once；　to　point　out　to　the　poor
deserted　orphan　some　forty　or　fifty　persons；　who　stood　in　the　same
degree　of　affinity　to　her。　It　is　needless　to　say　that　this　conversation　was
of　absorbing　interest　to　both；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　Betts
momentarily　forgot　his　love；　and　by　the　time　it　had　ended；　Adrienne　was
disposed　to　overlook　most　of　her　over　scrupulous　objections　to
rewarding　that　very　passion。　But　the　hour　admonished　them　of　the
necessity　of　separating。

〃And　now；　my　beloved　cousin；〃　said　Betts　Shoreham；　as　he　rose　to　quit
the　room；　seizing　Adrienne's　unresisting　hand〃now；　my　own　Adrienne；
you　will　no　longer　urge　your　sublimated　notions　of　propriety　against　my
suit。　I　am　your　nearest　male　relative；　and　have　a　right　to　your
obedienceand　I　command　that　you　be　the　second　de　la　Rocheaimard
who　became　the　wife　of　a　Shoreham。〃

〃Tell　me；　mon　cher　cousin；〃　said　Adrienne；　smiling　through　her　tears
〃were　your　grand…parents；　my　good　uncle　and　aunt；　were　they　happy？
Was　their　union　blessed？〃

｛mon　cher　cousin　=　my　dear　cousin｝

〃They　were　miracles　of　domestic　felicity；　and　their　happiness　has　passed
down　in　tradition；　among　all　their　descendants。　Even　religion　could　not
furnish　them　with　a　cause　for　misunderstanding。　That　example　which
they　set　to　the　last　century；　we　will　endeavor　to　set　to　this。〃

Adrienne　smiled；　kissed　her　hand　to　Betts；　and　ran　out　of　the　room；
leaving　me　forgotten　on　the　sofa。　Betts　Shoreham　seized　his　hat；　and　left
the　house；　a　happy　man；　for；　though　he　had　no　direct　promise　as　yet；　he
felt　as　reasonably　secure　of　success；　as　circumstances　required。



CHAPTER　XVII。

Five　minutes　later；　Tom　Thurston　entered；　and　Julia　Monson　came
down　to　receive　HIM；　her　pique　not　interfering；　and　it　being　rather
stylish　to　be　disengaged　on　the　morning　of　the　day　when　the　household
was　in　all　the　confusion　of　a　premeditated　rout。

｛premeditated　rout　=　planned　party｝

〃This　is　SO　good　of　you；　Miss　Monson；〃　said　Tom；　as　he　made　his
bowI　heard　it　all；　being　still　on　the　sofa〃This　is　SO　good　of　you；
when　your　time　must　have　so　many　demands　on　it。〃

〃Not　in　the　least；　Mr。　Thurstonmamma　and　the　housekeeper　have
settled　every　thing；　and　I　am　really　pleased　to　see　you；　as　you　can　give
me　the　history　of　the　new　play〃

〃Ah！　Miss　Monson；　my　heartmy　facultiesmy　ideas〃　Tom　was
getting　bothered；　and　he　made　a　desperate　effort　to　extricate　himself
〃In　short；　my　JUDGMENT　is　so　confused　and　monopolized；　that　I　have
no　powers　left　to　think　or　speak　of　plays。　In　a　word；　I　was　not　there。〃

〃That　explains　it；　thenand　what　has　thus　confused　your　mind；　Mr。
Thurston？〃

〃The　approach　of　this　awful　night。　You　will　be　surrounded　by　a　host　of
admirers；　pouring　into　your　ears　their　admiration　and　love；　and　then
what　shall　I　have　to　support　me；　but　that　'yes；'　with　which　you　once
raised　me　from　the　depths　of　despair　to　an　elevation　of　happiness　that
was　high　as　the　highest　pinnacle　of　the　caverns　of　Kentucky；　raising　me
from　the　depths　of　Chimborazo。〃

｛caverns　of　Kentucky　=　Mammoth　Cave；　Chimborazo　=　a　20；500　foot
volcano　in　Ecuador｝

Tom　meant　to　reverse　this　image；　but　love　is　proverbially　desperate　in
its　figures　of　speech；　and　any　thing　was　better　than　appearing　to
hesitate。　Nevertheless；　Miss　Monson　was　too　well　instructed；　and　had
too　much　real　taste；　not　to　feel　surprise　at　all　this　extravagance　of　diction
and　poetry。

〃I　am　not　certain；　Mr。　Thurston；　that　I　rightly　understand　you；〃　she　said。
〃Chimborazo　is　not　particularly　low；　nor　are　the　caverns　of　Kentucky　so
strikingly　elevated。〃

〃Ascribe　it　all　to　that　fatal；　heart…thrilling；　hope…inspiring　'yes；'　loveliest　of
human　females；〃　continued　Tom；　kneeling　with　some　caution；　lest　the
straps　of　his　pantaloons　should　give　way〃Impute　all　to　your　own　lucid
ambiguity；　and　to　the　torments　of　hope　that　I　experience。　Repeat　that
'yes；'　lovely；　consolatory；　imaginative　being；　and　raise　me　from　the　thrill
of　depression；　to　the　liveliest　pulsations　of　all　human　acmes。〃

〃Hang　it；〃　thought　Tom；　〃if　she　stand　THAT；　I　shall　presently　be　ashore。
Genius；　itself；　can　invent　nothing　finer。〃

But　Julia　did　stand　it。　She　admired　Tom　for　his　exterior；　but　the
admiration　of　no　moderately　sensible　woman　could　overlook
rodomontade　so　exceedingly　desperate。　It　was　trespassing　too　boldly
on　the　proprieties　to　utter　such　nonsense　to　a　gentlewoman；　and　Tom；
who　had　got　his　practice　in　a　very　low　school；　was　doomed　to　discover
that　he　had　overreached　himself。

〃I　am　not　certain　I　quite　understand　you；　Mr。　Thurston；　answered　the
half…irritated；　half…amused　young　lady；　〃your　language　is　so　very
extraordinaryyour　images　so　unusual〃

〃Say；　rather；　that　it　is　your　own　image；　loveliest　incorporation　of
perceptible　incarnations；〃　interrupted　Tom；　determined　to　go　for　the
whole；　and　recalling　some　rare　specimens　of　magazine　eloquence
〃Talk　not　of　images；　obdurate　maid；　when　you　are　nothing　but　an　image
yourself。〃

〃I！　Mr。　Thurstonand　of　what　is　it　your　pleasure　to　accuse　me　of　being
the　image？〃

〃O！　unutterable　woyes；　inexorable　girl；　your　vacillating　'yes'　has
rendered　me　the　impersonation　of　that　oppressive　sentiment；　of　which
your　beauty　and　excellence　have　become　the　mocking　reality。　Alas；
alas！　that　bearded　men；〃Tom's　face　was　covered　with　hair〃Alas；
alas！　that　bearded　men　should　be　brought　to　we