Afloat and Ashore Part 33

"Very sensible distinctions, and such as are ent.i.tled to fair answers; at least the first. I do not call levity, amiability; nor mere const.i.tutional gaiety. Some of the seemingly most light-hearted women I have ever known, have been anything but amiable. There must be an unusual absence of selfishness,--a person must live less for herself, than others--or rather, must find her own happiness in the happiness of those she loves, to make a truly amiable woman. Heart and principle are at the bottom of what is truly amiable; though temperament and disposition undoubtedly contribute. As for the whom, your own sister Grace is a truly amiable young woman. I never knew her do anything to hurt another's feelings in my life."

"I suppose you will admit, sir, I cannot very well marry Grace?"

"I wish you could, with all my heart--yes, with all my heart! Were not you and Grace brother and sister, I should consider myself well quit of the responsibility of my guardianship, in seeing you man and wife."

"As that is out of the question, I am not without hopes you can mention another who will do just as well, so far as I am concerned."

"Well, there is this Miss Merton--though I do not know her well enough to venture absolutely on a recommendation. Now, I told Lucy, no later than yesterday, while we were on the river, and as you were pointing out to Miss Merton the forts in the Highlands, that I thought you would make one of the handsomest couples in the state--and, moreover, I told her--bless me, how this corn grows! The plants will be in ta.s.sel in a few days, and the crop must turn out most beneficent--truly, truly--there is a providence in all things; for, at first, I was for putting the corn on yonder hill-side, and the potatoes here; but old Hiram was led by some invisible agency to insist on this field for the corn, and the hill-side for the potatoes--and, now, look, and see what crops are in promise! Think of a n.i.g.g.e.r's blundering on such a thing?"

In 1802, even well-educated and well-intentioned clergymen had no scruples in saying "n.i.g.g.e.r."

"But, sir, you have quite forgotten to add what else you told Lucy?"

"True--true--it is very natural that you should prefer hearing me talk about Miss Merton, to hearing me talk about potatoes--I'll tell _that_ to Lucy, too, you may depend on it."

"I sincerely hope you will do no such thing, my dear sir," I cried, in no little alarm.

"Ah! that betrays guilt--consciousness, I should say; for what guilt can there be in a virtuous love?--and rely on it, both the girls shall know all about it. Lucy and I often talk over your matters, Miles; for she loves you as well as your own sister. Ah! my fine fellow, you blush at it, like a girl of sixteen! But, there is nothing to be ashamed of, and there is no occasion for blushes."

"Well, sir, letting my blushes--the blushes of a shipmaster!--but setting aside my blushes, for mercy's sake _what more_ did you tell Lucy?"

"What more? Why I told her how you had been on a desert island, quite alone as one might say, with Miss Merton, and how you had been at sea, living in the same cabin as it were, for nine months; and it would be wonderful--wonderful, indeed, if two so handsome young persons should not feel an attachment for each other. Country might make some difference, to be sure--"

"And station, sir?--What do you think would be the influence of the difference of station, also?"

"Station!--Bless me, Miles; what difference in station is there between you and Miss Merton; that it should cause any obstacle to your union?"

"You know what it is, sir, as well as I do myself. She is the daughter of an officer in the British army, and I am the master of a ship. You will admit, I presume, Mr. Hardinge, that there is such, a thing as a difference in station?"

"Beyond all question. It is exceedingly useful to remember it; and I greatly fear the loose appointments of magistrates and other functionaries, that are making round the country, will bring all our notions on such subjects into great confusion. I can understand that one man is as good as another in _rights_, Miles; but I cannot understand he is any _better_, because he happens to be uneducated, ignorant, or a blackguard."

Mr. Hardinge was a sensible man in all such distinctions, though so simple in connection with other matters.

"You can have no difficulty, however, in understanding that, in New York, for instance, I should not be considered the equal of Major Merton--I mean socially, altogether, and not in personal merit, or the claims which years give--and of course, not the equal of his daughter?"

"Why--yes--I know what you mean, now. There may be some little inequality in that sense, perhaps; but Clawbonny, and the ship, and the money at use, would be very apt to strike a balance."

"I am afraid not, sir. I should have studied law, sir, had I wished to make myself a gentleman."

"There are lots of vulgar fellows getting into the law, Miles--men who have not half your claims to be considered gentlemen. I hope you do not think I wished you and Rupert to study law in order to make gentlemen of you?"

"No, sir; it was unnecessary to take that step as regards Rupert, who was fully born in the station. Clergymen have a decided position all over the world, I believe; and then you are extremely well connected otherwise, Mr. Hardinge. Rupert has no occasion for such an a.s.sistance--with me it was a little different."

"Miles--Miles--this is a strange fancy to come over a young man in your situation--and who, I am afraid, has been the subject of envy, only too often, to Rupert!"

"If the truth were known, Mr. Hardinge, I dare say both Rupert and Lucy, in their secret hearts, think they possess advantages, in the way of social station, that do not belong to Grace and myself."

Mr. Hardinge looked hurt, and I was soon sorry that I had made this speech. Nor would I have the reader imagine that what I had said, proceeded in the least from that narrow selfish feeling, which, under the bl.u.s.tering pretension of equality, presumes to deny the existence of a very potent social fact; but simply from the sensitiveness of feelings, which, on this subject, were somewhat in danger of becoming morbid, through the agency of the most powerful pa.s.sion of the human heart--or, that which has well been called the master-pa.s.sion.

Nevertheless, Mr. Hardinge was much too honest a man to deny a truth, and much too sincere to wish even to prevaricate about it, however unpleasant it might be to acknowledge it, in all its unpleasant bearings.

"I now understand you, Miles; and it would be idle to pretend that there is not some justice in what you say, though I attach very little importance to it, myself. Rupert is not exactly what I could wish him to be in all things, and possibly _he_ may be c.o.xcomb enough, at times, to fancy he has this slight advantage over you,--but, as for Lucy, I'll engage she never thinks of you but as a second brother--and that she loves you exactly as she loves Rupert."

Mr. Hardinge's simplicity was of proof, and it was idle to think of making any impression on it. I changed the subject, therefore, and this was easily enough done, by beginning again to talk about the potatoes. I was far from being easy, nevertheless; for I could not avoid seeing that the good divine's restlessness might readily widen the little breach which had opened between his daughter and myself.

That day, at dinner, I discovered that Grace's winter in town had led to a sensible melioration of the domestic economy; most especially as related to the table. My father and mother had introduced some changes, which rendered the Clawbonny household affairs a little different from those of most other of the Ulster county families near our own cla.s.s; but their innovations, or improvements, or whatever they might be called, were far from being as decided as those introduced by their daughter. Nothing, perhaps, sooner denotes the condition of people, than the habits connected with the table. If eating and drinking be not done in a certain way, and a way founded in reason, too, as indeed are nearly all the customs of polished life, whatever may be the cant of the ultras of reason--but, if eating and drinking be not done in a certain way, your people of the world perceive it sooner than almost anything else.

There is, also, more of common sense and innate fitness, in the usages of the table, so long as they are not dependent on mere caprice, than in almost any other part of our deportment; for everybody must eat, and most persons choose to eat decently. I had been a little nervous on the subject of the Mertons, in connection with the Clawbonny table, I will confess; and great was my delight when I found the breakfast going off so well. As for the Major, himself by no means familiar with the higher cla.s.ses of his own country, he had that great stamp of a gentleman, simplicity; and he was altogether above the c.o.c.kney distinctions of eating and drinking; those about cheese and malt liquors, and such vulgar niceties; nor was he a man to care about the silver-forkisms; but he understood that portion of the finesse of the table which depended on reason and taste, and was accustomed to observe it. This I knew from near a twelve month's intercourse, and I had feared we might turn out to be a little too rustic.

Grace had made provisions against all this, with a tact and judgment for which I could have worshipped her. I knew the viands, the vegetables, and the wines would all be good of their kind, for in these we seldom failed; nor did I distrust the cookery, the _English_-descended families of the Middle States, of my cla.s.s, understanding that to perfection; but I feared we should fail in those little incidents of style and arrangement, and in the order of the service, that denote a well-regulated table. This is just what Grace had seen to; and I found that a great revolution had been quietly effected in this branch of our domestic economy during my absence; thanks to Grace's observations while at Mrs. Bradfort's.

Emily seemed pleased at dinner, and Lucy could again laugh and smile.

After the cloth was removed, the Major and Mr. Hardinge discussed a bottle of Madeira, and that too of a quality of which I had no reason to be ashamed; while we young people withdrew together to a little piazza, that was in the shade at that hour, and took seats, for a chat. Rupert was permitted to smoke, on condition that he would not approach within fifteen feet of the party. No sooner was this little group thus arranged, the three girls in a crescent, than I disappeared.

"Grace, I have not yet spoken to you of a necklace of pearls possessed by your humble servant," I cried, as my foot again touched the piazza.--"I would not say a word about it--"

"Yet, Lucy and I heard all about it--" answered Grace with provoking calmness, "but would not ask to see it, lest you should accuse us of girlish curiosity. We waited your high pleasure, in the matter."

"You and Lucy heard I had such a necklace!"

"Most unquestionably; I, Grace Wallingford, and she, Lucy Hardinge. I hope it is no infringement on the rights of Mr. Miles Clawbonny"--so the girls often called me, when they affected to think I was on my high-ropes--"I hope it is no infringement on the rights of Mr. Miles Clawbonny to say as much."

"And pray how _could_ you and Lucy know anything about it?"

"That is altogether another question; perhaps we may accord an answer, after we have seen the necklace."

"Miss Merton told us, Miles," said Lucy, looking at me with gentleness, for she saw I really wished an answer; and what could Lucy Hardinge ever refuse me, that was right in itself when she saw my feelings were really interested?

"Miss Merton? Then I have been betrayed, and the surprise I antic.i.p.ated is lost."

I was vexed, and my manner must have shown it in a slight degree. Emily coloured, bit her lip, and said nothing; but Grace made her excuses with more spirit than it was usual for _her_ to show.

"You are rightly punished, Master Miles," she cried; "for you had no business to antic.i.p.ate surprises. They are vulgar things at best, and they are worse than that when they come from a distance of fifteen thousand miles--from a brother to a sister. Besides, you have surprised us sufficiently once, already, in connection with Miss Merton."

"I!" I exclaimed.

"Me!" added Emily.

"Yes, I and me; did you tell us one word about her, in your letters?

and have you not now both surprised and delighted us, by making us acquainted with so charming a person? I can pardon such a surprise, on account of its consequences; but nothing so vulgar as a surprise about pearls."

Emily blushed now; and in her it was possible to tell the difference between a blush and the suffusion that arose from a different feeling; but she looked immensely superior to anything like explanations.

"Captain Wallingford"--how I disliked that _Captain_--"Captain Wallingford can have but little knowledge of young ladies," she said, coldly, "if he supposes such pearls as he possesses would not form the subject of their conversation."

I was c.o.xcomb enough to fancy Emily was vexed that I had neglected to be more particular about her being on the island, and her connection with the ship. This might have been a mistake; however.

"Let us see the pearls, Miles; and that will plead your apology," said Lucy.

"There, then--your charming eyes, young ladies, never looked on pearls like those, before."