autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第37章

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lady。〃

〃Yes；　sirexceedingly　liberalliberal　as　the　rosy　dawn。　Why；　sir；
meeting　your　proposition　in　the　spirit　in　which　it　is　offered；　I　should　say
Julia　and　I　could　get　along　very　comfortably　on　100；000。　Yes；　we
could　make　that　do；　provided　the　money　were　well　investedno　fancy
stocks。〃

〃Well；　sir；　I　am　glad　we　understand　each　other　so　clearly。　If　my
daughter　really　wish　to　marry　you；　I　will　give　50；000　of　this　sum；　as
soon　as　you　can　show　me　that　you　have　as　much　more　to　invest　along
with　it。〃

〃SirMr。　Monson！〃

〃I　mean　that　each　party　shall　lay　down　dollar　for　dollar！〃

〃I　understand　what　you　mean；　sir。　Mr。　Monson；　that　would　be
degrading　lawful　wedlock　to　the　level　of　a　beta　game　of　cardsa
mercenary；　contemptible　bargain。　No；　sirnothing　shall　ever　induce　me
to　degrade　this　honorable　estate　to　such　pitiful　conditions！〃

〃Dollar　for　dollar；　Mr。　Thurston！〃

〃Holy　wedlock！　It　is　violating　the　best　principles　of　our　nature。〃

〃Give　and　take！〃

〃Leveling　the　sacred　condition　of　matrimony　to　that　of　a　mere　bargain
for　a　horse　or　a　dog！〃

〃Half　and　half！〃

〃My　nature　revolts　at　such　profanation；　sirI　will　take　75；000　with
Miss　Julia；　and　say　no　more　about　it。〃

〃Equality　is　the　foundation　of　wedded　happiness；　Mr。　Thurston。〃

〃Say　50；000；　Mr。　Monson；　and　have　no　more　words　about　it。　Take
away　from　the　transaction　the　character　of　a　bargain；　and　even　40；000
will　do。〃

〃Not　a　cent　that　is　not　covered　by　a　cent　of　your　own。〃

〃Then；　sir；　I　wash　my　hands　of　the　whole　affair。　If　the　young　lady　should
die；　my　conscience　will　be　clear。　It　shall　never　be　said　Thomas　Thurston
was　so　lost　to　himself　as　to　bargain　for　a　wife。〃

〃We　must；　then；　part；　and　the　negotiation　must　fall　through。〃

Tom　rose　with　dignity；　and　got　as　far　as　the　door。　With　his　hand　on　the
latch；　he　added

〃Rather　than　blight　the　prospects　of　so　pure　and　lovely　a　creature　I　will
make　every　sacrifice　short　of　honorlet　it　be　30；000；　Mr。　Monson？〃

〃As　you　please；　sirso　that　it　be　covered　by　30；000　of　your　own。〃

〃My　nature　revolts　at　the　proposition；　and　sogood　morning；　sir。〃

Tom　left　the　house；　and　Mr。　Monson　laughed　heartily；　so　heartily；
indeed；　as　to　prove　how　much　he　relished　the　success　of　his　scheme。

〃Talk　of　Scylla　and　Charybdis！〃　soliloquized　the　discomfited　Tom；　as　he
wiped　the　perspiration　from　his　face〃Where　the　d…l　does　he　think　I
am　to　find　the　50；000　he　wants；　unless　he　first　gives　them　to　me？　I
never　heard　of　so　unreasonable　an　old　chap！　Here　is　a　young　fellow　that
offers　to　marry　his　daughter　for　30；000half　price；　as　one　may　say
and　he　talks　about　covering　every　cent　he　lays　down　with　one　of　my
own。　I　never　knew　what　was　meant　by　cent。　per　cent。　before。　Let　me
see；　I've　just　thirty…two　dollars　and　sixty…nine　cents；　and　had　we　played
at　a　game　of　coppers；　I　couldn't　have　held　out　half　an　hour。　But；　I　flatter
myself；　I　touched　the　old　scamp　up　with　morals；　in　a　way　he　wasn't
used　to。　Well；　as　this　thing　is　over；　I　will　try　old　Sweet；　the　grocer's
daughter。　If　the　wardrobe　and　whiskers　fail　there；　I　must　rub　up　the
Greek　and　Latin；　and　shift　the　ground　to　Boston。　They　say　a　chap　with
a　little　of　the　classics　can　get　30　or　40；000；　there；　any　day　in　the　week。
I　wish　my　parents　had　brought　me　up　a　schoolmaster；　I　would　be　off　in
the　first　boat。　Blast　it！I　thought　when　I　came　down　to　30；000；　he
would　have　snapped　at　the　bait；　like　a　pike。　He'll　never　have　a　chance
to　get　her　off　so　cheap；　again。〃

｛cent。　per　cent。　=　one　hundred　percent｝

This　ended　the　passage　of　flirtation　between　Thomas　Thurston　and　Julia
Monson。　As　for　the　latter；　she　took　such　a　distaste　for　me；　that　she
presented　me　to　Mademoiselle　Hennequin；　at　the　first　opportunity；
under　the　pretence　that　she　had　discovered　a　strong　wish　in　the　latter　to
possess　me。

Adrienne　accepted　the　present　with　some　reluctance；　on　account　of　the
price　that　had　been　paid　for　me；　and　yet　with　strong　emotion。　How　she
wept　over　me；　the　first　time　we　were　alone　together！　I　thought　her　heart
would　break；　nor　am　I　certain　it　would　not；　but　for　the　timely
interposition　of　Julia；　who　came　and　set　her　laughing　by　a　humorous
narrative　of　what　had　occurred　between　her　father　and　her　lover。

That　night　the　rout　took　place。　It　went　off　with　eclat；　but　I　did　not　make
my　appearance　at　it；　Adrienne　rightly　judging　that　I　was　not　a　proper
companion　for　one　in　her　situation。　It　is　true；　this　is　not　a　very　American
notion；　EVERY　thing　being　suitable　for　EVERY　body；　that　get　them；　in
this　land　of　liberty；　but　Adrienne　had　not　been　educated　in　a　land　of
liberty；　and　fancied　that　her　dress　should　bear　some　relation　to　her
means。　Little　did　she　know　that　I　was　a　sort　of　patent　of　nobility；　and
that　by　exhibiting　me；　she　might　have　excited　envy；　even　in　an
alderman's　daughter。　My　non…appearance；　however；　made　no
difference　with　Betts　Shoreham；　whose　attentions　throughout　the
evening　were　so　marked　as　to　raise　suspicion　of　the　truth　in　the　mind　of
even　Mrs。　Monson。

｛rout　=　evening　party；　eclat　=　brilliance｝

The　next　day　there　was　an　eclaircissement。　Adrienne　owned　who　she
was；　gave　my　history；　acquainted　Mrs。　Monson　with　her　connection
with　Mr。　Shoreham；　and　confessed　the　nature　of　his　suit。　I　was　present
at　this　interview；　and　it　would　be　unjust　to　say　that　the　mother　was　not
disappointed。　Still　she　behaved　generously；　and　like　a　high　principled
woman。　Adrienne　was　advised　to　accept　Betts；　and　her　scruples；　on　the
score　of　money；　were　gradually　removed；　by　Mrs。　Monson's
arguments。

｛eclaircissement　=　explanation｝

〃What　a　contrast　do　this　Mr。　Thurston　and　Adrienne　present！〃　observed
Mrs。　Monson　to　her　husband；　in　a　tete　a　tete；　shortly　after　this
interview。　〃Here　is　the　gentleman　wanting　to　get　our　child；　without　a
shilling　to　bless　himself　with；　and　the　poor　girl　refusing　to　marry　the　man
of　her　heart；　because　she　is　penniless。〃

〃So　much　for　education。　We　become　mercenary　or　self…denying；　very
much　as　we　are　instructed。　In　this　country；　it　must　be　confessed；
fortune…hunting　has　made　giant　strides；　within　the　last　few　years；　and
that；　too；　with　an　audacity　of　pretension　that　is　unrestrained　by　any　of
the　social　barriers　which　exist　elsewhere。〃

〃Adrienne　will　marry　Mr。　Shoreham；　I　think。　She　loves；　and　when　a　girl
loves；　her　scruples　of　this　nature　are　not　invincible。〃

〃Ay；　HE　can　lay　down　dollar　for　dollarI　wish　his　fancy　had　run　toward
Julia。〃

〃It　has　not；　and　we　can　only　regret　it。　Adrienne　has　half…consented；　and
I　shall　give　her　a　handsome　weddingfor；　married　she　must　be　in　our
house。〃

All　came　to　pass　as　was　predicted。　One　month　from　that　day；　Betts
Shoreham　and　Adrienne　de　la　Rocheaimard　became　man　and　wife。
Mrs。　Monson　gave　a　handsome　entertainment；　and　a　day　or　two　later；
the　bridegroom　and　bride　took　possession　of　their　proper　home。　Of
course　I　removed　with　the　rest　of　the　family；　and；　by　these　means；　had
an　opportunity　of　becoming　a　near　spectator　of　a　honey…moon。　I　ought；
however；　to　say；　that　Betts　insisted　on　Julia's　receiving　125　for　me；
accepting　from　Julia　a　handsome　wedding　present　of　equal　value；　but　in
another　form。　This　was　done　simply　that　Adrienne　might　say　when　I　was
exhibited；　that　she　had　worked　me　herself；　and　that　the　lace　with　which
I　was　embellished　was　an　heir…loom。　If　there　are　various　ways　of
quieting　one's　conscience；　in　the　way　of　marriage　settlements；　so　are
there　various　modes　of　appeasing　our　sense　of　pride。

Pocket…handkerchiefs　have　their　revolutions；　as　well　as　states。　I　was
now　under　my　first　restoration；　and　perfectly　happy；　but；　being　French；
I　look　forward　to　further　changes；　since　the　temperament　that　has　twice
ejected　the　Bourbons　from　their　thrones　will　scarce　leave　me　in　quiet
possession　of　mine　forever。

｛first　restoration　=　the　Bourbon　dynasty　was　restored　to　the　French
throne　in　1815；　after　the　fall　of　Napoleon；　only　to　be　deposed　again　in
1830｝

Adrienne　loves　Betts　more　than　any　thing　else。　Still　she　loves　me　dearly。
Scarce　a　week　passes　that　I　am　not　in　her　hands；　and　it　is　when　her
present　happiness　seems　to　be　overflowing；　that　she　is　most　fond　of
recalling　the　painful　hours　she　experienced　in　making　me　w