elinor wyllys-2-第16章

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〃And　how　did　you　leave　the　Mediterranean；　sir？〃　asked　Mr。　Stryker；　in　a　dry　tone。　〃Was　the　sea　in　good　looks？〃

〃As　blue　as　ever。　I　am　only　afraid　my　friends　in　this　country　will　not　believe　the　colour　I　have　given　it　in　my　sketches。〃

〃We　are　bound　to　believe　all　your　representations　of　water；〃　remarked　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃I　hope　you　have　brought　back　a　great　deal　for　us　to　see；　have　you　anything　with　you　here？〃　asked　Elinor。

〃Only　my　sketch…book。　I　would　not　bring　anything　else；　for　I　must　get　rid　of　my　recollections　of　Italy。　I　must　accustom　my　eye　again　to　American　nature；　I　have　a　great　deal　to　do　with　Lake　George；　this　summer。〃

〃But　you　must　have　something　in　New　York；〃　said　Miss　Wyllys。

〃Yes；　I　have　brought　home　with　me　samples　of　water；　from　some　of　the　most　celebrated　lakes　and　rivers　in　Europe。〃

〃That　is　delightful；〃　said　Elinor；　〃and　when　can　we　see　them？〃

〃As　soon　as　they　are　unpacked；　I　shall　be　very　happy　to　show　them　to　my　friends。　They　will　probably　interest　you　on　account　of　the　localities；　and　I　have　endeavoured　to　be　as　faithful　to　nature　as　I　could；　in　every　instance。　You　will　find　several　views　familiar　to　you；　among　the　number；〃　added　Charlie；　addressing　Hazlehurst。

〃I　have　no　doubt　that　you　have　done　them　justice。〃

〃They　are　far　from　being　as　good　as　I　could　wish；　but　I　did　my　best。　You　will　find　some　improvement；　sir；　I　hope；〃　added　Charlie；　turning　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃since　my　first　attempt　at　Chewattan　Lake；　in　the　days　of　Compound　Interest。〃

〃You　have　not　forgotten　your　old　enemy；　the　Arithmetic；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　smiling。　〃I　am　afraid　Fortune　will　never　smile　upon　you　for　having　deserted　from　the　ranks　of　trade。〃

〃I　am　not　sure　of　that；　sir；　she　is　capricious；　you　know。〃

〃I　should　think　you　would　do　well；　Charlie；　to　try　your　luck　just　now；　by　an　exhibition　of　your　pictures。〃

〃My　uncle　has　already　proposed　an　exhibition；　but　I　doubt　its　success；　our　people　don't　often　run　after　good　pictures；〃　he　added；　smiling。　〃If　I　had　brought　with　me　some　trash　from　Paris　or　Leghorn；　I　might　have　made　a　mint　of　money。〃

A　general　conversation　continued　until　the　party　returned　towards　the　hotels。　They　were　met；　as　they　approached　Congress　Hall；　by　several　persons；　two　of　whom　proved　to　be　Mrs。　Hilson；　and　Miss　Emmeline　Hubbard。　Charlie　had　already　seen　his　cousins　in　New　York；　and　he　merely　bowed　in　passing。　Miss　Emmeline　was　leaning　on　the　arm　of　M。　Bonnet；　Mrs。　Hilson　on　that　of　another　Frenchman；　whose　name；　as　the　〃Baron　Adolphe　de　Montbrun；〃　had　been　constantly　on　her　lips　during　the　last　few　weeks；　or　in　other　words；　ever　since　she　had　made　his　acquaintance。　Charlie　kept　his　eye　fixed　on　this　individual；　with　a　singular　expression　of　surprise　and　vexation；　until　he　had　passed。　He　thought　he　could　not　be　mistaken；　that　his　cousin's　companion　was　no　other　than　a　man　of　very　bad　character；　who　had　been　in　Rome　at　the　same　time　with　himself；　and　having　married　the　widow　of　an　Italian　artist；　a　sister　of　one　of　Hubbard's　friends；　had　obtained　possession　of　her　little　property；　and　then　deserted　her。　The　whole　affair　had　taken　place　while　Charlie　was　in　Rome；　and　it　will　readily　be　imagined　that　he　felt　no　little　indignation；　when　he　met　a　person　whom　he　strongly　suspected　of　being　this　very　chevalier　d'industrie；　flourishing　at　Saratoga；　by　the　side　of　his　uncle　Joseph's　daughter。

｛〃chevalier　d'industrie〃　=　con　man；　swindler；　man　who　lives　by　his　wits　（French）｝

Charlie　had　no　sooner　left　the　Wyllyses　on　the　piazza　at　Congress　Hall；　than　he　proceeded　to　make　some　inquiry　about　this　Frenchman。　He　found　his　name　down　in　the　books　of　the　hotel；　as　the　Baron　Adolphe　de　Montbrun；　which　with　the　exception　of　ALPHONSE　for　the　first　name；　was　the　appellation　of　the　very　man　who　had　behaved　so　badly　at　Rome。　He　went　to　Mrs。　Hilson；　and　told　her　his　suspicions；　but　they　had　not　the　least　effect　on　the　〃city　lady；〃　she　would　not　believe　them。　Charlie　had　no　positive　proof　of　what　he　asserted；　he　could　not　be　confident　beyond　a　doubt　as　to　the　identity　of　this　person　and　the　Montbrun　of　the　Roman　story；　for　he　had　only　seen　that　individual　once　in　Italy。　Still；　he　was　convinced　himself；　and　he　entreated　his　cousin　to　be　on　her　guard；　the　effect　of　his　representations　may　be　appreciated　from　the　fact；　that　Mrs。　Hilson　became　more　amiable　than　ever　with　the　Baron；　while　she　was　pouting　and　sulky　with　Charlie；　scarcely　condescending　to　notice　him　at　all。　Hubbard　only　remained　twenty…four　hours　at　Saratoga；　for　he　was　on　his　way　to　Lake　George；　before　he　left　the　Springs；　however；　he　hinted　to　Mr。　Wyllys　his　suspicions　of　this　Montbrun；　in　order　to　prevent　that　individual's　intruding　upon　the　ladies　of　the　Wyllys　party；　for　Mrs。　Hilson　delighted　in　introducing　him　right　and　left。　As　for　her　other　companion；　M。　Bonnet；　he　was　known　to　be　a　respectable　merchant　in　New　York。

Several　days　passed；　during　which　our　friends　at　Saratoga；　like　the　rest　of　the　world　there；　walked；　and　rode；　and　drank　the　waters；　and　seemed　to　pass　their　time　very　pleasantly；　although　the　ladies　did　not　either　dress　or　flirt　as　much　as　many　of　their　companions；　who　seemed　to　look　upon　these　two　occupations　as　the　peculiar　business　of　the　place。　Jane's　spirits　improved　very　much；　there　was　much　curiosity　to　see　her；　on　account　of　her　reputation　as　a　beauty；　but；　like　the　rest　of　her　party；　she　was　only　occasionally　in　the　public　rooms。

〃Have　you　seen　the　beautiful　Mrs。　Taylor？〃〃I　caught　a　glimpse　of　Mrs。　Taylor；　the　great　beauty；　this　morning〃What；　the　beautiful　Jane　Graham　that　was？　is　she　as　lovely　as　ever？〃were　remarks　that　were　frequently　heard　in　the　crowd。

Elinor　also　came　in　for　her　share　of　the　public　notice；　and　the　attention　she　attracted　was；　of　course；　of　a　directly　opposite　character。　There　happened　to　be　staying　at　Congress　Hall；　just　then；　a　very　pretty　young　lady；　from　Savannah；　who　was　also　considered　a　great　fortune；　she　was　known　as　the　〃lovely　heiress；〃　while　Elinor；　in　contradistinction；　was　spoken　of　as　the　〃ugly　heiress。〃

〃Do　you　know；〃　said　a　young　lady；　standing　on　the　piazza　one　evening；　〃I　have　not　yet　seen　the　ugly　heiress。　I　should　like　to　get　a　peep　at　her；　is　she　really　so　very　ugly？〃　she　continued；　addressing　a　young　man　at　her　side。

〃Miss　Wyllys；　you　mean；　a　perfect　frightugly　as　sin；〃　replied　the　gentleman。

Elinor；　at　the　very　moment；　was　standing　immediately　behind　the　speakers；　and　Mr。　Ellsworth；　who　was　talking　to　her；　was　much　afraid　she　had　heard　the　remark。　To　cut　short　the　conversation；　he　immediately　addressed　her　himself；　raising　his　voice　a　little；　and　calling　her　by　name。

The　young　lady　was　quite　frightened；　when　she　found　the　〃ugly　heiress〃　was　her　near　neighbour；　and　even　the　dandy　was　abashed；　but　Elinor　herself　was　rather　amused　with　the　circumstance；　and　she　smiled　at　the　evident　mortification　of　the　speakers。　Never　was　there　a　woman　more　free　from　personal　vanity　than　Elinor　Wyllys；　and　she　was　indifferent　to　remarks　of　this　kind；　to　a　degree　that　would　seem　scarcely　credible　to　that　class　of　young　ladies；　who　think　no　sound　so　delightful　as　that　of　a　compliment。　On　the　evening　in　question；　the　piazzas　were　crowded　with　the　inmates　of　the　hotels；　those　who　had　feeling　for　the　beauties　of　nature；　and　those　who　had　not；　came　out　alike；　to　admire　an　unusual　effect　of　moonlight　upon　a　fine　mass　of　clouds。　Elinor　was　soon　aware　that　she　was　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Mrs。　Hilson　and　her　sister；　by　the　silly　conversation　they　were　keeping　up　with　their　companions。　These　Longbridge　ladies　generally　kept　with　their　own　party；　which　was　a　large　one。　The　Wyllyses　were　not　sorry　that　they　seldom　met；　for；　little　as　they　liked　the　sisters；　they　wished　always　to　treat　them　civilly；　on　account　of　their　father。　The　English　art　of　〃cutting〃　is；　indeed；　little　practised　in　America；　except　in　extreme　cases；　all　classes　are　too　social　in　their　feelings　and　habits　to　adopt　it。　It　is；　indeed；　an　honourable　characteristic　of　those　who　occupy　the　highest　social　position　in　Americathose　who　have　received；　in　every　respect；　the　best　education　in　the　countrythat；　as　a　class；　they　are　free　from　the　little；　selfish；　ungenerous　feeling　of　mere　exclusiveism。

〃Oh；　here　you　are；　Miss　Wy