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

Hajji--- one must get innoculated

merely; not take the disease and become cured, to be a true Hajji."

 

"I thank you, Miss Van Cortlandt, for this description," returned Eve

in her quiet way. "I hope, as I have gone through the malady, it has

not left me pitted."

 

"I should like to see one of these Hajjis," cried Sir George.--"Are

they of both sexes?"

 

Grace laughed and nodded her head.

 

"Will you point it out to me, should we be so fortunate as to

encounter one this evening?"

 

Again Grace laughed and nodded her head.

 

"I have been thinking, Grace," said Eve, after a short pause, "that

we may give Sir George Templemore a better idea of the sets about

which he is so curious, by doing what is no more than a duty of our

own, and by letting him profit by the opportunity. Mrs. Hawker

receives this evening without ceremony; we have not yet sent our

answer to Mrs. Jarvis, and might very well look in upon her for half

an hour, after which we shall be in very good season for Mrs.

Houston's ball."

 

"Surely, Eve, you would not wish to take Sir George Templemore to

such a house as that of Mrs. Jarvis!"

 

"_I_ do not wish to take Sir George Templemore any where, for your

Hajjis have opinions of their own on such subjects. But, as cousin

Jack will accompany us, _he_ may very well confer that important

favour. I dare say, Mrs. Jarvis will not look upon it as too great a

liberty."

 

"I will answer for it, that nothing Mr. John Effingham can do will be

thought _mal a propos_ by Mrs. Jared Jarvis. His position in society

is too well established, and hers is too equivocal, to leave any

doubt on that head."

 

"This, you perceive, settles the point of _coteries,_" said Eve to

the baronet. "Volumes might be written to establish principles; but

when one can do any thing he or she pleases, any where that he or she

likes, it is pretty safe to say that he or she is privileged."

 

"All very true, as to the fact, Miss Effingham; but I should like

exceedingly to know the reason."

 

"Half the time, such things are decided without a reason at all. You

are a little exacting in requiring a reason in New-York for that

which is done in London without even the pretence of such a thing. It

is sufficient that Mrs. Jarvis will be delighted to see you without

an invitation, and that Mrs. Houston would, at least, think it odd,

were you to take the same liberty with her."

 

"It follows," said Sir George, smiling, "that Mrs. Jarvis is much the

most hospitable person of the two."

 

"But, Eve, what shall be done with Captain Truck and Mr. Bragg?"

asked Grace. "We cannot take _them_ to Mrs. Hawker's!"

 

"Aristabulus would, indeed, be a little out of place in such a house,

but as for our excellent, brave, straight-forward, old captain, he is

worthy to go any where. I shall be delighted to present _him_ to Mrs.

Hawker, myself."

 

After a little consultation between the ladies, it was settled that

nothing should be said of the two first visits to Mr. Bragg, but that

Mr. Effingham should be requested to bring him to the ball, at the

proper hour, and that the rest of the party should go quietly off to

the other places, without mentioning their projects. As soon as this

was arranged the ladies retired to dress, Sir George Templemore

passing into the library to amuse himself with a book the while;

where, however, he was soon joined by John Effingham. Here the former

revived the conversation on distinctions in society, with the

confusion of thought that usually marks a European's notions of such

matters.

Chapter IV. ("Ready." "And I." "And I." "Where shall we go?")

 

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

 

Grace Van Cortlant was the first to make her appearance after the

retreat from the drawing-room. It has often been said that, pretty as

the American females incontestably are, as a whole they appear better

in _demi-toilette,_ than when attired for a ball. With what would be

termed high dress in other parts of the world, they are little

acquainted; but reversing the rule of Europe, where the married

bestow the most care on their personal appearance, and the single are

taught to observe a rigid simplicity, Grace now seemed sufficiently

ornamented in the eyes of the fastidious baronet, while, at the same

time, he thought her less obnoxious to the criticism just mentioned,

than most of her young countrywomen, in general.

 

An _embonpoint_ that was just sufficient to distinguish her from most

of her companions, a fine colour, brilliant eyes, a sweet smile, rich

hair, and such feet and hands as Sir George Templemore had, somehow--

he scarcely knew how, himself--fancied could only belong to the

daughters of peers and princes, rendered Grace so strikingly

attractive this evening, that the young baronet began to think her

even handsomer than her cousin. There was also a charm in the

unsophisticated simplicity of Grace, that was particularly alluring

to a man educated amidst the coldness and mannerism of the higher

classes of England. In Grace, too, this simplicity was chastened by

perfect decorum and _retenue_ of deportment; the exuberance of the

new school of manners not having helped to impair the dignity of her

character, or to weaken the charm of diffidence. She was less

finished in her manners than Eve, certainly; a circumstance, perhaps,

that induced Sir George Templemore to fancy her a shade more simple,

but she was never unfeminine or unladylike; and the term vulgar, in

despite of all the capricious and arbitrary rules of fashion, under

no circumstances, could ever be applied to Grace Van Cortlandt. In

this respect, nature seemed to have aided her; for had not her

associations raised her above such an imputation, no one could

believe that she would be obnoxious to the charge, had her lot in

life been cast even many degrees lower than it actually was.

 

It is well known that, after a sufficient similarity has been created

by education to prevent any violent shocks to our habits or

principles, we most affect those whose characters and dispositions

the least resemble our own. This was probably one of the reasons why

Sir George Templemore, who, for some time, had been well assured of

the hopelessness of his suit with Eve, began to regard her scarcely

less lovely cousin, with an interest of a novel and lively nature.

Quick-sighted and deeply interested in Grace's happiness, Miss

Effingham had already detected this change in the young baronet's

inclinations, and though sincerely rejoiced on her own account, she

did not observe it without concern; for she understood better than

most of her countrywomen, the great hazards of destroying her peace

of mind, that are incurred by transplanting an American woman into

the more artificial circles of the old world.

 

"I shall rely on your kind offices, in particular, Miss Van

Cortlandt, to reconcile Mrs. Jarvis and Mrs. Hawker to the liberty I

am about to take," cried Sir George, as Grace burst upon them in the

library, in a blaze of beauty that, in her case, was aided by her

attire; "and cold-hearted and unchristian-like women they must be,

indeed, to resist such a mediator!"

 

Grace was unaccustomed to adulation of this sort; for though the

baronet spoke gaily, and like one half trifling, his look of

admiration was too honest to escape the intuitive perception of

woman. She blushed deeply, and then recovering herself instantly,

said with a _naivete_ that had a thousand charms with her listener--

 

"I do not see why Miss Effingham and myself should hesitate about

introducing you at either place. Mrs. Hawker is a relative and an

intimate--an intimate of mine, at least--and as for poor Mrs. Jarvis,

she is the daughter of an old neighbour, and will be too glad to see

us, to raise objections. I fancy any one of a certain--" Grace

hesitated and laughed.

 

"Any one of a certain--?" said Sir George inquiringly.

 

"Any one from this house," resumed the young lady, correcting the

intended expression, "will be welcome in Spring street."

 

"Pure, native aristocracy!" exclaimed the baronet with an air of

affected triumph. "This you see, Mr. John Effingham, is in aid of my

argument."

 

"I am quite of your opinion," returned the gentleman addressed--"as

much native aristocracy as you please, but no hereditary."

 

The entrance of Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville interrupted this

pleasantry, and the carriages being just then announced, John

Effingham went in quest of Captain Truck, who was in the drawing-room

with Mr. Effingham and Aristabulus.

 

"I have left Ned to discuss trespass suits and leases with his land-

agent," said John Effingham, as he followed Eve to the street-door.

"By ten o'clock, they will have taxed a pretty bill of costs between

them!"

 

Mademoiselle Viefville followed John Effingham; Grace came next, and

Sir George Templemore and the Captain brought up the rear. Grace

wondered the young baronet did not offer her his arm, for she had

been accustomed to receive this attention from the other sex, in a

hundred situations in which it was rather an incumbrance than a

service; while on the other hand, Sir George himself would have

hesitated about offering such assistance, as an act of uncalled-for

familiarity.

 

Miss Van Cortlandt, being much in society, kept a chariot for her own

use, and the three ladies took their seats in it, while the gentlemen

took possession of Mr. Effingham's coach. The order was given to

drive to Spring street, and the whole party proceeded.

 

The acquaintance between the Effinghams and Mr. Jarvis had arisen

from the fact of their having been near, and, in a certain sense,

sociable neighbours in the country. Their town associations, however,

were as distinct as if they dwelt in different hemispheres, with the

exception of an occasional morning call, and, now and then, a family

dinner given by Mr. Effingham. Such had been the nature of the

intercourse previously to the family of the latter's having gone

abroad, and there were symptoms of its being renewed on the same

quiet and friendly footing as formerly. But no two beings could be

less alike, in certain essentials, than Mr. Jarvis and his wife. The

former was a plain pains-taking, sensible man of business, while the

latter had an itching desire to figure in the world of fashion. The

first was perfectly aware that Mr. Effingham, in education, habits,

associations and manners, was, at least, of a class entirely distinct

from his own; and without troubling himself to analyze causes, and

without a feeling of envy, or unkindness of any sort, while totally

exempt from any undue deference or unmanly cringing, he quietly

submitted to let things take their course. His wife expressed her

surprise that any one in New-York should presume to be _better_ than

themselves; and the remark gave rise to the following short

conversation, on the very morning of the day she gave the party, to

which we are now conducting the reader.

 

"How do you know, my dear, that any one does think himself our

_better_?" demanded the husband.

 

"Why do they not all visit us then!"

 

"Why do you not visit everybody yourself? A pretty household we

should have, if you did nothing but visit every one who lives even in

this street!"

 

"You surely would not have _me_ visiting the grocers' wives at the

corners, and all the other rubbish of the neighbourhood. What I mean

is that all the people of a certain sort ought to visit all the other

people of a certain sort, in the same town."

 

"You surely will make an exception, at least on account of numbers. I

saw number three thousand six hundred and fifty this very day on a

cart, and if the wives of all these carmen should visit one another,

each would have to make ten visits daily in order to get through with

the list in a twelvemonth."

 

"I have always bad luck in making you comprehend these things, Mr.

Jarvis."

 

"I am afraid, my dear, it is because you do not very clearly

comprehend them yourself. You first say that everybody ought to visit

everybody, and then you insist on it, _you_ will visit none but