English
NewlandArcher,duringthisbriefepisode,hadbeenthrownintoastrangestateofembarrassment.
ItwasannoyingthattheboxwhichwasthusattractingtheundividedattentionofmasculineNewYorkshouldbethatinwhichhisbetrothedwasseatedbetweenhermotherandaunt;andforamomenthecouldnotidentifytheladyintheEmpiredress,norimaginewhyherpresencecreatedsuchexcitementamongtheinitiated.
Thenlightdawnedonhim,andwithitcameamomentaryrushofindignation.
No,indeed;noonewouldhavethoughttheMingottswouldhavetriediton!
Buttheyhad;theyundoubtedlyhad;forthelow–tonedcommentsbehindhimleftnodoubtinArcher'smindthattheyoungwomanwasMayWelland'scousin,thecousinalwaysreferredtointhefamilyas"poorEllenOlenska."
ArcherknewthatshehadsuddenlyarrivedfromEuropeadayortwopreviously;hehadevenheardfromMissWelland(notdisapprovingly)thatshehadbeentoseepoorEllen,whowasstayingwitholdMrs.Mingott.
Archerentirelyapprovedoffamilysolidarity,andoneofthequalitieshemostadmiredintheMingottswastheirresolutechampionshipofthefewblacksheepthattheirblamelessstockhadproduced.
Therewasnothingmeanorungenerousintheyoungman'sheart,andhewasgladthathisfuturewifeshouldnotberestrainedbyfalsepruderyfrombeingkind(inprivate)toherunhappycousin;buttoreceiveCountessOlenskainthefamilycirclewasadifferentthingfromproducingherinpublic,attheOperaofallplaces,andintheveryboxwiththeyounggirlwhoseengagementtohim,NewlandArcher,wastobeannouncedwithinafewweeks.
No,hefeltasoldSillertonJacksonfelt;hedidnotthinktheMingottswouldhavetriediton!
Heknew,ofcourse,thatwhatevermandared(withinFifthAvenue'slimits)thatoldMrs.MansonMingott,theMatriarchoftheline,woulddare.
Hehadalwaysadmiredthehighandmightyoldlady,who,inspiteofhavingbeenonlyCatherineSpicerofStatenIsland,withafathermysteriouslydiscredited,andneithermoneynorpositionenoughtomakepeopleforgetit,hadalliedherselfwiththeheadofthewealthyMingottline,marriedtwoofherdaughtersto"foreigners"(anItalianmarquisandanEnglishbanker),andputthecrowningtouchtoheraudacitiesbybuildingalargehouseofpalecream–colouredstone(whenbrownsandstoneseemedasmuchtheonlywearasafrock–coatintheafternoon)inaninaccessiblewildernessneartheCentralPark.
OldMrs.Mingott'sforeigndaughtershadbecomealegend.
Theynevercamebacktoseetheirmother,andthelatterbeing,likemanypersonsofactivemindanddominatingwill,sedentaryandcorpulentinherhabit,hadphilosophicallyremainedathome.
Butthecream–colouredhouse(supposedtobemodelledontheprivatehotelsoftheParisianaristocracy)wasthereasavisibleproofofhermoralcourage;andshethronedinit,amongpre–RevolutionaryfurnitureandsouvenirsoftheTuileriesofLouisNapoleon(whereshehadshoneinhermiddleage),asplacidlyasiftherewerenothingpeculiarinlivingaboveThirty–fourthStreet,orinhavingFrenchwindowsthatopenedlikedoorsinsteadofsashesthatpushedup.
Everyone(includingMr.SillertonJackson)wasagreedthatoldCatherinehadneverhadbeauty—agiftwhich,intheeyesofNewYork,justifiedeverysuccess,andexcusedacertainnumberoffailings.
Unkindpeoplesaidthat,likeherImperialnamesake,shehadwonherwaytosuccessbystrengthofwillandhardnessofheart,andakindofhaughtyeffronterythatwassomehowjustifiedbytheextremedecencyanddignityofherprivatelife.
Mr.MansonMingotthaddiedwhenshewasonlytwenty–eight,andhad"tiedup"themoneywithanadditionalcautionbornofthegeneraldistrustoftheSpicers;buthisboldyoungwidowwentherwayfearlessly,mingledfreelyinforeignsociety,marriedherdaughtersinheavenknewwhatcorruptandfashionablecircles,hobnobbedwithDukesandAmbassadors,associatedfamiliarlywithPapists,entertainedOperasingers,andwastheintimatefriendofMme.Taglioni;andallthewhile(asSillertonJacksonwasthefirsttoproclaim)therehadneverbeenabreathonherreputation;theonlyrespect,healwaysadded,inwhichshedifferedfromtheearlierCatherine.
Mrs.MansonMingotthadlongsincesucceededinuntyingherhusband'sfortune,andhadlivedinaffluenceforhalfacentury;butmemoriesofherearlystraitshadmadeherexcessivelythrifty,andthough,whensheboughtadressorapieceoffurniture,shetookcarethatitshouldbeofthebest,shecouldnotbringherselftospendmuchonthetransientpleasuresofthetable.
Therefore,fortotallydifferentreasons,herfoodwasaspoorasMrs.Archer's,andherwinesdidnothingtoredeemit.
HerrelativesconsideredthatthepenuryofhertablediscreditedtheMingottname,whichhadalwaysbeenassociatedwithgoodliving;butpeoplecontinuedtocometoherinspiteofthe"madedishes"andflatchampagne,andinreplytotheremonstrancesofhersonLovell(whotriedtoretrievethefamilycreditbyhavingthebestchefinNewYork)sheusedtosaylaughingly:"What'stheuseoftwogoodcooksinonefamily,nowthatI'vemarriedthegirlsandcan'teatsauces?"
NewlandArcher,ashemusedonthesethings,hadoncemoreturnedhiseyestowardtheMingottbox.
HesawthatMrs.Wellandandhersister–in–lawwerefacingtheirsemicircleofcriticswiththeMingottianAPLOMBwhicholdCatherinehadinculcatedinallhertribe,andthatonlyMayWellandbetrayed,byaheightenedcolour(perhapsduetotheknowledgethathewaswatchingher)asenseofthegravityofthesituation.
Asforthecauseofthecommotion,shesatgracefullyinhercornerofthebox,hereyesfixedonthestage,andrevealing,assheleanedforward,alittlemoreshoulderandbosomthanNewYorkwasaccustomedtoseeing,atleastinladieswhohadreasonsforwishingtopassunnoticed.
FewthingsseemedtoNewlandArchermoreawfulthananoffenceagainst"Taste,"thatfar–offdivinityofwhom"Form"wasthemerevisiblerepresentativeandvicegerent.
MadameOlenska'spaleandseriousfaceappealedtohisfancyassuitedtotheoccasionandtoherunhappysituation;butthewayherdress(whichhadnotucker)slopedawayfromherthinshouldersshockedandtroubledhim.
HehatedtothinkofMayWelland'sbeingexposedtotheinfluenceofayoungwomansocarelessofthedictatesofTaste.
"Afterall,"heheardoneoftheyoungermenbeginbehindhim(everybodytalkedthroughtheMephistopheles–and–Marthascenes),"afterall,justWHAThappened?"
"Well—shelefthim;nobodyattemptstodenythat."
"He'sanawfulbrute,isn'the?"continuedtheyoungenquirer,acandidThorley,whowasevidentlypreparingtoenterthelistsasthelady'schampion.
"Theveryworst;IknewhimatNice,"saidLawrenceLeffertswithauthority.
"Ahalf–paralysedwhitesneeringfellow—ratherhandsomehead,buteyeswithalotoflashes.
Well,I'lltellyouthesort:whenhewasn'twithwomenhewascollectingchina.
Payinganypriceforboth,Iunderstand."
Therewasagenerallaugh,andtheyoungchampionsaid:"Well,then——?"
"Well,then;sheboltedwithhissecretary."
"Oh,Isee."Thechampion'sfacefell.
"Itdidn'tlastlong,though:IheardofherafewmonthslaterlivingaloneinVenice.
IbelieveLovellMingottwentouttogether.Hesaidshewasdesperatelyunhappy.
That'sallright—butthisparadingherattheOpera'sanotherthing."
"Perhaps,"youngThorleyhazarded,"she'stoounhappytobeleftathome."
Thiswasgreetedwithanirreverentlaugh,andtheyouthblusheddeeply,andtriedtolookasifhehadmeanttoinsinuatewhatknowingpeoplecalleda"doubleentendre."
"Well—it'squeertohavebroughtMissWelland,anyhow,"someonesaidinalowtone,withaside–glanceatArcher.
"Oh,that'spartofthecampaign:Granny'sorders,nodoubt,"Leffertslaughed."Whentheoldladydoesathingshedoesitthoroughly."
Theactwasending,andtherewasageneralstirinthebox.
SuddenlyNewlandArcherfelthimselfimpelledtodecisiveaction.
ThedesiretobethefirstmantoenterMrs.Mingott'sbox,toproclaimtothewaitingworldhisengagementtoMayWelland,andtoseeherthroughwhateverdifficultieshercousin'sanomaloussituationmightinvolveherin;thisimpulsehadabruptlyoverruledallscruplesandhesitations,andsenthimhurryingthroughtheredcorridorstothefarthersideofthehouse.
AsheenteredtheboxhiseyesmetMissWelland's,andhesawthatshehadinstantlyunderstoodhismotive,thoughthefamilydignitywhichbothconsideredsohighavirtuewouldnotpermithertotellhimso.
Thepersonsoftheirworldlivedinanatmosphereoffaintimplicationsandpaledelicacies,andthefactthatheandsheunderstoodeachotherwithoutawordseemedtotheyoungmantobringthemnearerthananyexplanationwouldhavedone.
Hereyessaid:"YouseewhyMammabroughtme,"andhisanswered:"Iwouldnotfortheworldhavehadyoustayaway."
"YouknowmynieceCountessOlenska?"Mrs.Wellandenquiredassheshookhandswithherfutureson–in–law.
Archerbowedwithoutextendinghishand,aswasthecustomonbeingintroducedtoalady;andEllenOlenskabentherheadslightly,keepingherownpale–glovedhandsclaspedonherhugefanofeaglefeathers.
HavinggreetedMrs.LovellMingott,alargeblondeladyincreakingsatin,hesatdownbesidehisbetrothed,andsaidinalowtone:"Ihopeyou'vetoldMadameOlenskathatwe'reengaged?
Iwanteverybodytoknow—Iwantyoutoletmeannounceitthiseveningattheball."
MissWelland'sfacegrewrosyasthedawn,andshelookedathimwithradianteyes.
"IfyoucanpersuadeMamma,"shesaid;"butwhyshouldwechangewhatisalreadysettled?"
Hemadenoanswerbutthatwhichhiseyesreturned,andsheadded,stillmoreconfidentlysmiling:"Tellmycousinyourself:Igiveyouleave.
Shesayssheusedtoplaywithyouwhenyouwerechildren."
Shemadewayforhimbypushingbackherchair,andpromptly,andalittleostentatiously,withthedesirethatthewholehouseshouldseewhathewasdoing,ArcherseatedhimselfattheCountessOlenska'sside.
"WeDIDusetoplaytogether,didn'twe?"
sheasked,turninghergraveeyestohis.
"Youwereahorridboy,andkissedmeoncebehindadoor;butitwasyourcousinVandieNewland,whoneverlookedatme,thatIwasinlovewith."
Herglancesweptthehorse–shoecurveofboxes.
"Ah,howthisbringsitallbacktome—Iseeeverybodyhereinknickerbockersandpantalettes,"shesaid,withhertrailingslightlyforeignaccent,hereyesreturningtohisface.
Agreeableastheirexpressionwas,theyoungmanwasshockedthattheyshouldreflectsounseemlyapictureoftheaugusttribunalbeforewhich,atthatverymoment,hercasewasbeingtried.
Nothingcouldbeinworsetastethanmisplacedflippancy;andheansweredsomewhatstiffly:"Yes,youhavebeenawayaverylongtime."
"Oh,centuriesandcenturies;solong,"shesaid,"thatI'msureI'mdeadandburied,andthisdearoldplaceisheaven;"which,forreasonshecouldnotdefine,struckNewlandArcherasanevenmoredisrespectfulwayofdescribingNewYorksociety.
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