登陆注册
5425200000047

第47章

"What have we here?" exclaimed John Monson, in surprise; "has Miss Flowergarden made a call, and is this her card?""I believe that pocket-handkerchief belongs to your sister," answered Betts, drily, "if that be what you mean.""Jule! well, I am sorry to hear it. I did hope that no sister of MINEwould run into any such foolish extravagance--do you own it, Jule?"who entered the room at that instant--"is this bit of a rag yours, or is it not more likely to be Henny's?""Bit of a rag!" cried the sister, snatching me dexterously out of the spoiler's hands; "and 'Henny,' too! This is not a bit of a rag, sir, but a very pretty pocket-handkerchief, and you must very well know that Mademoiselle Hennequin is not likely to be the owner of any thing as costly.""And what did it cost, pray? At least tell me THAT, if nothing else.""I shall not gratify your curiosity, sir--a lady's wardrobe is not to be dissected in this manner.""Pray, sir, may I ask," Mr. Monson now coming in, "did you pay for Jule's handkerchief? Hang me, if I ever saw a more vulgar thing in my life.""The opinion is not likely to induce me to say yes," answered the father, half-laughing, and yet half-angry at his son's making such allusions before Betts--"never mind him, my dear; the handkerchief is not half as expensive as his own cigars.""It shall be as thoroughly smoked, nevertheless, rejoined John, who was as near being spoilt, and escaping, as was at all necessary. "Ah, Julie, Julie, I'm ashamed of thee."This was an inauspicious commencement for an evening from which so much happiness had been anticipated, but Mrs. Monson coming down, and the carriages driving to the door, Mademoiselle Hennequin was summoned, and the whole party left the house.

As a matter of course, it was a little out of the common way that the governess was asked to make one, in the invitations given to the Monsons. But Mademoiselle Hennequin was a person of such perfect bon ton, had so thoroughly the manners of a lady, and was generally reputed so accomplished, that most of the friends of the family felt themselves bound to notice her. There was another reason, too, which justice requires I should relate, though it is not so creditable to the young lady, as those already given. From some quarter, or other, a rumor had got abroad that Miss Monson's governess was of a noble family, a circumstance that I soon discovered had great influence in New York, doubtless by way of expiation for the rigid democratical notions that so universally pervade its society. And here I may remark, en passant, that while nothing is considered so disreputable in America as to be "aristocratic" a word of very extensive signification, as it embraces the tastes, the opinions, the habits, the virtues, and sometimes the religion of the offending party--on the other hand, nothing is so certain to attract attention as nobility. How many poor Poles have Iseen dragged about and made lions of, merely because they were reputed noble, though the distinction in that country is pretty much the same as that which exists in one portion of this great republic, where one half the population is white, and the other black; the former making the noble, and the latter the serf.

{make one = be included; bon ton = superior manners and culture;notice her = include her socially; "aristocratic" = Cooper was hypersensitive to accusations of being "aristocratic"; poor Poles = since his days in Paris in the early 1830s, Cooper had befriended and aided Poles fleeing Russian domination of their homeland}

"What an exceedingly aristocratic pocket-handkerchief Miss Monson has this evening," observed Mrs. G. to Mr. W., as we passed into Mrs.

Leamington's rooms, that evening; "I don't know when I've seen any thing so aristocratic in society.""The Monsons are very aristocratic in all things; I understand they dine at six.""Yes," put in Miss F., "and use finger bowls every day.""How aristocratic!"

"Very--they even say that since they have come back from Europe, the last time, matters are pushed farther than ever. The ladies insist on kneeling at prayers, instead of inclining, like all the rest of the world.""Did one ever hear of any thing so aristocratic!""They DO say, but I will not vouch for its truth, that Mr. and Mrs.

Monson insist on all their children calling them 'father' and 'mother,'

instead of 'pa' and 'ma.' "

"Why, Mr. W., that is downright monarchical, is it not?""It's difficult to say what is, and what is not monarchical, now-a-days;though I think one is pretty safe in pronouncing it anti-republican.""It is patriarchal, rather," observed a wit, who belonged to the group.

Into this "aristocratical" set I was now regularly introduced. Many longing and curious eyes were drawn toward me, though the company in this house was generally too well bred to criticise articles of dress very closely. Still, in every country, aristocracy, monarchy, or democracy, there are privileged classes, and in all companies privileged persons. One of the latter took the liberty of asking Julia to leave me in her keeping, while the other danced, and I was thus temporarily transferred to a circle, in which several other pocket-handkerchiefs had been collected, with a view to compare our several merits and demerits.

The reader will judge of my surprise, when, the examination being ended, and the judgment being rendered altogether in my favor, I found myself familiarly addressed by the name that I bore in the family circle, or, as No. 7; for pocket-handkerchiefs never speak to each other except on the principle of decimals. It was No. 12, or my relative of the extreme cote gauche, who had strangely enough found his way into this very room, and was now lying cheek by jowl with me again, in old Mrs.

Eyelet's lap. Family affection made us glad to meet, and we had a hundred questions to put to each other in a breath.

{cote gauche = left wing, politically}

同类推荐
  • Fennel and Rue

    Fennel and Rue

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 昌吉县乡土志

    昌吉县乡土志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 书录

    书录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说长者施报经

    佛说长者施报经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Blazed Trail

    The Blazed Trail

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 宁古塔地方乡土志

    宁古塔地方乡土志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 奇术傲天

    奇术傲天

    痛失爹娘的凌风偶得奇术论和魔镜珠,他发誓要修炼成能将死人重生的回魂术。回魂术分为炼丹术,练气术,归元术。在修炼炼丹术中,凌风穿越到古月王国,通过修炼奇术论中的武功绝学,打败无数高手,已经修炼武尊段的斗武尊阶段,并且成功夺取了蓝灵石、红灵石和黄灵石。本以为可以直接穿越到虚灵王国,进一步修炼练气术,不料还需一颗圣灵珠,汲取其中灵气才算大功告成。为了寻找圣灵珠,凌风来到天竺王国,就在有圣灵珠有消息之时,不幸的是被水蟒给咬死,所有心血化为乌有。
  • 漕运通志

    漕运通志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小寓言大智慧:写给爱创新的那些人看

    小寓言大智慧:写给爱创新的那些人看

    书中的寓言是浅显的,但是寓言背后所反映的哲理却非常的深奥。阅读《小寓言大智慧:写给爱创新的那些人看》,你可以发现,这些寓言有的揭示了某一个经济学原理,有的反映了某一种管理理念,有的会告诉你某一种投资技巧或者励志方略。阅读《小寓言大智慧:写给爱创新的那些人看》可以学会用经济学家的思维方式,从经济学的视角来思考现实生活中的各种问题。当我们心里有什么疙瘩解不开的时候,读一篇寓言,思考一会儿,也许疙瘩就解开了;当我们钻进了某个死胡同的时候,读一篇寓言,思考一会儿,也许就从死胡同里跳出来了;当我们在哪里跌了一跤。爬不起来的时候,回想一下曾经读过的某一篇寓言,也许就顽强地站起来了。
  • 穿越之无敌舰队

    穿越之无敌舰队

    谁说我大中华那般盛唐的气势不在,只要我的舰队存在一天,天下,世界都在我大大中华的控制之下,有我无敌舰队,什么日寇,什么美帝,敢于挑衅我大中华者虽远必诛!亲华夏,爱中华!有我无敌舰队,重返我盛唐傲视全球之气象!
  • 狐狸君请稍等

    狐狸君请稍等

    去救狐狸?好吧,我去。是个妖怪?还得各种穿越?好吧,我去。可这…成了女的怎么办?好吧,塑料姐妹花。“涟泽…你好像喜欢过一个男人…”阿奈看着躺在自己腿上悠哉悠哉吃着葡萄的涟泽小心地说道。“咳,都说了我不记得了。你很闲吗?那就生几个小狐狸玩玩。”阿奈摸了摸涟泽头上出来的狐狸耳朵,你好像一紧张就会露出耳朵……
  • 谍战金陵

    谍战金陵

    她,是陈国唯一的公主,他,是士族的嫡子。他们青梅竹马,原是被人看好的一对,却奈何不了现局,卷入了党派纷争。本该两不相帮的他却为了她不受伤害屡次深陷旋涡,许诺永不害她。后知后觉的她终对他许诺终身,可现实总是让人猝不及防,胡人的入侵打乱了所有的计划,他们又该将……
  • 重生之八零娇妻

    重生之八零娇妻

    上一世眼瞎,错把渣男当良人,韩雅宁干脆一把大火同归于尽。不成想,明明都死了,她却又命硬的活了。既是活了,那就一切洗牌重来吧。韩雅宁挽了挽袖子,爹娘,哥哥,这一次换我来守护你们。某人一脸冷漠,眼神炙热如火。“小丫头,你是我媳妇。”“滚”
  • 养胎安胎营养食谱

    养胎安胎营养食谱

    一人吃两人补,本书为准妈妈准备了安胎健儿两不误的营养美食,呵护准妈妈和胎宝宝,陪伴准妈妈平安度过孕期。
  • 总裁专属,老婆超可人!

    总裁专属,老婆超可人!

    叶紫衣八岁的时候见到了比自己大三岁的向炀,那时候她就觉得他很讨厌,不是揪她辫子,就是抓昆虫吓唬她,却没想到,十年后,他还是一样讨厌,天天欺负她!当向橙告诉她他喜欢她的时候,她觉得她疯了!要是他对她十年来那些恶劣的所作所为是因为喜欢的话,那她还是求求他,别再喜欢她了吧!她故意在他面前装丑,他讨厌吃的她就做给他吃,他不喜欢别人碰他的东西她就是乱碰,就连他半夜看成人动作片的事情,她都给他好好宣传了一遍,她都破罐子破摔了,他应该不喜欢她了吧?…………弄巧成拙篇:“你说我喜欢你?”“嗯哼!”“所以你最近的所作所为是为了让我不喜欢你?”“嗯哼!”“很好,你赢了,我从现在这一刻开始喜欢你了!”“嗯哼……等等!你刚刚说什么?!”…………奴隶女友篇:“宝贝,给我捶一下肩膀,酸。”“好咧!”“宝贝,给我拿双拖鞋。”“好咧!”“宝贝,有点闷,给我跳支舞吧!”“好……咧!”“宝贝,我饿了,过来给我亲亲!”“姓向的你别太过分,我也是有尊严的,不是你说要干嘛我就得干嘛!”“那你现在给不给亲?”“好,马上来!”…………怀孕篇:“老公,我想吃蛋挞,你给我买好不好?”“好!”“老公,我想吃炸鸡,你给我买好不好?”“好!”“老公,我想吃你,你给我吃好不好?”“老婆,别忘了你肚子里还有三个宝宝!”“那你现在给不给吃了?”“给,必须给!”说完,长臂往她嘴边一伸,她张开嘴,大咬一口!…………完结推荐:《老婆,咱不签字!》http://m.wkkk.net/a/572678/《老婆,宠宠我吧》http://m.wkkk.net/a/293612/