elinor wyllys-2-第18章

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｛William　Shakespeare；　〃The　Taming　of　the　Shrew〃；　V。ii。102｝

THE　usual　evening　circle　had　collected　in　Miss　Wyllys's　parlour；　with　the　addition　of　Mary　Van　Alstyne；　who　had　just　arrived　from　Poughkeepsie；　and　Mrs。　St。　Leger。　Miss　Emma　Taylor　had　gone　to　a　concert　with　her　good…natured　brother…in…law；　and　a　couple　of　her　admirers。　Jane　and　her　sister…in…law；　Adeline；　were　sitting　together　in　a　corner；　talking　partly　about　their　babies；　partly　about　what　these　two　young　matrons　called　〃old　times；〃　that　is　to　say；　events　which　had　transpired　as　far　back　as　three　or　four　years　previously。　To　them；　however；　those　were　〃old　times；〃　for；　since　then；　the　hopes　and　fears；　cares　and　pleasures；　of　the　two　friends　were　much　changed。

Among　the　rest　of　the　party　the　conversation　became　more　general；　for　Elinor　had　just　finished　a　song；　and　Mr。　Wyllys　had　just　beaten　Mrs。　Creighton　at　a　game　of　chess。

〃Mr。　Hazlehurst；　pray　what　have　you　done　with　my　saya　y　manto？〃　asked　the　pretty　widow；　taking　a　seat　at　the　side　of　Elinor；　on　a　sofa。　〃Here　have　you　been；　three；　four；　five　days；　and　I　have　not　even　alluded　to　it；　which；　you　must　observe　is　a　great　act　of　forbearance　in　a　lady；　when　there　is　a　piece　of　finery　in　question。〃

｛〃saya　y　manto〃　=　skirt　and　cloak　（Spanish）｝

〃I　am　really　ashamed　of　myself　for　not　having　reported　it　safe　at　Philadelphia；　before。　I　would　not　send　it　to　your　house；　when　I　heard　you　were　here；　for　I　wished　to　deliver　it　in　person；　and　I　did　not　bring　it　with　me；　because　Mrs。　Hazlehurst　told　me　it　was　too　warm　for　a　fashionable　lady　to　wear　anything　as　heavy　as　black　silk　for　the　next　three　months。〃

〃Well；　of　course　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　the　trouble　you　have　had　with　it；　but　I　shall　defer　thanking　you　formally；　until　I　find　out　whether　it　is　becoming　or　not。〃

〃Do　you　expect　to　make　a　very　captivating　Spaniard？〃　asked　Mr。　Stryker。

〃I　shall　do　my　best；　certainly；　but　I　shall　leave　you　to　decide　how　far　I　succeed；　Mr。　Stryker。　Are　the　Brazilian　women　pretty；　Mr。　Hazlehurst？what　do　they　look　like？〃

〃Very　like　Portuguese；〃　was　the　answer。

〃More　than　the　Americans　look　like　the　English？〃　inquired　Elinor。

〃Far　more；〃　said　Harry；　〃but　you　know　there　is　less　difference　between　the　climates　of　Brazil　and　Portugal；　than　between　ours　and　that　of　England。〃

〃For　my　part；〃　observed　Mr。　Ellsworth；　〃I　do　not　think　we　look　in　the　least　like　the　Englishneither　men　nor　women。　We　are　getting　very　fast　to　have　a　decided　physiognomy　of　our　own。　I　think　I　could　pick　out　an　American　from　among　a　crowd　of　Europeans；　almost　as　soon　as　I　could　a　Turk。〃

〃You　always　piqued　yourself；　Ellsworth；　upon　having　a　quick　eye　for　national　characteristics。　We　used　to　try　him　very　often；　when　we　were　in　Europe；　Mrs。　Creighton；　and　I　must　do　him　the　justice　to　say　he　seldom　failed。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　know　all　Frank's　opinions　on　the　subject；〃　replied　Mrs。　Creighton：　〃it　is　quite　a　hobby　with　him。〃

〃What　do　you　think　are　the　physical　characteristics　of　the　Americans；　as　compared　with　our　English　kinsmen？〃　inquired　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃We　are　a　darker；　a　thinner；　and　a　paler　people。　The　best　specimens　of　the　English　have　the　advantage　in　manliness　of　form　and　carriage；　the　American　is　superior　in　activity；　in　the　expression　of　intelligence　and　energy　in　the　countenance。　The　English　peculiarities　in　their　worst　shape　are；　coarseness　and　heaviness　of　form；　a　brutal；　dull　countenance；　the　worst　peculiarities　among　the　Americans　are；　an　apparent　want　of　substance　in　the　form；　and　a　cold；　cunning　expression　of　features。　I　used　often　to　wonder；　when　travelling　in　Europe；　particularly　in　France　and　Germany；　at　the　number　of　heavy　forms　and　coarse　features；　which　strike　one　so　often　there；　even　among　the　women；　and　which　are　so　very　uncommon　in　America。〃

〃Yes；　that　brutal　coarseness　of　features；　which　stood　for　the　model　of　the　old　Satyrs；　is　scarcely　to　be　met　in　this　country；　though　by　no　means　uncommon　in　many　parts　of　Europe；〃　observed　Hazlehurst。

〃I　was　very　much　struck　the　other　evening；　at　the　dance；　with　the　appearance　of　the　women；〃　continued　Mr。　Ellsworth。　〃Not　that　they　are　so　brilliant　in　their　beautyone　sees　beautiful　women　in　every　country；　but　they　are　so　peculiarly　feminine；　and　generally　pretty；　as　a　whole。　By　room…fulls；　en　masse；　they　appear　to　more　advantage　I　think；　than　any　other　women；　the　general　effect　is　very　seldom　broken　by　coarseness　of　face；　or　unmanageable　awkwardness　of　form。〃

〃Yes；　you　are　right；〃　said　Mr。　Stryker。　〃There　is　a　vast　deal　of　prettiness；　and　very　little　repulsive　ugliness　among　the　women　in　this　country。　But　it　strikes　me　they　are　inclining　a　little　too　much　to　the　idea；　just　now；　that　all　the　beauty　in　the　world　is　collected　in　these　United　States；　which；　as　we　all　know　is　rather　a　mistaken　opinion。〃

〃Certainly；　that　would　be　an　extremely　ridiculous　notion。〃

〃You　think　delicacy　then；　the　peculiar　characteristic　of　American　beauty？〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃Yes；　sir；　but　I　could　point　out　others；　too。　Brown　hair　and　hazel　eyes　are　another　common　feature　in　American　beauty。　If　you　look　over　the　pretty　women　of　your　acquaintance；　you　will　find　that　the　case　I　think。〃

〃Like　Mrs。　Creighton's；〃　said　Elinor；　smiling。

〃No；　Josephine's　features　are　not　sufficiently　regular　for　a　beauty；〃　said　her　brother；　good…naturedly。

〃I　shan't　get　a　compliment　from　Frank；　Miss　Wyllys；〃　replied　the　widow；　shaking　her　head。　〃I　agree　with　him；　though；　about　the　brown…haired　beauties；　for；　I　once　took　the　trouble　to　count　over　my　acquaintances；　and　I　found　a　great　many　that　answered　his　description。　I　think　it　the　predominating　colour　among　us。　I　am　certainly　included　in　the　brown　tribe　myself；　and　so　are　you；　Miss　Wyllys。〃

〃As　far　as　the　colour　of　my　hair　goes；〃　replied　Elinor；　with　a　smile　which　seemed　to　say；　talk　on；　I　have　no　feeling　on　the　subject　of　my　plain　face。　One　or　two　persons　present　had　actually　paused；　thinking　the　conversation　was　taking　an　unfortunate　turn；　as　one　of　the　ladies　present　was　undeniably　wanting　in　beauty。　To　encourage　the　natural　pursuit　of　the　subject；　Elinor　remarked　that；　〃light　hair　and　decidedly　blue　eyes；　like　Mrs。　St。　Leger's；　are　not　so　very　common；　certainly；　nor　true　black　hair　and　eyes　like　your's；　Jane。〃

〃You　are　almost　as　much　given　to　compliments；　Miss　Wyllys；　as　I　am；〃　said　Mrs。　Creighton；　〃I　have　to　say　a　saucy　thing　now　and　then；　by　way　of　variety。〃

〃The　saucy　speeches　are　for　your　own　satisfaction；　no　doubt；　and　the　compliments　for　that　of　your　friends；　I　suppose；〃　replied　Elinor；　smiling　a　little　archly；　for　she　had　very　good　reasons　for　mistrusting　the　sincerity　of　either　mode　of　speech　from　the　lips　of　the　gay　widow；　whom；　for　that　very　reason；　she　liked　much　less　than　her　brother。

〃Do　you　really　think　me　too　severe？wait　till　we　are　better　acquainted！〃

〃I　shall　always　think　you　very　charming；〃　replied　Elinor；　with　her　usual　frank　smile；　for；　in　fact；　she　admired　Mrs。　Creighton　quite　as　much　as　the　rest　of　the　world。　And　then　observing　that　Mr。　Ellsworth　was　listening　to　their　conversation；　she　turned　to　him　and　asked；　if　the　true　golden　hair；　so　much　admired　by　the　Italian　poets；　and　so　often　sung　by　them；　were　still　common　in　Italy？

〃Judging　from　books　and　pictures；　I　should　think　it　must　have　been　much　more　common　some　centuries　ago　than　at　the　present　day；　for；　certainly；　there　is　not　one　Italian　woman　in　a　hundred；　who　has　not　very　decidedly　black　hair　and　eyes。　I　remember　once　in　a　translation　from　English　into　Italian；　I　used　the　expression　'grey　eyes；'　which　diverted　my　master　very　much：　he　insisted　upon　it；　there　was　no　'such　thing　in　nature；'　and　even　after　I　had　reminded　him　of　Napoleon；　he　would　not　believe　the　Emperor's　eyes　were　not　black。　He　was　a　thorough　Italian；　of　course；　and　knew　nothing　of　the　northern　languages；　or　he　would　have　met　with　the　expression　before。〃

〃Let　me　tell　you；　Ellsworth；〃　said　Harry；　after　a　short　pause　in　the　conversation；　〃that　it　is　very　pleasant　to　pass　an　agreeable　evening　in　this　way；　chatting　with　old　friends。　You　have　no　idea　how　much　I　enjoy　it　after　a　three　years'　exile！〃

〃I　can　readily　believe　it。〃

〃No；　I　don't　think　you　understand　it　at　all。　It　is　true　you　were　rov