Home as Found, James Fenimore Cooper [bookreader txt] 📗

got up, and newspaper

verses, I know nothing that deserves such a name."

 

"We may not print on as fine paper, Mr. Howel, or do up the books in

as handsome binding as other people," said Mr. Wenham, bridling and

looking grave, "but so far as sentiments are concerned, or sound

sense, American literature need turn its back on no literature of the

day."

 

"By the way, Mr. Effingham, you were in Russia; did you happen to see

the Emperor?"

 

"I had that pleasure, Mr. Howel."

 

"And is he really the monster we have been taught to believe him?".

 

"Monster!" exclaimed the upright Mr. Effingham, fairly recoiling a

step in surprise. "In what sense a monster, my worthy friend? surely

not in a physical?"

 

"I do not know that. I have somehow got the notion he is any thing

but handsome. A mean, butchering, bloody-minded looking little chap,

I'll engage."

 

"You are libelling one of the finest-looking men of the age."

 

"I think I would submit it to a jury. I cannot believe, after what I

have read of him in the English publications, that he is so very

handsome."

 

"But, my good neighbour, these English publications must be wrong;

prejudiced perhaps, or even malignant."

 

"Oh! I am not the man to be imposed on in that way. Besides, what

motive could an English writer have for belying an Emperor of

Russia?"

 

"Sure enough, what motive!" exclaimed John Effingham.--"You have your

answer, Ned!"

 

"But you will remember, Mr. Howel," Eve interposed, "that we have

_seen_ the Emperor Nicholas."

 

"I dare say, Miss Eve, that your gentle nature was disposed to judge

him as kindly as possible; and, then, I think most Americans, ever

since the treaty of Ghent, have been disposed to view all Russians

too favourably. No, no; I am satisfied with the account of the

English; they live much nearer to St. Petersburg than we do, and they

are more accustomed, too, to give accounts of such matters."

 

"But living nearer, Tom Howel," cried Mr. Effingham, with unusual

animation, "in such a case, is of no avail, unless one lives near

enough to see with his own eyes."

 

"Well--well--my good friend, we will talk of this another time. I

know your disposition to look at every body with lenient eyes. I will

now wish you all a good morning, and hope soon to see you again. Miss

Eve, I have one word to say, if you dare trust yourself with a youth

of fifty, for a minute, in the library."

 

Eve rose cheerfully, and led the way to the room her father's visiter

had named. When within it, Mr. Howel shut the door carefully, and

then with a sort of eager delight, he exclaimed--

 

"For heaven's sake, my dear young lady, tell me who are these two

strange gentlemen in the other room."

 

"Precisely the persons my father mentioned, Mr. Howel; Mr. Paul

Powis, and Sir George Templemore."

 

"Englishmen, of course!"

 

"Sir George Templemore is, of course, as you say, but we may boast of

Mr. Powis as a countryman."

 

"Sir George Templemore!--What a superb-looking young fellow!"

 

"Why, yes," returned Eve, laughing; "he, at least, you will admit is

a handsome man."

 

"He is wonderful!--The other, Mr.--a--a--a--I forget what you called

him--he is pretty well too; but this Sir George is a princely youth."

 

"I rather think a majority of observers would give the preference to

the appearance of Mr. Powis," said Eve, struggling to be steady, but

permitting a blush to heighten her colour, in despite of the effort.

 

"What could have induced him to come up among these mountains--an

English baronet!" resumed Mr. Howel, without thinking of Eve's

confusion. "Is he a real lord?"

 

"Only a little one, Mr. Howel. You heard what my father said of our

having been fellow-travellers."

 

"But what _does_ he think of us. I am dying to know what such a man

_really_ thinks of us?"

 

"It is not always easy to discover what such men _really_ think;

although I am inclined to believe that he is disposed to think rather

favourably of some of us."

 

"Ay, of you, and your father, and Mr. John. You have travelled, and

are more than half European; but what _can_ he think of those who

have never left America?"

 

"Even of some of those," returned Eve, smiling, "I suspect he thinks

partially."

 

"Well, I am glad of that. Do you happen to know his opinion of the

Emperor Nicholas?"

 

"Indeed. I do not remember to have heard him mention the Emperor's

name; nor do I think he has ever seen him."

 

"That is extraordinary! Such a man should have seen every thing, and

know every thing; but I'll engage, at the bottom, he does know all

about him. If you happen to have any old English newspapers, as

wrappers, or by any other accident, let me beg them of you. I care

not how old they are. An English journal fifty years old, is more

interesting than one of ours wet from the press."

 

Eve promised to send him a package, when they shook hands and parted.

As she was crossing the hall, to rejoin the party, John Effingham

stopped her.

 

"Has Howel made proposals?" the gentleman inquired, in an affected

whisper.

 

"None, cousin Jack, beyond an offer to read the old English

newspapers I can send him."

 

"Yes, yes, Tom Howel will swallow all the nonsense that is _timbre a

Londres_."

 

"I confess a good deal of surprise at finding a respectable and

intelligent man so weak-minded as to give credit to such authorities,

or to form his serious opinions on information derived from such

sources."

 

"You may be surprised, Eve, at hearing so frank avowals of the

weakness; but, as for the weakness itself, you are now in a country

for which England does all the thinking, except on subjects that

touch the current interests of the day."

 

"Nay, I will not believe this! If it were true, how came we

independent of her--where did we get spirit to war against her."

 

"The man who has attained his majority is independent of his father's

legal control, without being independent of the lessons he was taught

when a child. The soldier sometimes mutinies, and after the contest

is over, he is usually the most submissive man of the regiment."

 

"All this to me is very astonishing! I confess that a great deal has

struck me unpleasantly in this way, since our return; especially in

ordinary society; but I never could have supposed it had reached to

the pass in which I see it existing in our good neighbour Howel."

 

"You have witnessed one of the effects, in a matter of no great

moment to ourselves; but, as time and years afford the means of

observation and comparison, you will perceive the effects in matters

of the last moment, in a national point of view. It is in human

nature to undervalue the things with which we are familiar, and to

form false estimates of those which are remote, either by time, or by

distance. But, go into the drawing-room, and, in young Wenham, you

will find one who fancies himself a votary of a new school, although

his prejudices and mental dependence are scarcely less obvious than

those of poor Tom Howel."

 

The arrival of more company, among whom were several ladies,

compelled Eve to defer an examination of Mr. Wenham's peculiarities

to another opportunity. She found many of her own sex, whom she had

left children, grown into womanhood, and not a few of them at a

period of life when they should be cultivating their physical and

moral powers, already oppressed with the cares and feebleness that

weigh so heavily on the young American wife.

 

Chapter XIII. ("Nay we must longer kneel; I am a suitor.")

QUEEN KATHERINE.

 

The Effinghams were soon regularly domesticated, and the usual

civilities had been exchanged. Many of their old friends resumed

their ancient intercourse, and some new acquaintances were made. The

few first visits were, as usual, rather labored and formal; but

things soon took their natural course, and, as the ease of country

life was the aim of the family, the temporary little bustle was

quickly forgotten.

 

The dressing-room of Eve overlooked the lake, and, about a week after

her arrival, she was seated in it enjoying that peculiarly lady-like

luxury, which is to be found in the process of having another gently

disposing of the hair. Annette wielded the comb, as usual, while Ann

Sidley, who was unconsciously jealous that any one should be employed

about her darling, even in this manner, though so long accustomed to

it, busied herself in preparing the different articles of attire that

she fancied her young mistress might be disposed to wear that

morning. Grace was also in the room, having escaped from the hands of

her own maid, in order to look into one of those books which

professed to give an account of the extraction and families of the

higher classes of Great Britain, a copy of which Eve happened to

possess, among a large collection of books, _Allmanachs de Gotha_,

Court Guides, and other similar works that she had found it

convenient to possess as a traveller.

 

"Ah! here it is," said Grace, in the eagerness of one who is suddenly

successful after a long and vexatious search.

 

"Here is what, coz?"

 

Grace coloured, and she could have bitten her tongue for its

indiscretion, but, too ingenuous to deceive, she reluctantly told the

truth.

 

"I was merely looking for the account of Sir George Templemore's

family; it is awkward to be domesticated with one, of whose family we

are utterly ignorant."

 

"Have you found the name?"

 

"Yes; I see he has two sisters, both of whom are married, and a

brother who is in the Guards. But--"

 

"But what, dear?"

 

"His title is not so _very_ old."

 

"The title of no Baronet _can_ be very old, the order having been

instituted in the reign of James I."

 

"I did not know that. His ancestor was created a baronet in 1701, I

see. Now, Eve--"

 

"Now, what, Grace?"

 

"We are both--" Grace would not confine the remark to herself--"we

are both of older families than this! You have even a much higher

English extraction; and I think I can claim for the Van Cortlandts

more antiquity than one that dates from 1701!"

 

"No one doubts it, Grace; but what do you wish me to understand by

this? Are we to insist on preceding Sir George, in going through a

door?"

 

Grace blushed to the eyes, and yet she laughed, involuntarily.

 

"What nonsense! No one thinks of such things in America."

 

"Except at Washington, where, I am told, 'Senators' ladies' do give

themselves airs. But you are quite right, Grace; women have no rank

in America, beyond their general social rank, as ladies or no ladies,

and we will not be the first to set an example of breaking the rule.

I am afraid our blood will pass for nothing, and that we must give

place to the baronet, unless, indeed, he recognizes the rights of the

sex."

 

"You know I mean nothing so silly. Sir George Templemore does not

seem to think of rank at all; even Mr. Powis treats him, in all

respects, as an equal, and Sir George seems to admit it to be right."

 

Eve's maid, at the moment, was twisting her hair, with the intention

to put it up; but the sudden manner in which her young mistress

turned to look at Grace, caused Annette to relinquish her grasp, and

the shoulders of the beautiful and blooming girl were instantly

covered with the luxuriant tresses.

 

"And why should _not_ Mr. Powis treat Sir George Templemore as one

every way his equal, Grace?" she asked, with an impetuosity unusual

in one so trained in the forms of the world.

 

"Why, Eve, one is a baronet, and the other is but a simple

gentleman."

 

Eve Effingham sat silent for quite a minute. Her little foot moved,

and she had been carefully taught, too, that a lady-like manner,

required that even this beautiful portion of the female frame should

be quiet and unobtrusive. But America did not contain two of the same

sex, years, and social condition, less alike in their opinions, or it

might be said their prejudices, than the two cousins. Grace Van

Cortlandt, of the best blood of her native land, had unconsciouslv

imbibed in childhood,