Thoughtherewasalreadytalkoftheerection,inremotemetropolitandistances"abovetheForties,"ofanewOperaHousewhichshouldcompeteincostlinessandsplendourwiththoseofthegreatEuropeancapitals,theworldoffashionwasstillcontenttoreassembleeverywinterintheshabbyredandgoldboxesofthesociableoldAcademy.
Conservativescherisheditforbeingsmallandinconvenient,andthuskeepingoutthe"newpeople"whomNewYorkwasbeginningtodreadandyetbedrawnto;andthesentimentalclungtoitforitshistoricassociations,andthemusicalforitsexcellentacoustics,alwayssoproblematicaqualityinhallsbuiltforthehearingofmusic.
ItwasMadameNilsson'sfirstappearancethatwinter,andwhatthedailypresshadalreadylearnedtodescribeas"anexceptionallybrilliantaudience"hadgatheredtohearher,transportedthroughtheslippery,snowystreetsinprivatebroughams,inthespaciousfamilylandau,orinthehumblerbutmoreconvenient"Browncoupe."
TocometotheOperainaBrowncoupewasalmostashonourableawayofarrivingasinone'sowncarriage;anddeparturebythesamemeanshadtheimmenseadvantageofenablingone(withaplayfulallusiontodemocraticprinciples)toscrambleintothefirstBrownconveyanceintheline,insteadofwaitingtillthecold-and-gincongestednoseofone'sowncoachmangleamedundertheporticooftheAcademy.
Itwasoneofthegreatlivery-stableman'smostmasterlyintuitionstohavediscoveredthatAmericanswanttogetawayfromamusementevenmorequicklythantheywanttogettoit.
Therewasnoreasonwhytheyoungmanshouldnothavecomeearlier,forhehaddinedatseven,alonewithhismotherandsister,andhadlingeredafterwardoveracigarintheGothiclibrarywithglazedblack-walnutbookcasesandfinial-toppedchairswhichwastheonlyroominthehousewhereMrs.Archerallowedsmoking.
But,inthefirstplace,NewYorkwasametropolis,andperfectlyawarethatinmetropolisesitwas"notthething"toarriveearlyattheopera;andwhatwasorwasnot"thething"playedapartasimportantinNewlandArcher'sNewYorkastheinscrutabletotemterrorsthathadruledthedestiniesofhisforefathersthousandsofyearsago.
Hehaddawdledoverhiscigarbecausehewasatheartadilettante,andthinkingoverapleasuretocomeoftengavehimasubtlersatisfactionthanitsrealisation.
Thiswasespeciallythecasewhenthepleasurewasadelicateone,ashispleasuresmostlywere;andonthisoccasionthemomenthelookedforwardtowassorareandexquisiteinqualitythat—well,ifhehadtimedhisarrivalinaccordwiththeprimadonna'sstage-managerhecouldnothaveenteredtheAcademyatamoresignificantmomentthanjustasshewassinging:"Helovesme—helovesmenot—HELOVESME!
Shesang,ofcourse,"M'ama!"andnot"helovesme,"sinceanunalterableandunquestionedlawofthemusicalworldrequiredthattheGermantextofFrenchoperassungbySwedishartistsshouldbetranslatedintoItalianfortheclearerunderstandingofEnglish-speakingaudiences.
ThisseemedasnaturaltoNewlandArcherasalltheotherconventionsonwhichhislifewasmoulded:suchasthedutyofusingtwosilver-backedbrusheswithhismonograminblueenameltoparthishair,andofneverappearinginsocietywithoutaflower(preferablyagardenia)inhisbuttonhole.
,withafinalburstoflovetriumphant,asshepressedthedishevelleddaisytoherlipsandliftedherlargeeyestothesophisticatedcountenanceofthelittlebrownFaust-Capoul,whowasvainlytrying,inatightpurplevelvetdoubletandplumedcap,tolookaspureandtrueashisartlessvictim.
NewlandArcher,leaningagainstthewallatthebackoftheclubbox,turnedhiseyesfromthestageandscannedtheoppositesideofthehouse.
DirectlyfacinghimwastheboxofoldMrs.MansonMingott,whosemonstrousobesityhadlongsincemadeitimpossibleforhertoattendtheOpera,butwhowasalwaysrepresentedonfashionablenightsbysomeoftheyoungermembersofthefamily.
Onthisoccasion,thefrontoftheboxwasfilledbyherdaughter-in-law,Mrs.LovellMingott,andherdaughter,Mrs.Welland;andslightlywithdrawnbehindthesebrocadedmatronssatayounggirlinwhitewitheyesecstaticallyfixedonthestagelovers.AsMadameNilsson's"M'ama!"
thrilledoutabovethesilenthouse(theboxesalwaysstoppedtalkingduringtheDaisySong)awarmpinkmountedtothegirl'scheek,mantledherbrowtotherootsofherfairbraids,andsuffusedtheyoungslopeofherbreasttothelinewhereitmetamodesttulletuckerfastenedwithasinglegardenia.
Shedroppedhereyestotheimmensebouquetoflilies-of-the-valleyonherknee,andNewlandArchersawherwhite-glovedfinger-tipstouchtheflowerssoftly.
Noexpensehadbeensparedonthesetting,whichwasacknowledgedtobeverybeautifulevenbypeoplewhosharedhisacquaintancewiththeOperahousesofParisandVienna.
Inthemiddledistancesymmetricalmoundsofwoollygreenmossboundedbycroquethoopsformedthebaseofshrubsshapedlikeorange-treesbutstuddedwithlargepinkandredroses.
Giganticpansies,considerablylargerthantheroses,andcloselyresemblingthefloralpen-wipersmadebyfemaleparishionersforfashionableclergymen,sprangfromthemossbeneaththerose-trees;andhereandthereadaisygraftedonarose-branchfloweredwithaluxuriancepropheticofMr.LutherBurbank'sfar-offprodigies.
InthecentreofthisenchantedgardenMadameNilsson,inwhitecashmereslashedwithpalebluesatin,areticuledanglingfromabluegirdle,andlargeyellowbraidscarefullydisposedoneachsideofhermuslinchemisette,listenedwithdowncasteyestoM.Capoul'simpassionedwooing,andaffectedaguilelessincomprehensionofhisdesignswhenever,bywordorglance,hepersuasivelyindicatedthegroundfloorwindowoftheneatbrickvillaprojectingobliquelyfromtherightwing.
Andhecontemplatedherabsorbedyoungfacewithathrillofpossessorshipinwhichprideinhisownmasculineinitiationwasmingledwithatenderreverenceforherabysmalpurity.
"We'llreadFausttogether...bytheItalianlakes..."hethought,somewhathazilyconfusingthesceneofhisprojectedhoney-moonwiththemasterpiecesofliteraturewhichitwouldbehismanlyprivilegetorevealtohisbride.
ItwasonlythatafternoonthatMayWellandhadlethimguessthatshe"cared"(NewYork'sconsecratedphraseofmaidenavowal),andalreadyhisimagination,leapingaheadoftheengagementring,thebetrothalkissandthemarchfromLohengrin,picturedherathissideinsomesceneofoldEuropeanwitchery.
Hemeanther(thankstohisenlighteningcompanionship)todevelopasocialtactandreadinessofwitenablinghertoholdherownwiththemostpopularmarriedwomenofthe"youngerset,"inwhichitwastherecognisedcustomtoattractmasculinehomagewhileplayfullydiscouragingit.
Ifhehadprobedtothebottomofhisvanity(ashesometimesnearlydid)hewouldhavefoundtherethewishthathiswifeshouldbeasworldly-wiseandaseagertopleaseasthemarriedladywhosecharmshadheldhisfancythroughtwomildlyagitatedyears;without,ofcourse,anyhintofthefrailtywhichhadsonearlymarredthatunhappybeing'slife,andhaddisarrangedhisownplansforawholewinter.
Howthismiracleoffireandicewastobecreated,andtosustainitselfinaharshworld,hehadnevertakenthetimetothinkout;buthewascontenttoholdhisviewwithoutanalysingit,sinceheknewitwasthatofallthecarefully-brushed,white-waistcoated,button-hole-floweredgentlemenwhosucceededeachotherintheclubbox,exchangedfriendlygreetingswithhim,andturnedtheiropera-glassescriticallyonthecircleofladieswhoweretheproductofthesystem.
InmattersintellectualandartisticNewlandArcherfelthimselfdistinctlythesuperiorofthesechosenspecimensofoldNewYorkgentility;hehadprobablyreadmore,thoughtmore,andevenseenagooddealmoreoftheworld,thananyothermanofthenumber.
Singlytheybetrayedtheirinferiority;butgroupedtogethertheyrepresented"NewYork,"andthehabitofmasculinesolidaritymadehimaccepttheirdoctrineonalltheissuescalledmoral.
Heinstinctivelyfeltthatinthisrespectitwouldbetroublesome—andalsoratherbadform—tostrikeoutforhimself.
Hehadprobablydevotedmoretimethananyoneelsetothestudyofthisintricateandfascinatingquestion;butstudyalonecouldnotaccountforhiscompleteandeasycompetence.
Onehadonlytolookathim,fromtheslantofhisbaldforeheadandthecurveofhisbeautifulfairmoustachetothelongpatent-leatherfeetattheotherendofhisleanandelegantperson,tofeelthattheknowledgeof"form"mustbecongenitalinanyonewhoknewhowtowearsuchgoodclothessocarelesslyandcarrysuchheightwithsomuchlounginggrace.
Asayoungadmirerhadoncesaidofhim:"Ifanybodycantellafellowjustwhentowearablacktiewitheveningclothesandwhennotto,it'sLarryLefferts."
NewlandArcher,followingLefferts'sglance,sawwithsurprisethathisexclamationhadbeenoccasionedbytheentryofanewfigureintooldMrs.Mingott'sbox.
Itwasthatofaslimyoungwoman,alittlelesstallthanMayWelland,withbrownhairgrowinginclosecurlsabouthertemplesandheldinplacebyanarrowbandofdiamonds.
Thesuggestionofthisheaddress,whichgaveherwhatwasthencalleda"Josephinelook,"wascarriedoutinthecutofthedarkbluevelvetgownrathertheatricallycaughtupunderherbosombyagirdlewithalargeold-fashionedclasp.
Thewearerofthisunusualdress,whoseemedquiteunconsciousoftheattentionitwasattracting,stoodamomentinthecentreofthebox,discussingwithMrs.Wellandtheproprietyoftakingthelatter'splaceinthefrontright-handcorner;thensheyieldedwithaslightsmile,andseatedherselfinlinewithMrs.Welland'ssister-in-law,Mrs.LovellMingott,whowasinstalledintheoppositecorner.
Thewholeoftheclubturnedinstinctively,waitingtohearwhattheoldmanhadtosay;foroldMr.Jacksonwasasgreatanauthorityon"family"asLawrenceLeffertswason"form."
HeknewalltheramificationsofNewYork'scousinships;andcouldnotonlyelucidatesuchcomplicatedquestionsasthatoftheconnectionbetweentheMingotts(throughtheThorleys)withtheDallasesofSouthCarolina,andthatoftherelationshipoftheelderbranchofPhiladelphiaThorleystotheAlbanyChiverses(onnoaccounttobeconfusedwiththeMansonChiversesofUniversityPlace),butcouldalsoenumeratetheleadingcharacteristicsofeachfamily:as,forinstance,thefabulousstinginessoftheyoungerlinesofLeffertses(theLongIslandones);orthefataltendencyoftheRushworthstomakefoolishmatches;ortheinsanityrecurringineverysecondgenerationoftheAlbanyChiverses,withwhomtheirNewYorkcousinshadalwaysrefusedtointermarry—withthedisastrousexceptionofpoorMedoraManson,who,aseverybodyknew...butthenhermotherwasaRushworth.
Inadditiontothisforestoffamilytrees,Mr.SillertonJacksoncarriedbetweenhisnarrowhollowtemples,andunderhissoftthatchofsilverhair,aregisterofmostofthescandalsandmysteriesthathadsmoulderedundertheunruffledsurfaceofNewYorksocietywithinthelastfiftyyears.
Sofarindeeddidhisinformationextend,andsoacutelyretentivewashismemory,thathewassupposedtobetheonlymanwhocouldhavetoldyouwhoJuliusBeaufort,thebanker,reallywas,andwhathadbecomeofhandsomeBobSpicer,oldMrs.MansonMingott'sfather,whohaddisappearedsomysteriously(withalargesumoftrustmoney)lessthanayearafterhismarriage,ontheverydaythatabeautifulSpanishdancerwhohadbeendelightingthrongedaudiencesintheoldOpera-houseontheBatteryhadtakenshipforCuba.
Butthesemysteries,andmanyothers,werecloselylockedinMr.Jackson'sbreast;fornotonlydidhiskeensenseofhonourforbidhisrepeatinganythingprivatelyimparted,buthewasfullyawarethathisreputationfordiscretionincreasedhisopportunitiesoffindingoutwhathewantedtoknow.
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