English
Inthecourseofthenextdaythefirstoftheusualbetrothalvisitswereexchanged.
TheNewYorkritualwaspreciseandinflexibleinsuchmatters;andinconformitywithitNewlandArcherfirstwentwithhismotherandsistertocallonMrs.Welland,afterwhichheandMrs.WellandandMaydroveouttooldMrs.MansonMingott'storeceivethatvenerableancestress'sblessing.
AvisittoMrs.MansonMingottwasalwaysanamusingepisodetotheyoungman.
Thehouseinitselfwasalreadyanhistoricdocument,thoughnot,ofcourse,asvenerableascertainotheroldfamilyhousesinUniversityPlaceandlowerFifthAvenue.
Thosewereofthepurest1830,withagrimharmonyofcabbage–rose–garlandedcarpets,rosewoodconsoles,round–archedfire–placeswithblackmarblemantels,andimmenseglazedbook–casesofmahogany;whereasoldMrs.Mingott,whohadbuiltherhouselater,hadbodilycastoutthemassivefurnitureofherprime,andmingledwiththeMingottheirloomsthefrivolousupholsteryoftheSecondEmpire.
Itwasherhabittositinawindowofhersitting–roomonthegroundfloor,asifwatchingcalmlyforlifeandfashiontoflownorthwardtohersolitarydoors.
Sheseemedinnohurrytohavethemcome,forherpatiencewasequalledbyherconfidence.
Shewassurethatpresentlythehoardings,thequarries,theone–storysaloons,thewoodengreen–housesinraggedgardens,andtherocksfromwhichgoatssurveyedthescene,wouldvanishbeforetheadvanceofresidencesasstatelyasherown—perhaps(forshewasanimpartialwoman)evenstatelier;andthatthecobble–stonesoverwhichtheoldclatteringomnibusesbumpedwouldbereplacedbysmoothasphalt,suchaspeoplereportedhavingseeninParis.
Meanwhile,aseveryoneshecaredtoseecametoHER(andshecouldfillherroomsaseasilyastheBeauforts,andwithoutaddingasingleitemtothemenuofhersuppers),shedidnotsufferfromhergeographicisolation.
Theimmenseaccretionoffleshwhichhaddescendedonherinmiddlelifelikeafloodoflavaonadoomedcityhadchangedherfromaplumpactivelittlewomanwithaneatly–turnedfootandankleintosomethingasvastandaugustasanaturalphenomenon.
Shehadacceptedthissubmergenceasphilosophicallyasallherothertrials,andnow,inextremeoldage,wasrewardedbypresentingtohermirroranalmostunwrinkledexpanseoffirmpinkandwhiteflesh,inthecentreofwhichthetracesofasmallfacesurvivedasifawaitingexcavation.
Aflightofsmoothdoublechinsleddowntothedizzydepthsofastill–snowybosomveiledinsnowymuslinsthatwereheldinplacebyaminiatureportraitofthelateMr.Mingott;andaroundandbelow,waveafterwaveofblacksilksurgedawayovertheedgesofacapaciousarmchair,withtwotinywhitehandspoisedlikegullsonthesurfaceofthebillows.
TheburdenofMrs.MansonMingott'sfleshhadlongsincemadeitimpossibleforhertogoupanddownstairs,andwithcharacteristicindependenceshehadmadeherreceptionroomsupstairsandestablishedherself(inflagrantviolationofalltheNewYorkproprieties)onthegroundfloorofherhouse;sothat,asyousatinhersitting–roomwindowwithher,youcaught(throughadoorthatwasalwaysopen,andalooped–backyellowdamaskportiere)theunexpectedvistaofabedroomwithahugelowbedupholsteredlikeasofa,andatoilet–tablewithfrivolouslaceflouncesandagilt–framedmirror.
Hervisitorswerestartledandfascinatedbytheforeignnessofthisarrangement,whichrecalledscenesinFrenchfiction,andarchitecturalincentivestoimmoralitysuchasthesimpleAmericanhadneverdreamedof.
Thatwashowwomenwithloverslivedinthewickedoldsocieties,inapartmentswithalltheroomsononefloor,andalltheindecentpropinquitiesthattheirnovelsdescribed.
ItamusedNewlandArcher(whohadsecretlysituatedthelove–scenesof"MonsieurdeCamors"inMrs.Mingott'sbedroom)topictureherblamelesslifeledinthestage–settingofadultery;buthesaidtohimself,withconsiderableadmiration,thatifaloverhadbeenwhatshewanted,theintrepidwomanwouldhavehadhimtoo.
TothegeneralrelieftheCountessOlenskawasnotpresentinhergrandmother'sdrawing–roomduringthevisitofthebetrothedcouple.
Mrs.Mingottsaidshehadgoneout;which,onadayofsuchglaringsunlight,andatthe"shoppinghour,"seemedinitselfanindelicatethingforacompromisedwomantodo.
Butatanyrateitsparedthemtheembarrassmentofherpresence,andthefaintshadowthatherunhappypastmightseemtoshedontheirradiantfuture.
Thevisitwentoffsuccessfully,aswastohavebeenexpected.
OldMrs.Mingottwasdelightedwiththeengagement,which,beinglongforeseenbywatchfulrelatives,hadbeencarefullypasseduponinfamilycouncil;andtheengagementring,alargethicksapphiresetininvisibleclaws,metwithherunqualifiedadmiration.
"It'sthenewsetting:ofcourseitshowsthestonebeautifully,butitlooksalittlebaretoold–fashionedeyes,"Mrs.Wellandhadexplained,withaconciliatoryside–glanceatherfutureson–in–law.
"Old–fashionedeyes?Ihopeyoudon'tmeanmine,mydear?
Ilikeallthenovelties,"saidtheancestress,liftingthestonetohersmallbrightorbs,whichnoglasseshadeverdisfigured.
"Veryhandsome,"sheadded,returningthejewel;"veryliberal.
Inmytimeacameosetinpearlswasthoughtsufficient.
Butit'sthehandthatsetsoffthering,isn'tit,mydearMr.Archer?"
andshewavedoneofhertinyhands,withsmallpointednailsandrollsofagedfatencirclingthewristlikeivorybracelets.
"MinewasmodelledinRomebythegreatFerrigiani.
YoushouldhaveMay'sdone:nodoubthe'llhaveitdone,mychild.
Herhandislarge—it'sthesemodernsportsthatspreadthejoints—buttheskiniswhite.—Andwhen'stheweddingtobe?"
shebrokeoff,fixinghereyesonArcher'sface.
"Oh—"Mrs.Wellandmurmured,whiletheyoungman,smilingathisbetrothed,replied:"Assoonaseveritcan,ifonlyyou'llbackmeup,Mrs.Mingott."
"Wemustgivethemtimetogettoknoweachotheralittlebetter,mamma,"Mrs.Wellandinterposed,withtheproperaffectationofreluctance;towhichtheancestressrejoined:"Knoweachother?Fiddlesticks!
EverybodyinNewYorkhasalwaysknowneverybody.
Lettheyoungmanhavehisway,mydear;don'twaittillthebubble'soffthewine.
MarrythembeforeLent;Imaycatchpneumoniaanywinternow,andIwanttogivethewedding–breakfast."
Thesesuccessivestatementswerereceivedwiththeproperexpressionsofamusement,incredulityandgratitude;andthevisitwasbreakingupinaveinofmildpleasantrywhenthedooropenedtoadmittheCountessOlenska,whoenteredinbonnetandmantlefollowedbytheunexpectedfigureofJuliusBeaufort.
Therewasacousinlymurmurofpleasurebetweentheladies,andMrs.MingottheldoutFerrigiani'smodeltothebanker."Ha!Beaufort,thisisararefavour!"
(Shehadanoddforeignwayofaddressingmenbytheirsurnames.)
"Thanks.Iwishitmighthappenoftener,"saidthevisitorinhiseasyarrogantway.
"I'mgenerallysotieddown;butImettheCountessElleninMadisonSquare,andshewasgoodenoughtoletmewalkhomewithher."
"Ah—Ihopethehousewillbegayer,nowthatEllen'shere!"
criedMrs.Mingottwithagloriouseffrontery.
"Sitdown—sitdown,Beaufort:pushuptheyellowarmchair;nowI'vegotyouIwantagoodgossip.
Ihearyourballwasmagnificent;andIunderstandyouinvitedMrs.LemuelStruthers?
Well—I'veacuriositytoseethewomanmyself."
Shehadforgottenherrelatives,whoweredriftingoutintothehallunderEllenOlenska'sguidance.
OldMrs.MingotthadalwaysprofessedagreatadmirationforJuliusBeaufort,andtherewasakindofkinshipintheircooldomineeringwayandtheirshort–cutsthroughtheconventions.
NowshewaseagerlycurioustoknowwhathaddecidedtheBeaufortstoinvite(forthefirsttime)Mrs.LemuelStruthers,thewidowofStruthers'sShoe–polish,whohadreturnedthepreviousyearfromalonginitiatorysojourninEuropetolaysiegetothetightlittlecitadelofNewYork.
"OfcourseifyouandReginainviteherthethingissettled.
Well,weneednewbloodandnewmoney—andIhearshe'sstillverygood–looking,"thecarnivorousoldladydeclared.
Inthehall,whileMrs.WellandandMaydrewontheirfurs,ArchersawthattheCountessOlenskawaslookingathimwithafaintlyquestioningsmile.
"Ofcourseyouknowalready—aboutMayandme,"hesaid,answeringherlookwithashylaugh.
"ShescoldedmefornotgivingyouthenewslastnightattheOpera:Ihadherorderstotellyouthatwewereengaged—butIcouldn't,inthatcrowd."
ThesmilepassedfromCountessOlenska'seyestoherlips:shelookedyounger,moreliketheboldbrownEllenMingottofhisboyhood."OfcourseIknow;yes.AndI'msoglad.
Butonedoesn'ttellsuchthingsfirstinacrowd."
Theladieswereonthethresholdandsheheldoutherhand.
"Good–bye;comeandseemesomeday,"shesaid,stilllookingatArcher.
Inthecarriage,onthewaydownFifthAvenue,theytalkedpointedlyofMrs.Mingott,ofherage,herspirit,andallherwonderfulattributes.
NoonealludedtoEllenOlenska;butArcherknewthatMrs.Wellandwasthinking:"It'samistakeforEllentobeseen,theverydayafterherarrival,paradingupFifthAvenueatthecrowdedhourwithJuliusBeaufort—"andtheyoungmanhimselfmentallyadded:"Andsheoughttoknowthatamanwho'sjustengageddoesn'tspendhistimecallingonmarriedwomen.
ButIdaresayinthesetshe'slivedintheydo—theyneverdoanythingelse."
And,inspiteofthecosmopolitanviewsonwhichhepridedhimself,hethankedheaventhathewasaNewYorker,andabouttoallyhimselfwithoneofhisownkind.
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