Ki I mi i mi mDi 3AINn-3l\V ^ o ^ %J13AINn]WV^ ^\^l■LIBRARYQr ^ ^•{/OJIIVJJO'^ ^ CAIIFO/?^ ^ Jrtf I ^\^EUNIVERS/^ CO 7i I 1 — i ■3:: CI- AIN(1]UV -< ^^l■LIBRARYac. ^,^^lllBRARYQ^ ^ 30 ^^\^EUNIVER^/^ ^ ^TilJONVSOl^ iANCElfj> so -< ^OF-CAIIFO% ,^,OFCALIFO%, .^WE■UNIVERS/^ vr .^ % =0 C ^^Awjjan-^^ "^yomnw^"^ %i3onvsoi^^ "^ BRARYQ/^ ^\\E•UNIVER5•/^ ■<. cc £9 ^vWSANCElfj> o ^ ^;^ILIBRARYQ^ ^n> "^/^aaAiNn-j^w^ ^.i/ojiivdjo-^ ^ :A[IFOfi>/^ ^MEUNIVERV// ^vWSANGELfx^ vaaiH^ -< >- ^lOSANCElfj> ^^ILIBRARYQ/: %a3AiNn-3WV^ %oi\mi^'^ S^ OQ — v>:lOSANCElfj> ^OFCAIIF0% ■cWSANCElfj> -< '^Aa3AiNn3WV^ >^tLIBRARY(?/^ ^^mmy\^ o (JO c-5 . s; ^^ME•UNIVER% ^ ^lOSANCElfx^ O u_ ^ droll to think what I said to your Lady last evening, Major ; why she must have thought I was a witch to be sure." " What did you say to her, Madam ?" de- manded he, with every appearance of eager curiosity " What, then," said Mrs. Beauchamp, " she never mentioned to you ? — she never told you, that I had been talking exactly of such a book as what you have now been speaking of, and IN AMERICA. 157 saying what an outrageous beautiful success it was sure to have in the Union, if it was but written with decent attention to truth, and such a conformity to the merits of the country as the in-dwellers in it, who everybody must allow are the only proper judges, would be likely to approve? Did not your Lady say anything abcfut this, Major?" " No, not a word," he replied. " Dear me ! how very odd." "Not the least odd in the world, my dear Lady," he replied, " as you would be ready to allow, did you know Mrs. Allen Barnaby better. She has so much delicate reserve about her on every point at aU relative to her literary pursuits, that I am persuaded nothing could have pre- vailed upon her to touch upon the subject. " My ! How unaccountably remarkable that a lady of such first-rate smart talents should be so uncommon shy about it ! But it seems to me. Sir, as if what you was so kind as to mention just now, could never come to pass, I mean as regarding any use I might be of about making her take a right view of things. How will she ever be . able to abide my telling her 158 THE BART^ABYS that I know what she is about ?" demanded the anxious female patriot. " Your question, my dear Mrs. Beauchamp, enables me, while I reply to it, to give you another characteristic trait of my admirable wife — ^you must forgive my calling her so. The fact is, that exactly in proportion as she avoids all allusion to her own great Hterary success with all who are incapable of assisting her efforts, she sedulously cultivates every possible opportu- nity of entering into discussion with those whom she imagines can give her any species of infor- mation on the themes about which she is en- gaged. Doubt not, therefore, that if you will have the excessive kindness to give her the advantage of your knowledge of the country and its inhabitants, she will not only enter with you on the subject with the most open- hearted frankness, but will listen to every word you utter with equal respect and gratitude ; and thus, my dearest Lady, you will be the means of at length sending into the world such a work upon the United States of America as may safely be depended on as authentic." . — 1' Then I wish I may be flogged like a nigger IN AMERICA. 159 if I don't devote myself to the business, body and soul !" replied Mrs. Beauchamp, her whole countenance kindling with patriotic energy. " Mrs. AUen Barnaby has nothing to do, but just to say when she wants me, and I'll be ready to give up aU the frolics in creation, rather than not be ready to go to her. Yes, major, / pleese Heaven, the Stars and the Stripes shall have justice done to them at last ! Let your lady only do as you say and mind me, and all that I have got to teU her, and if her book don't prove to her worth a precious deal more than its weight in gold, then say that I am a false-hearted woman, and send me to the Penitentiary." Major AUen Barnaby felt that if he talked all day he could add nothing to the impression he had already made ; he therefore rose, and took a most respectful leave, saying that he should immediately announce to his fortunate wife the happiness that awaited her. While this conversation had been going on at one end of the long balcony, a Ute-a-Ute equally exclusive was proceeding at the other. Annie Beauchamp, who had taken her mother's arm as they left the breakfast-room, retained it 160 THE BARNABYS till they reached the balcony : but there she dropped it, because Mrs. Beauchamp walked towards a seat which had no orange-tree in full flower near it ; and therefore the young lady turned her steps the other way, and seated her- self where one of these fragrant shrubs was in the greatest Malaprop perfection. Perhaps, Major Allen Barnaby's being at her mother's side, might have made this movement rather more decided than it would have been without it : for Annie, too, was a patriot, and though a kind-hearted and sweet-tempered girl in other respects, certainly nourished, ay, and carefully nourished too, a pretty considerable strong preju- dice and dislike, not only to the whole English nation in general, but to each and all of the unfortunate individuals from that country with whom she had ever made acquaintance. In fact, if a stranger were presented to her, it was enough for Annie to know that he was an Englishman, in order to set all her faculties to work, in order " to read him backwards." If such a one, enchanted by her Y^ry uncom- mon beauty, inadvertently permitted his eye to rest for a moment on her lovely face, " he was IN AMERICA. 161 the most ill-bred and impertinent of men." Did an English traveller venture to mention any beauty either of nature, or of art, that he had left behind him, she would exclaim to her neighbour, " Only listen to him ! Can you conceive any thing more absurd and insufferable? Instead of epiploying his time in examining our glorious and unequalled country, there he sits, you see, talking of his own! Poor, paltry, miserable, little atom of an island as it is !" If her beautiful eyes beheld a tail Englishman, " he looked like the mast of a ship" — if a short one encountered the same doubtful blessing, "he was a caricature of Tom Thumb" — if gracious and graceful as the ApoUo, she was " convinced he must be a dancing-master ;" and if his conversation betrayed any traces of learn- ing, she would exclaim to her nearest friend, " Oh ! for mercy's sake take me out of hearing of that odious school-master. I am as certain as that I live that he comes from one of those hateful abysses of superstition and slavery that they call Oxford and Cambridge ! — the very sight of him makes me iU !" 162 THE BARNABYS Such being the state of her feelings, it was not very surprising that she preferred her favourite orange-tree to being seated near Major Allen Barnaby. But if Annie's chief motive for the preference, was simply gettir.g out of the way of an Eng- lishman, she was unlucky ; for scarcely had she placed herself at her ease, with a little tabouret for her pretty feet, and a cushion for her elbow to rest upon, than Mr. Egerton not only an Englishman, but a Cantab to boot, had the audacity to approach her. Now, to say the truth, Mr. Egerton, notwithstanding talents of a very high order, excellent principles, and a heart replete with a multitude of amiable qualities, was fuUy as much under the influence of preju- dice as Annie Beauchamp herself. In common with a multitude of young Eng- lishmen, whose ripening faculties during the last ten years have enabled them to look on upon the perilous political drama which has been performing, with clear judgment, and views un- obscured by early preconceptions of any kind, Mr. Egerton, in common with a vast majority of these sages of his own age, felt too deep-rooted IN AMERICA. 163 a reverence for the monarchical institutions of his own country, to tolerate the antagonist princi- ples so loudly vaunted throughout the United States of America. Moreover he was deeply convinced of the political, as well as of the rehgious necessity of an established faith, for the perfect working of the social contract which binds men together under one government, , , -^ Moreover again, the system of slavery was ab- \/ horrent to every feeling and faculty of his head, heart, and soul. Moreover again, he was greatly disposed to misdoubt the honesty — public and individual — of any country where bankruptcy — public and individual — was a matter of constant recurrence and constant indifference. Moreover again, he exceedingly disliked listening to the human voice, when it came to him through the nose of the speaker; and finally, approved no dialect of English, but that which was held to be the standard language of his native land. With all these, so " strong against the deed," it may seem strange that the young man, after having weU-nigh satiated himself with travel, through pretty nearly every country in Europe, should have taken it into his head to cross 164 THE BARNABYS the Atlantic in order to visit the land he did not love, instead of enjoying the noble fortune and beautiful residence which he had inherited in that which he did. But the wisest and best among us have their whims, and this expedition of Egerton's must, I suppose, be reckoned among them. The immediately propelling cause, however, of his setting off, arose at a dinner-party, where he met with a pretty-considerably-famous American author, who not content with entertaining the company by a good set speech of half-an-hour long, in praise of the glorious and immortal institutions of his owti countr)^ — slavery and all — concluded it (not being in one of his best humoui'S that day, on account of an English duke having entered the dining-room before him) by rather a savage attack on the inglorious and perishable ones of this. Mr. Egerton ventured to make an observation or two on the opposite side ; but the American celebrity cut him short, by saying, " I beg your pardon, sir, if I can't count your opinion as any way suitable to stand against mine ; and my reason is this ; — you have seen IN AMERICA. 165 only one of the two countries you are comparing together, and I have seen both, and I leave it to any man to say which has the best right to be listened to," " I submit, sir, to the force of your argu- ment," replied Egerton ; " you must have it your own way." B^t he left not the dinner-table without making a resolution, that however great the bore might be, he would steam to New York as early as possible, and not steam back again till he had visited every state in the Union. Perhaps there might have been some little irritation of feeling in the mood which dictated this resolve ; but he had pledged the promise to himself in earnest, and would not have revoked it, even had his after thoughts led to still greater repugnance as to the keeping it, than they did. " At any rate I shall see Niagara," said he, " there is an overwhelming force of consolation in that," So Mr. Egerton set forth, and had already very nearly performed his destined task at the time of oui' meeting him at New Orleans. 166 THE BARNABYS Excepting the person of Miss Beauchamp, which with a degree of candour of which he really felt proud, he acknowledged to himself was by far the loveliest he had ever seen in any land; and, perhaps, excepting also, her dress (the capricious sort of plainness of which rather piqued his taste to the acknowledgment that no garment more meretricious, ever so weU became a female form), with these two exceptions made, Mr. Egerton was by no means disposed to think that Miss Beauchamp was in any degree better suited to his taste, than the rest of her countrywomen. He had dined twice in her company, and his attention had been particu- larly di'awn to her by the uncommon beauty which scarcely a child could have passed by unheeded; but he had thought her manner exceedingly defective. There was no amenity, no tranquil grace, no smoothness in it. What- ever she said, seemed spoken fearlessly, as if from very perfect indifference as to whether she might give thereby pleasure or not. And then her voice, though nature had really given her organs which should have rendered it a very sweet one, had something in its intonation which IN AMERICA. 167 grated, as it were against his feelings. It could hardly be called a nasal voice, but yet there was a sort of singing cadence in it, which drew off the attention (at least of stranger-ears so constituted as those of Frederic Egerton) from what she said, to her manner of saying it, and he was perfectly ready to call the flexible young voice!' detestable. Yet for all that, he was ready to acknowledge, that he had hitherto not seen quite enough of her to judge her fairly; and he gravely determined that he would not be unjust, no, not even on a point of so absolutely no importance, as whether a trumpery American girl were a little more or a little less disagree- able. In conformity with this high-principled re- solve, he had sought to converse with her on more occasions than one, but hitherto with very little success ; and upon seeing her accompany her mother into the balcony, while nearly aU the rest of the company were scattering them- selves elsewhere, he followed for the purpose of advancing his philosophical study of this peculiar specimen of the race he had crossed the Atlantic to scrutinize. 68 THE BARNABYS CHAPTER XL Mutual dislike arises between the English Frederic Egerton, and the American Annie Beauchamp — The gentleman's disgust leads him to decide upon leaving the country immediately. The vulgar but expressive old phrase, " there is no love lost between them," might have been applied with the most perfect correctness to Miss Annie Beauchamp and Mr. Frederic Eger- ton ; but they wore their dislike, such as it was, with a difference. The gentleman, as we have seen, being rather persevering in his purpose of knowing more of the young lady ; while the young lady, if left to herself would have been perfectly well contented had she been assured that she should never see the young gentleman again. Nor did this dif- ference arise from the fact on his part that he IN AMERICA. 169 was ready to acknowledge her the most beautiful person he had ever seen ; for on hers she was equally ready to acknowledge that he was by many degrees the handsomest person she had ever seen, and at the centre of both hearts there was the thought, " But oh ! so perfectly Ame- ^ rican!" and — "But oh! so perfectly English !" \/~. the ^difference therefore arose from temper. Annie was less speculative than Mr. Egerton ; at least, when her mind was so completely made up on a subject, as she felt it to be on the present occasion ; and Mr. Egerton was more disposed to analyze, even though conscious that he already knew what the result must be. " I suppose this is about the coolest place in New Orleans, Miss Beauchamp," said Egerton, venturing to seat himself on the farthest ex- tremity of the long wooden sort of sofa which the young lady occupied. " I dare say there may be a great many much cooler, for those who know any thing about the place. Strangers never know where to look for any thing," retui'ned Miss Annie Beauchamp, without condescending to tiu-n her eyes towards him. VOL. I. I 170 THE BARNABYS " Your observation is in contradiction to the remark generally made upon travellers, Miss Beauchamp. It has been often said that we \J almost all of us know more of the countries we visit than the natives themselves. For travellers, vou know, make it their especial business to fiiid out eveiy thing, while those who remain at home, find only what happens to come in their way." Annie drew her beautiful Hps together for a moment, as if she did not intend to make any reply ; but, upon second thoughts, she said, " I believe that would be perfectly true, particularly if speaking of English travellers, pro\dded the word disagreeable were added to the word thing:' " What an odious girl !" mentally exclaimed the young man ; " and with such profound igno- rance too ! What on earth does she know of English travellers ?" And then he cast a glance towards her, and took in at that glance, certainly without intend- ing it, such a face, such a form, and such an attitude, as are only exhibited on the earth at inten'als, to show what a woman may be when IN AMERICA. 171 no earthly accidents have arisen to injure the original intention of Heaven. It is rather an old obser^^ation that "beauty wlU have its effect," but it is not the less true for its antiquity, and Frederic Egerton at that mo- ment, if he did not quite forgive her, felt more disposed to hear her speak again than he had ev^r done before. " Have you travelled much yourself. Miss Beauchamp ?" said he, in a very gentle accent, and not at all as if he were angry. " Alas, no !" she replied, without any caustic accent either, as if regardless that it was only a detestable Englishman who asked the question ; but it was one that touched feelings with which his nation had nothing to do, and she forgot herself " You have not, however, lost much time as yet. If you love travelling, what is there to prevent your enjoying it ?" " Oh, there is nothing in the world, I expect, to prevent my enjoying it, except our not being able to set out. But if I can't make it convene to travel in a coach, I'll travel in a waggon, and if that won't do, I'll just get along on foot ; for I 2 172 THE BARNABYS li\Tng as we do, in the finest country in the world, it's a fijst-rate sin not to see it all over." " Then you have no inclination to go beyond vour own countiy ? — you do not wish to travel in Europe ?" Annie looked up at him for a moment, and it was a very saucy glance which shot from her sparkling eye as she did so. She seemed on the eve of saying something very particularly anti- Eui'opean, but she restrained it, and only tui'ned aside her head and laughed. " I should like to know what you are laughing at," said Egerton, quite determined upon not condescending to be angry with any thing so exceedingly ignorant and silly as the opinions of Miss Annie Beauchamp, and at the same time feeling it quite fair to make her talk, that he might have the twofold amusement of looking at and quizzing her. " Pray tell me," he continued, " what there is laughable in the idea of travelling beyond the United States ?" "The joke hes," she answered, after a mo- ment's consideration, " in the notion of any one's wanting to see that musty, fusty, little bit of the old world which you call Europe, when IN AMERICA. 17^ they may remain to explore the opening glories of this bright, young world, which we call Ame- rica, and that, too, with the proud pri\'ilege of being one of its citizens." " Poor Kttle fool !" thought Egerton. " What a pity that such eyes as those, should have nothing better to inspire their wondei-ful ex- pr^sion, than the fables of a handful of crack- brained, conceited republicans !" Yet still he wished her to say more, and therefore resumed the conversation with great civility. " Do you mean. Miss Beauchamp, that after having become weU acquainted with the land of your birth, you shall feel no curiosity to see any other? — particularly that, for instance, whence the first white inhabitants of your own highly approved land derived their origin ?" There was somethino; in the wording* of this speech that seemed to irritate the young American. She did not look either as if she meant not to answer it, but she paused a moment or two as if to select words for the purpose. " Curiosity ? Shall I have any curiosity to visit the tombs of my vastly respectable gi'eat 174 THE BARNABYS grandfathers ? Why, upon my word, sir, if no better reward can be proposed to me for the trouble and fatigue of crossing the Atlantic, than seeing the crumbling relics of a thoroughly worn- out race, I really think it would be a great deal wiser to stay at home." Mr. Egerton now smiled a little to himself; upon perceiving which, the colour of the beau- tiful Annie mounted to her temples, and the glance she gave him certainly amounted to a flash of indignation. Tliis was hardly fail- ; he had borne her laugh more patiently. However, he thought it was very amusing to look at her in all her various moods, and tliinking, perhaps, that he should not greatly mind it even if she boxed his ears, he looked as grave as he could,' and replied, " Of course you have studied, as an elemen- tary part of your education, the present state of the mother-countiy relatively to the rest of ^y^ Europe, or rather to the rest of the world? I believe the comprehensive plan of American y^ female education, considers this study as abso- lutely indispensable ?" " Yes, sir," she very gravely replied, " it IN AMERICA. 175 does. And I do assure you that of all our studies, it is this which most awakens in our hearts that most excellent gift of pity, and those gentle feelings of commiseration, which Christian teachers consider it one of their first duties to create and cultivate. We are quite aware that the noble race of men, which now peoples the braad surface of the United States, must have derived their origin from a stock, possessing the materials of greatness. And we look back upon this race with such moderate feelings of affectionate interest as a rational man ex- periences for the dust of his great, great, great grandfather. But as we know that it pleased the Almighty Mover of nations, to cause the estimable remnant of the community to forsake the falling country, when they perceived that it was become unworthy of them, and to seek refuge here, our affections naturally and ra- tionally fix themselves upon the brave transat- lantic portion of the race ; not only because they are the fathers of the people to whom we belong, but also because the very reason for the original separation, as well as for the immortal secondary one, proves beyond the reach of any question 176 THE BARNABYS on the subject, that they are worthy of all reverence and affection, and that those they left are NOT — though they are indeed, and ever wiU be, while they are permitted to retain their political existence at aU, the objects of very sincere compassion." " Upon my word. Miss Beauchamp, we are, or ought to be, excessively obliged to you," returned Egerton, not knowing whether he felt most surprised or provoked by the young lady's grandiloquent harangue ; " permit me to return thanks," he added, rising and making her a low bow, " for the testimony you have been pleased to exhibit of your benevolence towards the English nation." " Poor people !" murmured Annie, casting her eyes down with a sort of pitting dejec- tion, and at the same time heaving a deep sigh. Egerton, puzzled and plagued by the strange form the young lady's patriotism had now taken, looked at her with as much cui'iosity as admiration, while she continued to retain her whimsically plaintive attitude ; but when she furtively raised her e}es again, there was IN AMERICA. 177 an expression in them which made him shrewdly suspect she was only amusing herself at his expense, and that it was malice towards him, rather than the love she boasted for her country, which had inspired her. If this were the case, he felt that the little republican had the advantage of him ; and as the idea crossed his' mind, it was doubtful w^hether he was more piqued or provoked. The former feeling prompted him to continue the conversation, in the hope of being able to use w^eapons of somewhat the same nature, in his defence, while the latter suggested the wisdom of leaving the veiy absurd young lady to herself. But w^hUe he yet doubted, the question was decided for liim by Major Allen Barnaby's bowing himself oif — a ceremony w^hich was immediately followed by Mrs. Beauchamp's advancing towards them, and saying, " Come, Annie, my daughter, I want you in my chamber — I have got one or two jobs that I expect you must do for me — and besides, I have got something to say to you." Thus summoned, Annie gave one rapid, v^icked glance at the countenance of the }'oung I 3 178 THE BARNABYS Englishman, and with a slight parting bow, retired. Egerton replaced himself on the bench, and fell into a fit of musing. " She is insufferable !" he muttered, " I can- not endure her !" A movement of impatience caused him to rise again and pace the long balcony of which, luckily for his irritated feelings, he had the "sole possession, with slow and discontented- sounding strides. " I hate the country !" he ejaculated, half aloud : "I hate and detest it from one end to the other. The negroes and Indians are the only interesting part of the population, and the only thing approaching to civilised society that I have enjoyed since I landed, was at the Ger- man village at — at — at — Heaven knows where. Would to Heaven that this self-inflicted penance were over ! I must steam up that nasty muddy Mississippi, or I break faith with myself, which I never wiU do, had every house I could enter half a dozen Miss Annie Beauchamps in it — and a pretty company they would make ! Well enough, to be sure, to the eye — but able to IN AMERICA. 179 Sting a man to death with their odious tongues ! To-day is Wednesday. Steamboats, I believe, go every day. Thursday, that's to-morrow. I wish to Heaven I could go to-morrow ; but that I cannot do, because I have promised the prig- gish Mr. Horatio Timmsthakle to go to the French play with him. But I must speak about m/ linen from the laundress for Saturday. I will positively not stay in this detestable house a single moment longer than Saturday." And having thus soothed his irritation, he stalked through the saloon into the hall, and out of the house, having encountered a negress in the way, to whom he gave strict orders that his linen should be in his room ready for pack- ing by Friday night. This sort of notable thoughtfulness having been taught him by ne- cessity, in consequence' of his having, for the first time in his life since he left college, set off upon a journey without a servant ; a piece of self-denial to which he was advised by one who knew by experience the effect of the United States upon an English domestic. Mrs. Beauchamp and her daughter, mean- while, mounted the stairs, and havino^ reached 180 THE BARNABYS one of the apartments sacred to their own use, the elder lady closed the door of it, and making the fair Annie sit down near it, began to address her as foUows — "I have something to tell you, my dear child, that will, I expect, go straight right away to your feelings as it did to mine. I know how you have been brought up, my daughter, and it is a'lx' out-and-out impossibility that you should not have aU your high patriotic notions set blazing by what I am going to tell you." Annie listened very attentively ; but had she spoken the truth and the whole truth concern- ing what was passing at her heart, she would have said : " No more patriotism just now, dear mamma, if you please, because I have been working so hard at it, that I am right down tired." But of course she said nothing of the kind, and Mrs. Beauchamp went on. " You know only too well, my dear child, how shamefully the United States have been abused, vilified, and be-littled by aU the travellers whc have ever set foot in them for the purpose of writing books about us. I don't sav too much, IN AMERICA. 181 do I, Annie ? when I declare that this has posi- tively amounted to a regular national calamity ; and rU give any one leave to judge what it must be to the feelings of a free people, who know themselves to be the finest nation in the world, to have one atrocious, unprincipled monster after another, come and write volumes upfbn volumes, in order to persuade the rest of the world that we are 1 .s behind-hand with every body, instead of being, as we really are, first and foremost of the whole world. Doesn't it drive one mad, Annie ?" " It drives one into very great anger, mamma," replied her daughter, with something like a sigh. " Well, then, my darling, what wiU you say to my first-rate, unaccoimtable good luck, when I teU you that I have just been applied to by the most gentlemanlike European, to my fancy, that ever put foot in the States, to assist with my information, my feelings, and my opinions, in composing a work, the express object of which is, to do justice, at last, to the Union ?" " And who, mamma, is the author you are to assist ?" 182 THE BARNABYS " My dear, it is the lady the most striking and distinguished in appearance of the new party that came to the house yesterday. She looks like a woman of a very commanding intellect ; and her husband has told me that she has been a most admired author for years in her own country, only that she is of too retired a cha- racter ever to have put her name to any of her works." "Is it that enormously tail and stout woman, mamma?" demanded Annie. " Yes, my dear, it is the lady who is the stoutest of the party; it is Mrs. Allen Bar- tiaby." " I should not have fancied her a parti- cularly shy person," said Annie, gently. " I must insist upon it, child," returned Mrs. Beauchamp, with a great deal of energ}^ " that you do not permit yourself to take up any ab- surd prejudices against this lady, who, I posi- tively declare, seems sent by Heaven to do us justice. And remember, if you please, my daughter, how very little you know about the higher classes of people in England. Depend upon it, that whatever you see in her, which IN AMERICA. 183 strikes you as being out of the common way, is just the greatest proof of her rank and fashion. You heard what she said yesterday about going to coui't ? And though, as a citizen of a free country, I thought it my duty to put in my say against courts altogether, and all such-like abuses of the human intellect, nevertheless, I am not such a fool as to be ignorant that none but the very highest classes of all, are ever permitted to come withinside the walls that hold the queen ; and though I hate and despise aU such tyranny, it is quite right, in such a case as this, to re- member aU we do know of their abominable old-fashioned ways, in order that we may under- stand a little what we are about, which is the way, you know, to avoid disagreeable blunders. I am sure nobody will suspect me, such a thoroughgoing patriot as I am, for being likely to have any over-great respect for queens and princes, and such-like ; and I dare say, Annie, you heard the considerable sharp set down I gave her yesterday on that very subject ; but for all that, I know what I know; and it is something, I can teU you, in the way of good luck, when one is getting a little close and 184 THE BARNABYS familiar with an English family, to find that they have been at court. In course, our first feeling ought to be suspicion about every body that is English ; and it is very convenient, by times, to get at the whole truth about people. Don't you think so, my dear ?" " Yes, mamma," replied Annie, rather ab- sently ; for indeed she was not much thinking of what her mother had said, having been occupied during nearly the whole time they had been together in endeavouring to recollect all she had said to Mr. Egerton, and was rather tormenting herself ^^^th the fear that she had not been suf- ficiently caustic and severe in her manner of treating him. Luckily for the harmony of the dialogue (for Mrs. Beauchamp liked to be attended to), this indifference on the part of the young lady was not remarked, and her mother, stiU in the highest good humour, went on to explain a project she had conceived, by which every part of Mrs. Allen Barnaby's important work might be benefited by her information and superin- tendence. " And now, my dear," said she, " I must IN AMERICA. 185 make you acquainted with what I propose to do, and it is a great satisfaction, my daughter, for me to know that it is just exactly the very thing you will like best. You know, Annie, how often you have been at father and me about taking you to travel up and down a little, that you might see and know something of the glories of the Union, over and beyond what aU my teaching could make you understand. Well, my dear, and you know, too, that I have always promised that travel you should to Washington and to Niagara, and, one after the other, to all the Atlantic cities if we could make it convene with father's wiU and pleasure. But up to this day, Annie, I have never been able to get any thing better from him than just oif and on sort of promises ; and his reason for putting it ofif so everlasting was, that though he loved you and I, too, a deal better than his eyes — and I am quite availed that he speaks no more than the truth when he says it — yet that for the soul of him he can't make up his mind to travel hither and yon, as he says we want to do, till we get east of sunrise, without a man companion for him to speak to — and that's why for he keeps 'J 186 THE BARNABYS US at boarding everlasting, which we two don't overmuch approbate either of us. But just observe how the matter stands now. These smart, clever people, and a large party of 'em too, with two men, you see, are actual/?/ going riffht ahead to make the tour of the Union. And the major, the authoress lady's husband, loves a quiet game of piquet, father says, as well as he does himself. And that he found out last night when they started off together, you know, after dinner. Now it does seem to me, Annie, that nothing ever did convene so perfect as this. Here's the lady come on purpose to write a book on the Union, but honestly confessing that she don't know the name of one State from another, and, in course, still less about all the remarkabilities of our glorious and immortal constitution, and other requirements for such a business, whether about oui'selves or our works. Well ! then there's me, ready and willing to supply all she wants, and though I say it that shouldn't, no ways badly qualified for that same business either, seeing that ever since I was a girl at college I have been always celebrated for my patriotism, and had a heart in my bosom IN AMERICA. 187 ready to fight for the stripes and the stars, if such a thing was wanted, as father has told me scores of times. Then next comes father him- self — wanting and wishing of all things in crea- tion to please his darling Annie by taking her a touring, but never having the heart to set out, on account of ha^dng nobody in the evenings to take' a cigar and a hand of cards with him. So then, to answer to that, comes the major, as ready to do both, as the sun to rise in the morn- ing. And then next there's your darling beau- tiful self, my daughter, having your own heart's wish at last, and setting out on your travels foi> everlasting, stop you who can. Now what do you think of aU this, Annie ? Isn't it a pretty consi- derable piece of good fortune, daughter ? — Say." Annie had changed colour more than once during the progress of her mother's harangue, not a word of which escaped her, for the absent fit was quite gone. Had Mrs. Beauchamp been less completely occupied by her own share in the proposed arrangement, it is probable that she would have perceived that Anne's sensations in hearing them detailed were not of unmixed satisfaction; but partly because she was too 188 THE BARNABYS intent upon all she had in her head to see very clearly what was before her eyes, and partly because she felt so very certain of her daughter's delight at the scheme, that she would scarcely have believed her in earnest had she objected to it, she perceived not these latent symptoms of dissatisfaction, and exclaimed, even before she answered, " I knew you would be in raptures !" Annie let it pass, and only smiled, which she certainly did the more easily because a portion at least of the information she had received was decidedly agreeable, though she thought that if she had had the ordering of the scheme, things might have " convened" more perfectly to her satisfaction than they did at present. Her objections, however, whatever they were, she kept to herself; and when she spoke at last, it was to say that she was very glad indeed, that she was going to see something more of the glorious and unrivalled coimtry to which she had the honour of belonging, than merely Big- Gang Bank, Charles Town, New Orleans, and Natches. " You are quite right, Annie, quite and en- IN AMERICA. 189 tirely right," replied her mother. " I have been a great traveller in my day, a very great tra- veller ; and from my high connexions in different States, have always been among people of the very first standing, — and to my mind," she added, " no young lady's education can be com- plete till she has pretty well seen the Union tlirotigh. However, my dear, we have no great cause to complain of father either, as yet, for we must remember that you won't be seventeen till fall, and so there is no great time lost. But there is one thing, Annie, that in a small way troubles me, and I will tell you what it is, my daughter, because I have a notion that you might give us a little help, if you'll be clever enough to do what I wish." " Wliat is it, mamma ?" said Annie, with one of her beautiful smiles, " I am ready to do any thing to please you." *' That's a jam girl — and this is it then. Those two elderly-looking women, you know, that have come along with this celebrated au- thoress, Mrs. Alien Barnaby, I can't help having a fancy that they must be people of great conse- quence, because they are both of them so unac- 190 THE BARNABYS countable ugly and stupid, that I don't see the likelihood of any Christian soul taking the trouble of bringing them out, aU this eternity of a voyage if they were not ; or, at any rate, they must be somebody that this new friend of mine, Mrs. AUen Barnaby, must think a good deal of, and of course would not like to have slighted. And the truth is, Annie, that as I know I shall have enough to do to fuUy enlighten the mind of the wTiting lady about the Union, I don't look for- ward at aU, I can tell you, to ha\4ng any time to bestow upon them ; and as to your father, his hatred to ugly old women is so great, that I ex- pect nothing in creation would make him cop- sent to my scheme, except just the pleasing you, and having his game of piquet fi-om sun-down to bed-time, without having the trouble of trotting out to look for a play-fellow, which I calculate he abominates fui'ther than most things. This being the way the case lies, darling, what I want of you is, that you would just be a little conversable and genteel in your attentions to these two poor queer old souls. Will you, dear, as youi' share and payment for aU the beautiful miles you are going to travel ? Will you, Annie ? — Say." IN AMERICA. 191 " Certainly, mamma. If I am to travel with these English people, I will endeavour to be as civil to them as I can. But I expect they ^\Tll find me very dull company, for it is rarely that I find much that I should like to say to any strangers, and especially to English. But don't think I object, dear mamma, whenever I can find 'any thing to say, it shall always be said to them." " Oh ! but, Annie, you must be very civil \y to the major, and to his TadyinTQ~the bargain, and also to the splendid-looking young lady, their daughter, and to the foreign gentleman, theii- son-in-law ; or else, mercy on me ! we shall be getting into a terrible scrape, I guess, and have Madam Barnaby saying in her book, that whatever the rest of the country may be, the 11^'' young ladies are the most disagreeable and least y elegant people throughout the Union. Don't be doing any thing to get that said, Annie !" " Mamma ! I will do my very best to please you," replied her daughter, very gravely : " but there is one thing that I will not promise, because in my heart I don't believe it is one that I could ever perform. I cannot promise you to speak 192 THE BARNABYS very often to the married young lady, the daughter." Mrs. Beauchamp frowned and shook her head. "I see by your looks, Annie," said she, " that vou are getting into one of your obstinate fits, when you will pretend to know what people are better than your mother does, which of aU impos- sibilities is the most impossible, and you a girl under seventeen ! Now don't, Annie, don't ! There's a fine girl ! Don't vex me, just when I am trying to do my very best to serve my dear perse- cuted country, and to please you into the bargain ! It is very cruel of you Annie, very." And poor Mrs. Beauchamp looked very much as if she were going to cry ; but her beautiful daughter ran to her, and drove away every indi- cation of the kind by a kiss. " Trust me, mamma," she said, " I have promised you that I will do the best I can, and so I will. Shall I go this very minute and find out these Miss Perkinses ? — that is the name, I expect, isn't it, mamma? Shall I go to them now, wherever they are, and ask them if they will take a walk in the balcony ? I am sure it IN AMERICA. 193 must be cooler than the room they have got, poor things ; for Cleopatra told me that our sly lump of soft sodder, Mrs. Carmichael, had persuaded them to lodge themselves in a little hole of a garret looking exactly west, that she might keep a decent room vacant, in case any of her " regular New Orlines Bows," as she calls them, shcruld offer themselves. I will go to them directly, shall I ?" " Yes do, darling, and I will go too, and see if I can find my new friend, Mrs. Allen Barnaby." " Pray, mamma," said Annie, rising to depart, " have you said any thing to papa yet about your travelling scheme?" " No, my dear, I have not," replied her mother, with a smile ; " but that is only because I have had no opportunity ; I don't fear any opposition, Annie, there ; you know, pretty nearly as well as I do, deary, that if I take care that the piquet and the toddy go right, nothing else is Hkely to go wi'ong." Annie knew that as far as the word wrong meant opposition, her mother had the best pos- sible grounds, namely, that furnished by many years' experience, for her confidence in having VOL. I. K 194 THE BARNABYS her own way ; so she said no more, but walked off, shaking her head, however, rather mournfully as she went ; for though she loved her mother, she loved her father too, and often regretted that his habitual indolence, which seemed to have ab- sorbed every thing like activity in his character, had permitted him to lay himself so completely on the shelf. IN AMERICA. 195 CHAPTER XII. 4 Annie Beauchamp conceives a strong partiality for the eldest Miss Perkins — The acquaintance between Mrs. Major Allen Barnaby, and Mrs. Colonel Beauchamp ripens into the warmest friendship. Annie was the first who succeeded in her quest, for she found the spinster sisters sitting most disconsolately in the great saloon, without even the semblance of an occupation, unless the ceaseless fanning of Miss Matilda could be called such, and by no means in a state of spiiits to render any conversation they might have toge- ther soothing or consolatory to either party. As far as the exciting kind feelings in the breast of Miss Beauchamp could be advantageous to them, their palpable and evident forlornness was in their favour. She looked at them both for a moment, and felt, that English or not, they were K 2 196 THE BARNABYS thoroughly uncomfortable and forlorn, and had they sat with a pedigree in their hands (instead of a feather fan), a pedigree proving them to be descended in a direct line from General Wash- ington, she could not have smiled more sweetly, as she stepped forward to address them. " I am afi'aid, ladies, you must find it ver}^ dull here," she said, seating herself opposite, and about midway between the two. " The New Orleans boarding-houses are not very famous for ha^dng many books, and it's so hot here in the daytime, that strangers hardly dare venture into the streets either to look for books or any thing else. But mamma and I have plenty up stairs in our own rooms, and we shall be very happy to lend you some if you like it." From the moment she entered, Miss Matilda, who had for many hours been meditating on the possibility of coaxing Mrs. Beauchamp (evidently the principal personage of the boarding-house set) into presenting them to some of her New Orleans' friends, changed her attitude of ill-at- ease indolence, into one of fascinating animation, and she immediately replied, " Thank you a thousand times, my dear Miss IN AMERICA. 197 Beauchamp. How excessively kind and amiable ! Yes, my dear Miss Beauchamp, I do indeed long for a few of the elegant indulgences to which I have ever been accustomed in my own country. Our residence is quite at the west end, and I am perfectly sure that you are sufficiently weU in- formed to be aware. Miss Beauchamp, that in London nothing gives more decided fashion than that. In short, the fact is, that though I have no doubt in the world but that in a short time we shall like your country, and aU the charming people in it excessively, yet just at this moment, that is, just at first, you know, we do find it rather duU." Annie's only answer to this was a sort of acquiescent bow ; and turning her eyes from the elegant speaker, she fixed them then, almost by accident, on the pale face of poor Louisa. That really worthy, l)ut very unfortunate person, felt at the bottom of her heart that in securing her beloved sister fi'om suicide, she had given up every thing in the shape of worldly comfort and enjoyment, which had hitherto made her own life desirable. And that sister was now looking so exceedingly ugly, old, and thin, that Miss Louisa, 198 THE BARNABYS who watched her with all the tender solicitude of a mother, was falling fast into a profound melan- choly, from the conviction, that though the pro- mise she had extorted from her as the price of her own consent to this unhappy expedition, might secure her from self-slaughter, it would not secure her from hating the life so preserved ; for as she gazed upon her long, pale, peevish face, she felt most miserably certain that no gentle- man on God's earth, who was in his right senses, would ever think of such a thing as marrying her. When, therefore, Annie Beauchamp's eye fell upon her, her quiet and usually tranquil features were somewhat agitated by the thoughts that had taken possession of her mind, and her light gray eyes, which were not very large, had more tears in them than they could conveniently hold ; but when she caught the glance of the young American fixed upon her, she made an effort to smile, and said, in an accent that spoke a good deal of gratitude, " Indeed, young lady, you are very kind." Annie immediately changed her seat for one that was close to her, and taking her hand, said cheerfully, IN AMERICA. 199 " Now then, Miss Perkins, tell me what sort of a book you like best. Shall it be grave or gay ? English or American ? Prose or verse ?" " Any book," replied Miss Louisa, very con- siderably comforted at being addressed so kindly ; " any book or newspaper in the world would cer- tainly be greatly more agreeable than sitting with nothing at all to do, of any sort or kind. But the greatest kindness of all would be to give us something that my sister Matilda would like to read. She is a far greater reader than I am at all times, my pleasure being more in seeing that every thing is tidy and comfortable at home. But poor Matilda is very fond of a novel, and if you chanced to have a pretty love story that she never happened to meet with before, I do think it would go further to raise up her spirits than any thing. And if I could but see her looking a little happy again it would quite set me up." Annie rose with the intention of immediately ransacking her little collection for love ; but, as far as her own feelings were concerned, it was gi'eatly more for the sake of the elder sister, than for the gratification of the younger ; but Miss 200 THE BARNABYS Matilda stopped her ere she reached the door, exclaiming, " Oh ! do not go, my dear Miss Beauchamp ! A little of your delightful conversation will do me more good than all the novels in the world. My elder sister is one of the very best and most ladylike people in the world, I do assure you ; though at present, of course, you see her to a disadvantage, so very little dressed as she is, and aU that ; but though she is quite superior as to her fortune and station in life, and all those sort of advantages, yet I won't pretend that at her age she would be likely to enjoy a comfortable chat with a young person like you in the same way that I should do. I need not point out to you the diiference there is between us in age ; it is quite extraordinar}^, isn't it ? A great many people won't believe that we are sisters. But I was going to say that if you happen to have a news- paper, there is nothing in the world that Louisa likes so well, and then while she is poring over that, you and I can talk." Miss Beauchamp answered not a word to this, and we have therefore no right, perhaps, to be less discreet concerning her feelings than IN AMERICA. 201 she was herself; but though she spoke not, she bit her beautiful under-hp severely, and if she had been sufficiently imprudent to speak at all, it would have been in a manner but little likely to assist the object confided to her by her mamma. She appeared, however, to be entirely occupied by taking a thorn out of her finger, and turned to ^ the window in order to attain the degree of light necessary to this delicate operation ; and then, after the delay of a moment, she again turned to leave the room, saying that she would return again in a moment. " What a kind, sweet tempered young thing !" said Miss Louisa, as soon as the door was closed. " A very nice girl indeed," replied her sister. " Her eyes are rather too large, and her hair too abundant, and too dark, to satisfy my ideas of perfect feminine beauty ; but nevertheless she is certainly very pretty looking, and most un- commonly agreeable, considering she has never seen London, nor even Cheltenham or Brighton. I hope we shall become exceedingly intimate, for I think we shall suit exactly. I have got dreadfiilly tired of poor dear Patty, and that's K 3 202 THE BARNABYS the truth, though of course I don't mean to let any of 'em find it out. But upon my word it is enough to make any body sick, hearing her run on so for everlasting about her husband ; and, to teU you the truth, Louisa, I am terribly afraid her husband begins to think so too ; for it is not once, nor twice either, that I have seen him yawn as if his jaws would crack, when she has been kissing him ; and it is plain enough, poor thing, that she does not at aU approve his taking much notice of any one else, for I have got some temble sour looks from her on board ship when he has ventured to come where I was standing to watch the flying fish, or any thing of that kind. Away she was, after him in a minute. But I am sure she need not have been afraid, for the very last thing I should ever think of doing would be encouraging the attentions of a fiiend's husband." " Oh ! dear no ! I am sure you would not do any such thing as that, Matilda," said her sister, looking rather surprised and shocked at the suggestion ; " but I can't say — " Here she was interrupted by the return of IN AMERICA. 203 Annie, with three thin volumes of unmistakable circulating library complexion in one hand, and a gray-tinted newspaper in the other. Setting the books down on a table by which she passed, Miss Beauchamp approached the meek Louisa with a newspaper. " I am afraid this will not entertain you so well as a London newspaper would do. Miss Perkins; but at least you will find one half- column down here that is all about England, and you must not be angry if you do not find it very civil, because our newspaper people think there is no opportunity of semng their own country, at once so profitable and so cheap as by abusing yours." This was said in a tone and spirit so very different from that in which, a short hour or so before, the same young lady had discoursed on the subject of England to Mr. Egerton, that any person, hearing both, may be well tempted to accuse her of inconsistency ; and really I know no defence for her, save that she ivas a young lady, — a class which from long usage, by this time grown into something like pre- scriptive privilege, holds itself exempt from 204 THE BARNABYS the necessity of always being of the same opinion. " I am very much obliged to you indeed" said Miss Louisa, receiving the odd-looking pages with a smile of genuine pleasure and gratitude. " It is so very kind of you to think about me .'" And while Annie stiU stood beside her, she turned her eyes to the paper, and began reading it, to show, perhaps, that she reaUy did take great interest in a newspaper. The first, and indeed as it seemed the only thing which par- ticularly attracted her attention however on the present occasion, was a succession of little dingy pictures, one of which appeared to adorn every paragraph in the page which first happened to meet her eye. " What are all these little men running meant for?" said Miss Louisa, looking up very innocently in the face of her new friend. " Is it to make the newspaper look pretty ?'* Annie laughed. "No, Miss Perkins," she replied, "neither the portraits or the originals of these running gentry, are counted very pretty in the United IN AMERICA. 205 States. No ! these figures are intended for use, not ornament ; they are placed there to call the attention of the reader to the advertisement which follows, which is always about some runa- way slave or other, and is to give notice that any one who finds him or her — for the ladies sometimes run as well as the gentlemen — is to cafch them, and send them back to their owners." Miss Louisa, though, as I have said, a very worthy woman, was not a very well-informed one, and knew as little about the great transat- lantic subject of negro slavery as most people. Nevertheless she had heard of such a thing, and in a general way considered it, like the rest of the European world, men, women, and childi*en, to be something exceedingly atrocious and un- christian. Without the very slightest affecta- tion therefore, for there was no such thing in her, she shuddered visibly, as her beautiful com- panion uttered the above words, and exclaimed involuntarily, " Oh dear ! oh dear ! how very shocking that sounds !" Miss Beauchamp coloured slightly, and turned away. 206 THE BARNABYS " I have brought you some books, ma'am," she said, addressing herself to Matilda, after the silence of a moment, " I am sorry I cannot stay with you any longer, but I am obliged to be up stairs." Miss Matilda began a flourishing speech, about sorrow at losing her, and gratitude for her books, but before she had half finished the young lady had given them both a valedictory nod, and disappeared. The situation of both sisters was, however, essentially improved. Louisa had not only her newspaper to read, which, despite its melancholy pictures, was a great deal better than nothing, but she had also the great, the very great consolation, of seeing her sister look ten years younger, and twenty times less discontented, than before the fair Annie had paid them her unexpected visit, and before she had got three volumes of native manufactory, con- cerning love and matrimony, to read. Nor did these favourable symptoms altogether disappear even when she discovered that her book, though exceedingly interesting, was not without its faults, the greatest of which, in her eyes, was the gross absurdity committed by the author in IN AMERICA. 207 introducing his heroine, as already in the per- fection of beauty at the ridiculous age of six- teen ! This blunder so strongly affected her that she actually began to think aloud, and ex- claimed, without any intention of consulting her sister on the subject, " What a pity to spoU the whole interest by such nonsense as that ! Any rational person, who knows any thing of human nature, must be constantly expecting to hear of her being whipped and put to bed for some chndish naughtiness or other. There is but one way of my finding any interest in the story, I am quite sure, and that way I shall take, for it seems beautifully written, and full of the most touching sentiments — I shall just consider it a misprint, and correct sixteen into six-and-twenty at the very least." Perhaps at the bottom of her heart might have lurked the thought that to produce the perfection of full-grown female sensibility another ten years might have been added, with very manifest advantage to the interest and the truth of the story. But notwithstanding these drawbacks of young love on the one hand, and negro slavery 208 THE BARNABYS on the other, both the sisters felt themselves considerably better than they had done since they landed on the shores of the United States. The position meanwhile of the real heroine of these pages was stiU more essentially improved. At the same time that her daughter went to visit the Miss Perkinses, Mrs. Beauchamp, by the aid of the black waiting-maid, Cleopatra, sought and found the retreat of Mrs, AUen Barnaby. The major having, as usual, wan- dered to a bniiard-table, his lady was left in undisturbed possession of " her chamber," and was employing herself at the moment her new friend entered, in preparing for her important literary undertaking, being in the act of writing down, in a little blank-paper book, which she had just sewed up for the purpose, the heads of various subjects to which she immediately in- tended to direct her attention. Nothing could exceed the pleasure she felt at seeing Mrs. Beauchamp, except what she expressed. She immediately laid down her pen, and hastening towards her performed a ceremonious courtesy, whUe she frankly extended her hand, which was intended to typify and express, as it were, all the IN AMERICA. 209 stately dignity of the old world, combined with the unsophisticated cordiality of the new. " I hope I don't break in upon you, ma'am, at a time that don't convene ?" said Mrs. Beau- champ. "I see that you are already got to your writing, w^hich agrees with what your good gentleman told me, but now, was the employ- ment as was most likely to occupy you just at the present." " And for that very reason, my dearest Mrs. Beauchamp," replied the animated Mrs. Allen Barnaby, " I am enchanted beyond what I am able to express, at your having the excessive kindness to call on me. It is here only, Mrs. Beauchamp, in the retirement of my own apart- ment, that such a ^dsit can be duly appreciated. I dare say my excellent husband, Major Allen Barnaby — one of the best of men, Mrs. Beau- champ — I dare say he may have ventured to hint to you that my purpose in coming to this most interesting of countries is, in effect, to do the very exact thing of which you were so elo- quently speaking last night ?" " Yes, Mrs. Allen Barnaby, he has indeed, ma'am," repHed the visiter, " and I can't say 210 THE BARNABYS but what I heard the news with very particular pleasure, seeing that you are a lady so every way qualified to perform the work proposed, with honour to yourself, and satisfaction to those about whose concerns it is your intention to instruct the world. And if you do this, ma'am, you will have the glory of achieving just what nobody else that has tried, has ever been able to do yet." " If I should indeed be so happy," replied Mrs. Allen Barnaby, modestly casting her eyes upon the ground, " I feel siu-e that I shall owe it you. I certainly did come to this country solely for the purpose of writing upon it ; but I always felt, even when most eager to undertake the task, that I must fail, as so many others have done before me, unless I had the good for- tune to form an acquaintance with some accom- plished person of my own sex, who should be induced to assist me by counsel and information, such as, of course, none but a native can give." " And it is that very thought of yours, ma'am, I will venture to say, that wiU certify your success," replied her new friend. "It is just exactly what nobody has ever done before, IN AMERICA. 2 1 1 and it is for that very reason, I expect, that no traveller has ever yet produced a book upon the Union that can justly be called fit to be read," " Heaven grant that by your assistance I may avoid their errors !" cried Mrs. Allen Barnaby, fervently casting her eyes towards the ceiling of the room. " I can safely say that no one ever undertook a task which caused greater anxiety, or a more ardent desire of success." "There is no doubt of it, Mrs. Allen Bar- naby, — no doubt whatever of your success I mean, nor of aU the rewards in this world and the next, which you will so well deserve to receive," replied Mrs. Beauchamp, with an ardour which was considerably more sincere than that of her companion. " You will, indeed, have every advantage/' she resumed; "for not only will you see things without pre- judice, by being made to understand them really as they are, but from having been in the habit of writing so much in the old country, you must have got the knack of it, as we say, and will find the work come to your hand quite easy, I expect." "Yes, my dear Mrs. Beauchamp, I have 212 THE BARNABYS wTitten a great deal," replied Mrs. AUen Bar- nabyj with a modest meditative air; "and though during several years of certainly veiy successful publication, a feeling of timidity, perhaps too long indulged, has prevented my ever meeting the public, face to face as I may call it, under my real name, I cannot now, as you wgU ob- serve, feel any of the difficulties of a mere novice. I shall, on the contrary, set about my task with that delightful sensation of confidence which conscious ability I believe always gives. Do not impute vanity to me, my dear madam, from my saying this ; but the fact is, that it would be the most contemptible affectation, were I to pretend ignorance of the admiration which my writings have produced. I have never published any thing, I can truly say, froin the moment I first handled a pen, without its meeting the most brilliant success, and it would show a great want of common sense on my part, were I to pretend now to fear that I should fail : and with such a theme too 1" " It would indeed be foUy for any one to sup- pose such a thing possible," replied Mrs. Beau- champ 3 " but yet I cannot help thinking," she IN AMERICA. 213 added after the meditation of a minute or two, " I cannot help thinking, Mrs. AUen Barnaby, that you might bring your work forward in a superior sort of style, as I may say, if you would just consent to put in the title-page ' by the author of — whatever pre^'ious works of yours have had the greatest success. I really would strongly ad\dse you to think again and again of this, before you finally make up youi* mind against it." " Do not mention the subject to me again, I entreat of you, Mrs. Beauchamp," retm*ned the European lady, with some slight display of im- patience. " You know not, to be sure it is im- possible that you should know, how eternally I have been — I may say persecuted in England \Ndth the same request — and having resisted the most earnest entreaties of persons of station, even too high for me to venture to name, can you really think that I ought to yield to any other ? I feel quite certain that when you have thought a little more about it, Mrs. Beau- champ, and when you have brought youi'self to recollect that there are in our countr}^, persons — or at any rate one person — whom it is by 214 THE BARNABYS no means easy to refuse, you will perceive and acknowledge the necessity of my continued reser\'e." " Why, as to that, Mrs. Men Barnaby," re- turned the republican lady, " I have no great notion of any one person being such a vast long way before aU the rest as you seem to make out : and to say the truth, I can't realize to my- self the possibility of such an elegant smart woman as you are, being chained up in that way, as I may call it, by any one. Why, there's our president now, he's fii'st and foremost in course, because it has been our wiU and pleasure to make him so ; but, Lord bless yom- soul, Mrs. Allen Barnaby, he might ask any one of us to do any thing from July to eternity, and it would never come into our heads- te- do it, un- less indeed for some profitable object of our own, which is quite another thing, and what all sen- sible men wlR calculate upon doing at all times. But for gi^^ng way to him for any other reason, he may march from Washington very consider- ably east of sunrise, before he vdll find any body ready to do any such meanness. However, we won't talk any more about politics just at pre- IN AMERICA. 215 sent, and instead of it I want vou to show me what you have jotted down there." And Mrs. Beauchamp, with a little natural and national cmiosity, did just peep at the foolscap page which lay, half filled in large cha- racters, after the manner of a list, before Mrs. Allen Baraaby. That lady's MS. however was not, as it seemed, yet ready for examination, for, \^ith a good deal of dignified mysten-, she laid a blank sheet over that upon which she had \mtten, and said, " Not yet, dearest Mrs. Beau- champ, not yet, if you please ; though this ver\- paper, which I now conceal, is ^^Titten expressly that I may communicate it to vou. But as vet I am not fully prepared to do it. It \\ill contain, when filled up, a list of questions to be addressed to yourself, on the particular themes that I shall consider it most necessary' to touch upon in the course of my work ; and may I not hope that vou will kindlv condescend to answer them ?" " And that's just what my veiy heart is long- ing and burning to do," rephed Mrs. Beauchamp, her handsome face in a glow of patriotic excite- ment, " and I do hope it won't be long before you are ready to begin." 216 THE BARNABYS " If any immediate arrangements for our being a good deal together can be made, my dearest lady, I should be ready to begin our important consultations directly. In short, the major has promised to bring me home several whole quires of paper to-day, besides a large quantity of pens, and a bottle of ink. So you may see, my dear madam, from my giving him such a commission, that I have no intention to delay the business. However, I charged him to buy the paper at different shops, for fear of creating suspicion of what I was about. I always took the same precaution in London, when I began a new w^ork." " Dear me ! Did you really ? How very cautious !" And then, her curiosity whetted anew by this allusion to mystery, Mrs. Beau- champ once more ventured to return to the for- bidden subject, and added, " do now just teU me the name of the least and littlest of aU your books !" Mrs. Allen Barnaby coloured violently through her rouge, and for a moment felt convinced that the interesting history of her anonymous fame was suspected ; but when she ventui'ed to look IN AMERICA. 217 again at the animated countenance of Mrs. Beauchamp, she perceived with the greatest possible satisfaction, that she was altogether mistaken. Nothing was to be seen there but the most respectful admiration, excepting in- deed that little imp-like sparkle of curiosity, which peeped out of her eyes, and which, under the ^circumstances, would certainly have been pardonable in any daughter of Eve, but in a- transatlantic one the want of it would have been nothing less than unnatural. Mrs. Allen Bar- naby therefore again rallied her spirits, and played off with great ability the part of an em- barrassed and somewhat agitated incognita, to whom the removal of the veil would be exces- sively distressing, while the preserving it was exceedingly difficult. At length the scene reached its climax by her putting her handkerchief to her eyes, and exclaiming, " Spare me ! my dearest Mrs. Beauchamp ! spare me ! The time shall come when I wiU have no reserves with you; but your own admirable judgment must t^U you that just at this moment, when my nerves are naturally shaken by the contemplation of an undertaking which I feel to be almost VOL. I. L 218 THE BARNABYS awfully important, there would be great weak- ness in my suffering my spirits to be agitated by my making a disclosure which, I am weU aware, would at once bring upon me the eyes of all America, as weU as of all Europe. I implore you, therefore, for the present, to make no fur- ther aUusion to my former writings, but rather let us employ the precious minutes with which you fa- vour me by aiTanging how I can in the most effec- tual manner be thrown into the circle amongwhich you usually live, in order to catch as much as pos- sible, your views and opinions upon aU subjects."^ "Well, then," returned Mrs. Beauchamp, with the most perfect good humour, " I expect I won't plague you one bit more at present, as you say, about the works that have made your false name so celebrated. Not but what I'd give one of my fingers to know what the name was. However, we will say no more about it now ; and instead of it I will tell you what my scheme is for our passing as much time together as pos- sible. I calculate, in course, Mrs. Allen Barnaby, that your plan in writing upon the Union, is to travel through all the most celebrated and won- derful parts of it ?" x^-^v^ fX>P>?Z.<^n^&^ZC^^ A^^ ^^^^--^/o i^^2y<.J^>;^ -, .!«„ TT— -__ r> _^^ ! IN AMERICA. 219 " Most assm-edly," replied the authoress, with decision. " Well then, my plan is to travel too," re- turned Mrs. Beauchamp; "because then, you know, as the things come in all their glory before our eyes, I can explain them to you, and make you realize their particular excellence at th^ first blush, as I may say. What do you say to that plan, Mrs. Allen Barnaby ?" " That it is the most admirable, the most perfect, the most inconceivably kind that could possibly have entered your head, and that so inspired, I must be dull indeed if I fail. But what does the colonel and your beautiful daughter say to it, my dear Mrs. Beauchamp ?" " Oh ! Annie is delighted. She has long been dying for a travelling frolic ; and she un- dertakes to do the honours to your friends, which wiU leave us to our studies, you know. As to the colonel, to say the truth, I have not yet mentioned the subject to him ; but he is, I do expect, the very best man alive, and I am sure he will make no objection, pro\ided the major can smoke a cigar, and play a game of piquet. Can he, Mrs. Allen Barnaby ?" L 2 220 THE BARNABYS " The major is very fond of smoking," replied our heroine ; " and I rather think too," she added gently, "that he now and then hkes a game at piquet." " Well then, I will answer for all the rest," resumed the energetic Mrs. Beauchamp, her patriotic ardour animating her even to her finger's ends, which were already itching, as she said, to be at her packing. " The colonel will be back in a few minutes to take his morning iced julap, and then I will tell him aU about it." Mrs. Beauchamp was by no means "talk- ing without her host," when she said that if the major smoked cigars, and played piquet, she could answer for all the rest. Of course she was too clever a woman not to know how to set the thing properly before the eyes of her husband. She said little or nothing to him concerning her project of redeeming the repu- tation of the United States, and undoing aU the mischief which former travellers had perpetrated against this rudely-treated portion of the earth's service, by taking the pen of Mrs. Allen Bar- naby under her especial influence and control. She said little or nothing of all this, because IN AMERICA. 221 she knew that, although her husband was, as a matter of course, an excellent patriot (what Ameri- can is not ?) yet nevertheless, the sluggish circula- tion of his blood, which, without greatly injuring his bodily health, had reduced his mental ener- gies very nearly to the condition of those of a dormouse, prevented his greatly enjoying any long discussions on the subject. What she chiefly dwelt upon, therefore, was the great delight which his darling Annie would enjoy from travelling in the society of this very dis- tinguished English party, and also the provi- dential circumstance of their meeting with a gentleman who could both smoke cigars and play piquet, and thus render the performance of his long-given promise of taking his daughter " about a Httle," a matter of pleasure instead of annoyance. " Very well, my dear," was the colonel's first answer : " manage it just as you like. If it's a good boat I shall be quite ready to start." 222 THE BARNABYS CHAPTER XIIL Some interesting passages in the progressive attachment of Mesdames Bamaby and Beauchamp — ^The Ame- rican lady hints a wish to see the dresses of the Enghsh one — Compliance is promised, but a short delay requested. When Major Allen Bamaby learned from his wife that the travelling party, to be com- Jiosed in the manner already agreed upon by the two ladies, was actually arranged, he smiled very good-humouredly, and said, " That's all very well, my Barnaby, and a capital hand you are, to set a machine in action. But you don't quite calculate, do you — as these curious fellows say — upon my being ready to pack up, and to go away at a moment's warning ? You do not in sober earnest expect that, do you ?" These words Of doubt and dread IN AMERICA. 223 came like a thunderbolt — or rather like an avalanche, for nothing could be more chilling — on the ears and heart of poor Mrs. Allen Barnaby. Never having been from her earliest infancy, in the habit of doubting her own powers, she had no sooner fully conceived the scheme of writing a book, than a well-assured and very brilliant success immediately rose be- fore her mind's eye, as being perfectly certain; and that too, no mere idle, windy, wordy suc- cess, born in the drawing-room, and buried on the staircase, but solid, profitable, money-getting success, that might do as much to help them forward, or very nearly so, as one of the major's best games at piquet in Curzon-street ; and overlooking the possibility that her husband's views of the case might not be precisely the same "as her own, she felt as much shocked and .disappointed at hearing him thus speak to her, as if he had suddenly declared that he meant to turn hermit, and for the fatui'e should require no money at all. The dismay expressed by her countenance was so great, and to say the truth, so comical, that the major for one moment laughed outright. 224 THE BARNABYS But this was a species of amusement that, upon principle, he rarely indulged in, and before the fire which he saw mounting to his lady's eyes had fully flashed upon him, the foolish fit was over, and his laugh exchanged for a smile of the most amiable domestic amenity. " Come, come wife," said he, " you must not take what I say too gravely, either, and I cannot help laughing when I see you getting it into your head, that I mean to take up my dweUing in this cursed place and remain here to be broiled everlastingly. Set your heart at rest upon that point, my Bamaby. If you are in such haste to be off, it's lucky for you, perhaps, that the set here are just what they are. Why, my dear, wiU you believe it, I don't think that out of the thirty or forty plajdng- men, that I have either tried myself, or watched others tr)-, I don't believe that out of the whole number, there's half a dozen that isn't as keen witted as myself — you understand me ? Now that won't do, you know by any means. What's good play, or a sharp eye, or the help of Tomorino, or any thing else with such a set of fellows ? The difference between London IN AMERICA. 225 and New Orleans seems to be just this. On our side of the water there's a population of flats, with just a respectable sprinkling of sharps among them to keep men from going to sleep, and sinking into absolute stupidity. But here, upon my honour and soul, the whole popu- lation, old and young, strikes me as being sharps, with such a scanty supply of flats amongst them, as it breaks one's spirit to think of. And as for the diamond-cut-diamond sort of business, that is carried on here, it would not suit me at aU. I am not used to it, and I am not quite so young as I was, my dear, and ceaseless, never-ending hard work, don't suit me. I won't say but what I might be a match for them if I tried hard for it, but the profit would be little or none, for after a fair trial between me and most of 'em, I am greatly mistaken if we should not one and all come to pretty nearly the same conclusion, and that would just be to let one another alone." " But how do these gentlemen make the thing answer themselves, my dear Donny ?" demanded his wife, with her usual shrewd- ness. . L 3 V 226 THE BARNABYS " Why, I suppose, by watching for every new arrival, like sharks after a dead body," he replied ; " but that would never answer for us, my dear Barnaby. Besides, if it did, they would get so confounded jealous of me, being an Englishman, that I should have no peace of my life. No, wife, I shan't stay here, I promise you — you have no reason to be terrified by that notion." "But you have not lost any thing to speak of yet, have you, my dear ?" said she, her own satisfaction at the idea of their departure being for a moment lost sight of, in her domestic anxiety for the well-doing of every member of her beloved family. " You have not paid very dear, I hope, for what you have learned ?" " No, my dear," he replied, " that is not my way, and I should have thought you might have guessed as much. No ; I thought I detected something the first night, just before the party broke up, that looked a little like a determination to let me win, but I was not sure of it ; so last night I became a good deal more heedless and gay-hearted, you see, than before, and then I saw — ay, and heard too — IN AMERICA. 227 what put me up to them. Why they had found me out in no time, and all theu' scheming was not to get the better of me, but to get me dropped out of one or two set-to games they had been planning, where they had got something like a novice to work at. So I very quietly let them have their way about it, and I think that puzzled them again a little. But that's only the fun of a moment, mind you, and would not last, I'll engage for it, long enough to make me sure of a dozen dollars. However, we can't suppose, you know, that they are all finished up in this high style, in every part of the Union, and further on I hope we shall fare better, my Barnaby. I shall do very well by and by, I dare say, so don't look uneasy about it." " Heaven grant we may fare better, my dear !" replied his wife, " for confident as 1 ' am of the success of my work, it will by no means do, Donny, for us all to depend upon it, you know." . — " No, my dear," said he very demurely, " I don't think it will. Nevertheless, wife, I do not intend, mind you, to set off post haste, 228 THE BARNABYS just after what happened last night. They would understand it exactly as well as you do, and a little better too perhaps, for you win be thinking, naturally enough, that your book has something to do with it ; while they'd know, well enough, every mother's son of them, that coming out here to see what I could do, I had met with my match, and was off to find game less wild elsewhere ; and I'll leave you to judge the sort of introduction that would follow after me. So if you please, my dear love, we will not start in a bustle, and you must please to teU your new friend, Mrs. Beauchamp, who, I suspect, manages her hus- band more completely than even you do yours, my Bamaby, that you intend to begin your examination of their magnificent country here, and you may ask her, if you will, to introduce you about a little. Every body seems to know them, and I am told that Beauchamp has the finest estate, and the largest gang of slaves in all Carolina." However well Mrs. Allen Barnaby might manage her Donny, she knew what " if you please, my dear love" meant, as w^ell as an IN AMERICA. 229 old mare on a common knows the length of her tether ; and she, therefore, hazarded not one word of objection to this prolonged abode at New Orleans, though she not only longed with extreme impatience, to set off on the progress which her new friend had sketched out to her in such inviting colours, but she also earnestly desired to remove herself from an atmosphere where she was perpetually uttering prayers, the very reverse of Hamlefs, and wishing that her too, too melting flesh were more solid, and not thawing and dissolving itself into dew, as it did at present. There was, however, some- thing in the idea of being introduced into New Orleans society by a person whom every body knew, and who had the finest estate and largest gang of slaves in Carolina, which was very consolatory, and like a wise woman, she im- mediately fixed her thoughts, and brought her conversation to bear on this most agreeable portion of her husband's discourse. " That is a capital good idea of yours, major," said she, " about my asking Mrs. Beauchamp to introduce us, as if just for the purpose, you know, of enabling me to describe the society 230 THE BARNABYS in my book. And with that notion in her head, she will pick out the very best and gen- teelest : see if she don't." " I have no doubt of it," he replied, with a sagacious nod, " and I shall choose, my dear, to be included in this visiting, for I know of old, that New Orleans is accounted one of the first places for play, of its size, anywhere ; and that makes me think that it's likely enough, coming here as a stranger, with my family and all, so veiy respectable and domestic, I may do better in these drawing-rooms for the time we stay, than I have any chance of doing among the regiilar set at the gaming-tables. So I don't care how soon you set about talking to her on this subject; and you may say, you know, that in a new place, as this is to you, it has always been your rule to go nowhere unaccompanied by your ' excellent husband.' You understand me ?" " Oh yes, perfectly, my dear ; and I'll do the thing as it ought to be done, you may depend upon it. But I say, Donny, dear, there is no occasion, is there, for me to take those poor dear lanky-looking Perkinses with me, IN AMERICA. 231 everywhere ? It will be all very weU when we are in lodgings anywhere that we should all be together, because if it's the same here as in London, that makes a great difference in paying for the drawing-room; but it wiU be a dreadful bore, won't it, if we can never go out any where without them? I am sure I d^n't know who'll ever ask us." " On that point, my dear, I have not a word to say," replied the major, shaking his head, "it is one of those female, lady-like mysteries with which I positively can have nothing to do. It was you, my dear, and your daughter Patty, that arranged their coming with us, and now, if you like it, you may arrange that they shall be sent back again. If you had requested to bring mother Redcap I should have consented, pro- vided she could have paid her expenses, and if you had her here, I should let you do precisely what you liked with her. But I must not be plagued about it, Mrs. Barnaby." " No more you shall, dear ; I'U manage all that. And now be off with you, there's a good man, for I shall have Mrs. Beauchamp knocking at my door in a minute, and by what I hear the 232 THE BARNABYS boarding ladies say to one another, they would be shocked dreadfully to find you here." " Shocked to find me in my own room, wife ?" said the major, somewhat surprised. " Yes, they would indeed. It does seem droll, to be sure; but Mrs. Beauchamp says that every lady's chamber, as she calls it, is con- sidered in all the boarding-houses, the genteelest place to receive company, lady company of course, and therefore that the husbands are never per- mitted to be there." " Well then, I'm off. I'll just ramble about a little among the biUiard-tables this morning, but I shall be devilish careful how I play. So you must not be over anxious, my dear." * # * # * The sociable anticipations of Mrs. Allen Bar- naby were not disappointed, for hardly had the major disappeared before, as she had predicted, the gentle, lady-like knock of Mrs. Beauchamp was heard at the door. The well pleased tenant of the " chamber," confined not her welcome to the ordinary words " come in," but hastening to the door, threw it open to its widest extent, and did every thing that smiles, nods, hand-pressings, IN AMERICA. 233 and rejoicing expletives could do, to prove the delight which the visit gave her. The two ladies then seated themselves on a comfortable sofa, and smilingly began to com- pare notes on the explanatory interviews they had had with their respective husbands, since their conversation of the preceding morning. Bot^ declared that, far from finding any difficulty, the plan they had formed had met with the most cordial approbation from the gentlemen, both concluding her agreeable statement nearly in the same words, namely, " I must say that whenever I particularly wish any thing, the colonel (or) the major, very rarely opposes me." And then, having reached this point, Mrs. AUen Barnaby said, quite as a matter of course, that some short time however must be given to becoming better acquainted with the charming town they were in, for that it would be dreadful to write a book on America, and find nothing to say of so very fine a city as New Orleans. " God bless my soul ! I never thought of that !" exclaimed Mrs. Beauchamp, with the look and voice of a sincere penitent. " Most 234 THE BARNABYS perfectly true ! to be sure, most perfectly true ! I shall never forgive myself, I do think, for ever dreaming that you could start as we talked, right away up the river, with never a word said of such a gloiy of a city as New Orleans ! I expect I had better not teU this tale against myself at Mrs. Carmichael's dinner table, or I shall get more sour looks than would be at all agreeable. However, we'U both of us remember the proverb, * least said is soonest mended,' and never say a word about it ; you understand me, my dear lady? Yes, to be sure you must, Mrs. Allen Bamaby," she continued, after meditating a mo- ment, " you must see the theatres, both French and American ; and the glorious quays, and the magnificent levee, and we must get to the place where you'U be sure to see the most steamboats together, such a sight as you never saw before, I calculate. And then the market ! Oh, such a market ! every individual thing coming by the river, and no other earthly way, so smooth, such a cuiTent, and so unaccountable beautiful ! And then there wiE be the shops. You London ladies win find the difference between these shops and yours, I expect ; for here it is altogether one and IN AMERICA. 235 the same thing as if you went into the shops at Paris, even down to the talking French behind the counters, which we calculate gives a very genteel air to the town, being foreign-like with- out being English, which is what, as you want to know every thing, you will excuse me for saying, we prefer. But I have little or no doubt, my dear Mrs. Allen Barnaby, that when your book appears, such a book as, between us, I am sure we shall be able to make it, all those little unplea- sant feehngs will wear away, and you will come to be quite as popular among us as the French themselves." " Heaven grant your delightful prophecy may come true, my dear madam," returned Mrs. Allen Barnaby, every feature as she listened ex- pressive of attention and deep respect. " That it should prove so is, I may truly say, the first and dearest wish of my heart ! But it seems to me, my dear Mrs. Beauchamp, that notwith- standing the many interesting things you have mentioned, you have omitted one that is almost, I think, the most important of all." " Have I, indeed !" exclaimed Mrs. Beau- champ, looking in no degi-ee displeased by the 236 THE BARNABYS remark. " But I have no doubt you are right ; it is indeed a great deal more likely that you should be right than not, for this country, from end to end, is so crammed full of wonders, of one sort or another, that I expect one must have a most imaccountable good memory not to forget some of them. But tell me, my dear lady, what is the particular thing you mean ?" "It is your own fault, my dear Mrs. Beau- champ," replied the anxious inquirer, " if I do think it the most important of all," replied Mrs. Allen Barnaby, with a very charming smile. " If I had never seen or conversed with you, I might not perhaps have been so very desirous of acquir- ing the power of describing the society of the country. This is it, which I must confess strikes me as the most important feature of all, espe- cially in such sort of work as that which I intend to produce." "And you are right, I guess, as sure as there's a sun in heaven. No doubt about it; and what in the world I could be thinking of to suppose you could begin, even for a single page, without that, is more than I can guess, I promise you. I suppose I thought that was sure to come as a IN AMERICA. 237 matter of course. And so I suppose it would, in the long run, but you are a deal more smart and thoughtful than I am in turning your mind to it from the very first. Luckily there's no time lost as yet, however, and a few notes of my writing to some of the people of first standing in the town, will settle the matter at once." I l^ow not," said Mrs. AEen Barnaby, with much feeling, while her jocund heart fluttered in her bosom, as she remembered the trunks full of fine furbelowed dresses she had brought from London, "indeed I know not how I can ever thank you enough for all the trouble you are taking for me ! All I can say is, that you will not find an ungrateful heart." "All I can do, and ten times more, Mrs. Allen Barnaby, may be out and out repaid, I expect, if you win but exert your talents for us," replied Mrs. Beauchamp. "All I want in return is that you should portrait us out to the world for just what we really are, and that is the finest nation upon the surface of God's whole earth, and as far ahead in civilization of Europe in general, and England in particular, as the sum- mer is before winter in heat." 238 THE BARNABYS. " On that point fear nothing," replied Mrs. Allen Barnaby, with a sort of concentrated earnestness that seemed quite sublime to Mrs. Beauchamp, " my bosom seems to have received a spark from yours, and glows warmly, and I trust brightly, with the desire of teacliing the world where to look for and where to find all that is noblest in man. But teU me, my dear friend, permit me to call you so, teU me in what style do the ladies dress at the parties to which you so kindly propose introducing us? WiU feathers be considered as too fuU dress ? I have many sets that are exceedingly magnificent, but on this point I shall really wish to be entirely guided by you." " WeU, then, ma'am, I may say in return, that for the most part the ladies of New Orlines don't consider any dress whatever as too ele- gant for their parties ; and provided your feathers come from Paris, I don't in the least question but what they will be very much ap- proved. Perhaps, Mrs. AUen Barnaby, as we are on such comfortable and clever terms to- gether, you might not object to my just looking over your dresses? It is what we American IN AMERICA. 239 ladles don't at all scruple to ask fi-om one another, and I expect that there's few females to be found any where as better understands the thing than we do/' * * * * :j^ # It was quite impossible that Mrs. Beauchamp could ha^^e made any request with which Mrs. Allenr Barnaby would have complied with greater pleasure. Partly by the aid of the ready money which had floated round them duiing theii* few months' prosperous abode in London, and partly from the credit w^hich had resulted from it, Mrs. AUen Barnaby had contrived to " rig her- self out," as she called it, with a prodigious quantity of fine clothes. Nearly the first thought wliich crossed her mind when informed by her husband that she must prepare to cross the Atlantic, was hoiu she should be able to convey these treasures with her. She had puUed them, and caused them to be pulled forth from theii' various repositories, and probably any woman of nerves less firm than her own would, on seeing the accumulation, have aban- doned the idea of conve^dng• them all with her as a thing impossible. But not so my heroine. 240 THE BARNABYS As we are told is often the case with the noblest minds, difficulties on such an occasion -as this, only seemed to generate strength throughout her whole frame. A new, a very- new and original thought struck her a§ she gazed at the masses of velvet and satin piled around her in her Curzon-street bedroom, on the afternoon of the day which succeeded her celebrated ball. For one short moment indeed her spirit seemed overwhelmed, and she mut- tered the word " impossible !" But in the next the thought above alluded to suggested itself She fell into an attitude of deep medi- tation. The fore-finger of her left hand pressed to her forehead, the right hand extended as if to forbid the approach of any one to interrupt her, and her eyes closed. For a few minutes she stood thus silently and wholly absorbed, then arousing herself jfrom the sort of trance into which she seemed to have fallen, she said to the abigaU, who stood staring at her, " Where were all the hampers put, that brought in the wine which your master ordered when we first came into the house ?" "I don't rightly know, I'm sure, ma'am," ■^^r^ J^jZ*^ c^/z/£;',-h ; " then, indeed, it will be a pri\'ilege and vt . ?cious glory to have the task of awakening i^- soul of a young lady whose appearance is so every way interesting and appro vable." And here again, the general's lady, perhaps involuntarily, looked at the pretty new dress which Madame Tornorino had obtained at Howel -and James's, upon her papa's Curzon-street credit, a day or two before she left London. " It will, indeed, be veiy precious to me, Ma- dame Tornorino, my dear, to save so sweet a young brand from the bui'ning !" Now, here was sjinpathy if ever it existed upon earth. Mrs. General Gregory looked at Patty's silk and embroidery, and preached to her about election, because she approved them ; while Patty gazed upon Mrs. General Gregory's satin and lace, and patiently listened, because she too approved. From this point the conversation proceeded very amicably, the American lady judiciously mixing enough of worldly talk, to make her friendly overtures palatable to the as yet unre- IN AMERICA. 321 generated neophyte, and the English one endur- ing the " monstrous bore" f^^ her new friend's talk, for the sake of ha^\ ^ . fine acquaintance that seemed to think her of almost as much con- sequence as her mamma. END OF VOL. I. LONDON: l^tNlWD BV SCHVLZK AKD CO. 13, POLAND STREET. >■ J*, \ ir«?Ci g^T^^I gV7-> University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. AC MAY 1 200(' REC'DYRL AUG0 7'0C qula y |LL>- SFf?. AU3 2 3 2002 ^P^^) ?005 ^^ .jO>^ ^- ZX3 -< ^/^a]AIN(l-3WV :^ 5 Y iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ 1 Jl 3 1158 00447 9035 ^ >&Aavaaii#' ^^i^AavaaiHS^ ^ILIBRARYQ^ ^;lOSANGafj-., '^Aa3AINn-:UV'' , ^WE UNIVERS//, .vVlOS ANCElfj>^ \ \m ll >- en ^l-LIBRA'" aOdlTVJJ uc SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACllTY .vaan-^'^ [r/ AA 000 367 345 6 =i^ ■\EUN'IVER5 ^=?v >- -< OS OQ - < IP 1 vvlOSANCElfj> ''^•i'iiaDNVSoi^'-^ %a3AiNn3WV -A^OFCAIIFOff, ^f?AavaaiH^