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Nobody
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"You are too old to be made a fool of."
"Old enough to be wise, certainly."
"And you are too fastidious to be satisfied with anything short ofperfection; and then you fill too high a position in the world to marrya girl who is nobody."
"So?" – said Philip, using, which it always vexed his sister to have himdo, the half questioning, half admiring, wholly unattackable Germanexpression. "Then the person alluded to seemed to you something shortof perfection?"
"She is handsome," returned his sister; "she has a very handsome face; anybody can see that; but that does not make her your equal."
"Humph! – You suppose I can find that rare bird, my equal, do you?"
"Not there."
"What's the matter with her?"
"She is simply nobody."
"Seems to say a good deal," responded Philip. "I do not know justwhat it says."
"You know as well as I do! And she is unformed; unused to all the waysof the world; a mere novice in society."
"Part of that is soon mended," said Philip easily. "I heard your uncle,or Burrage's uncle, old Colonel Chauncey, last night declaring thatthere is not a girl in the city that has such manners as one of theMiss Lothrops; manners of 'mingled grace and dignity,' he said."
"That was the other one."
"That was the other one."
"She has been in New York before?"
"Yes."
"That was the one that Tom Caruthers was bewitched with?"
"Have you heard that story?" said Mr. Dillwyn dryly.
"Why shouldn't I hear it?"
"No reason, that I know. It is one of the 'ways of the world' youreferred to, to tell everything of everybody, – especially when it isnot true."
"Isn't that story true?"
"It has no inherent improbability. Tom is open to influences, and – " Hestopped.
"I know it is true; for Mrs. Caruthers told me herself."
"Poor Tom!" —
"It was very good for him, that the thing was put an end to. Butyou– you should fly at higher game than Tom Caruthers can strike,Philip."
"Thank you. There was no occasion for your special fear last night. Iam in no danger there. But I know a man, Jessie, – a man I think muchof, too, – who is very much drawn to one of those ladies. He hasconfessed as much to me. What advice shall I give him? He is a man thatcan please himself; he has abundant means, and no ties to encumber him."
"Does he hold as high a position as you?"
"Quite."
"And may pretend to as much?"
"He is not a man of pretensions. But, taking your words as they mean, Ishould say, yes."
"Is it any use to offer him advice?"
"I think he generally hears mine – if he is not too far gone insomething."
"Ah! – Well, Philip, tell him to think what he is doing."
"O, I have put that before him."
"He would make himself a great goose."
"Perhaps I ought to have some arguments wherewith to substantiate thatprophecy."
"He can see the whole for himself. Let him think of the fitness ofthings. Imagine such a girl set to preside over his house – a house likethis, for instance. Imagine her helping him receive his guests; sittingat the head of his table. Fancy it; a girl who has been accustomed tosanded floors, perhaps, and paper window-shades, and who has fed onpumpkins and pork all her life."
Mr. Dillwyn smiled, as his eye roved over what of his sister's house was visible from where he sat, and he remembered the meal-times in
Shampuashuh; he smiled, but his eye had more thought in it than Mrs.
Burrage liked. She was watching him.
"I cannot tell what sort of a house is in question in the presentcase," he said at length. "Perhaps it would not be a house like this."
"It ought to be a house like this."
"Isn't that an open question?"
"No! I am supposing that this man, your friend – Do I know him?"
"Do you not know everybody? But I have no permission to disclose hisname."
"And I do not care for it, if he is going to make a mésalliance; amarriage beneath him. Such marriages turn out miserably. A woman notfit for society drags her husband out of it; a woman who has notrefined tastes makes him gradually coarse; a woman with no connectionskeeps him from rising in life; if she is without education, she letsall the best part of him go to waste. In short, if he marries a nobodyhe becomes nobody too; parts with all his antecedents, and buries allhis advantages. It's social ruin, Philip! it is just ruin."
"If this man only does not prefer the bliss of ruining himself!" – saidher brother, rising and lightly stretching himself. Mrs. Burrage lookedat him keenly and doubtfully.
"There is no greater mistake a man can make, than to marry beneathhim," she went on.
"Yes, I think that too."
"It sinks him below his level; it is a weight round his neck; peopleafterwards, when he is mentioned say, – 'He married such a one, youknow;' and, 'Didn't he marry unfortunately?' – He is like depreciatedcoin. It kills him, Philip, politically."
"Old enough to be wise, certainly."
"And you are too fastidious to be satisfied with anything short ofperfection; and then you fill too high a position in the world to marrya girl who is nobody."
"So?" – said Philip, using, which it always vexed his sister to have himdo, the half questioning, half admiring, wholly unattackable Germanexpression. "Then the person alluded to seemed to you something shortof perfection?"
"She is handsome," returned his sister; "she has a very handsome face; anybody can see that; but that does not make her your equal."
"Humph! – You suppose I can find that rare bird, my equal, do you?"
"Not there."
"What's the matter with her?"
"She is simply nobody."
"Seems to say a good deal," responded Philip. "I do not know justwhat it says."
"You know as well as I do! And she is unformed; unused to all the waysof the world; a mere novice in society."
"Part of that is soon mended," said Philip easily. "I heard your uncle,or Burrage's uncle, old Colonel Chauncey, last night declaring thatthere is not a girl in the city that has such manners as one of theMiss Lothrops; manners of 'mingled grace and dignity,' he said."
"That was the other one."
"That was the other one."
"She has been in New York before?"
"Yes."
"That was the one that Tom Caruthers was bewitched with?"
"Have you heard that story?" said Mr. Dillwyn dryly.
"Why shouldn't I hear it?"
"No reason, that I know. It is one of the 'ways of the world' youreferred to, to tell everything of everybody, – especially when it isnot true."
"Isn't that story true?"
"It has no inherent improbability. Tom is open to influences, and – " Hestopped.
"I know it is true; for Mrs. Caruthers told me herself."
"Poor Tom!" —
"It was very good for him, that the thing was put an end to. Butyou– you should fly at higher game than Tom Caruthers can strike,Philip."
"Thank you. There was no occasion for your special fear last night. Iam in no danger there. But I know a man, Jessie, – a man I think muchof, too, – who is very much drawn to one of those ladies. He hasconfessed as much to me. What advice shall I give him? He is a man thatcan please himself; he has abundant means, and no ties to encumber him."
"Does he hold as high a position as you?"
"Quite."
"And may pretend to as much?"
"He is not a man of pretensions. But, taking your words as they mean, Ishould say, yes."
"Is it any use to offer him advice?"
"I think he generally hears mine – if he is not too far gone insomething."
"Ah! – Well, Philip, tell him to think what he is doing."
"O, I have put that before him."
"He would make himself a great goose."
"Perhaps I ought to have some arguments wherewith to substantiate thatprophecy."
"He can see the whole for himself. Let him think of the fitness ofthings. Imagine such a girl set to preside over his house – a house likethis, for instance. Imagine her helping him receive his guests; sittingat the head of his table. Fancy it; a girl who has been accustomed tosanded floors, perhaps, and paper window-shades, and who has fed onpumpkins and pork all her life."
Mr. Dillwyn smiled, as his eye roved over what of his sister's house was visible from where he sat, and he remembered the meal-times in
Shampuashuh; he smiled, but his eye had more thought in it than Mrs.
Burrage liked. She was watching him.
"I cannot tell what sort of a house is in question in the presentcase," he said at length. "Perhaps it would not be a house like this."
"It ought to be a house like this."
"Isn't that an open question?"
"No! I am supposing that this man, your friend – Do I know him?"
"Do you not know everybody? But I have no permission to disclose hisname."
"And I do not care for it, if he is going to make a mésalliance; amarriage beneath him. Such marriages turn out miserably. A woman notfit for society drags her husband out of it; a woman who has notrefined tastes makes him gradually coarse; a woman with no connectionskeeps him from rising in life; if she is without education, she letsall the best part of him go to waste. In short, if he marries a nobodyhe becomes nobody too; parts with all his antecedents, and buries allhis advantages. It's social ruin, Philip! it is just ruin."
"If this man only does not prefer the bliss of ruining himself!" – saidher brother, rising and lightly stretching himself. Mrs. Burrage lookedat him keenly and doubtfully.
"There is no greater mistake a man can make, than to marry beneathhim," she went on.
"Yes, I think that too."
"It sinks him below his level; it is a weight round his neck; peopleafterwards, when he is mentioned say, – 'He married such a one, youknow;' and, 'Didn't he marry unfortunately?' – He is like depreciatedcoin. It kills him, Philip, politically."
Другие электронные книги автора Susan Warner
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