Home as Found - James Fenimore Cooper (ebook reader wifi txt) 📗

demure while Pierre was gone to usher in their visiter,

and Eve was thinking of the medley of qualities John Effingham had

assembled in his description, as the door opened, and the subject of

her contemplation entered.

 

"_Monsieur Aristabule_" said Pierre, eyeing the card, but sticking at

the first name.

 

Mr. Aristabulus Bragg was advancing with an easy assurance to make

his bow to the ladies, when the more finished air and quiet dignity

of Miss Effingham, who was standing, so far disconcerted him, as

completely to upset his self-possession. As Grace had expressed it,

in consequence of having lived three years in the old residence at

Templeton, he had begun to consider himself a part of the family, and

at home he never spoke of the young lady without calling her "Eve,"

or "Eve Effingham." But he found it a very different thing to affect

familiarity among his associates, and to practise it in the very face

of its subject; and, although seldom at a loss for words of some sort

or another, he was now actually dumb-founded. Eve relieved his

awkwardness by directing Pierre, with her eye, to hand a chair, and

first speaking.

 

"I regret that my father is not in," she said, by way of turning the

visit from herself; "but he is to be expected every moment. Are you

lately from Templeton?"

 

Aristabulus drew his breath, and recovered enough of his ordinary

tone of manner to reply with a decent regard to his character for

self-command. The intimacy that he had intended to establish on the

spot, was temporarily defeated, it is true, and without his exactly

knowing how it had been effected; for it was merely the steadiness of

the young lady, blended as it was with a polished reserve, that had

thrown him to a distance he could not explain. He felt immediately,

and with taste that did his sagacity credit, that his footing in this

quarter was only to be obtained by unusually slow and cautious means.

Still, Mr. Bragg was a man of great decision, and, in his way, of

very far-sighted views; and, singular as it may seem, at that

unpropitious moment, he mentally determined that, at no very distant

day, he would make Miss Eve Effingham his wife.

 

"I hope Mr. Effingham enjoys good health," he said, with some such

caution as a rebuked school-girl enters on the recitation of her

task--"he enjoyed bad health I hear, (Mr. Aristabulus Bragg, though

so shrewd, was far from critical in his modes of speech) when he went

to Europe, and after travelling so far in such bad company, it would

be no more than fair that he should have a little respite as he

approaches home and old age."

 

Had Eve been told that the man who uttered this nice sentiment, and

that too in accents as uncouth and provincial as the thought was

finished and lucid, actually presumed to think of her as his bosom

companion, it is not easy to say which would have predominated in her

mind, mirth or resentment. But Mr. Bragg was not in the habit of

letting his secrets escape him prematurely, and certainly this was

one that none but a wizard could have discovered without the aid of a

direct oral or written communication.

 

"Are you lately from Templeton?" repeated Eve a little surprised that

the gentleman did not see fit to answer the question, which was the

only one that, as it seemed to her, could have a common interest with

them both.

 

"I left home the day before yesterday," Aristabulus now deigned to

reply.

 

"It is so long since I saw our beautiful mountains and I was then so

young, that I feel a great impatience to revisit them, though the

pleasure must be deferred until spring."

 

"I conclude they are the handsomest mountains in the known world,

Miss Effingham!"

 

"That is much more than I shall venture to claim for them; but,

according to my imperfect recollection, and, what I esteem of far

more importance, according to the united testimony of Mr. John

Effingham and my father, I think they must be very beautiful."

 

Aristabulus looked up, as if he had a facetious thing to say, and he

even ventured on a smile, while he made his answer.

 

"I hope Mr. John Effingham has prepared you for a great change in the

house?"

 

"We know that it has been repaired and altered under his directions.

That was done at my father's request."

 

"We consider it denationalized, Miss Effingham, there being nothing

like it, west of Albany at least."

 

"I should be sorry to find that my cousin has subjected us to this

imputation," said Eve smiling--perhaps a little equivocally; "the

architecture of America being generally so simple and pure. Mr.

Effingham laughs at his own improvements, however, in which, he says,

he has only carried out the plans of the original _artiste_, who

worked very much in what was called the composite order.

 

"You allude to Mr. Hiram Doolittle, a gentleman I never saw; though I

hear he has left behind him many traces of his progress in the newer

states. _Ex pede Herculem_, as we say, in the classics, Miss

Effingham I believe it is the general sentiment that Mr. Doolittle's

designs have been improved on, though most people think that the

Grecian or Roman architecture, which is so much in use in America,

would be more republican. But every body knows that Mr. John

Effingham is not much of a republican."

 

Eve did not choose to discuss her kinsman's opinions with Mr.

Aristabulus Bragg, and she quietly remarked that she "did not know

that the imitations of the ancient architecture, of which there are

so many in the country, were owing to attachment to republicanism."

 

"To what else can it be owing, Miss Eve?"

 

"Sure enough," said Grace Van Cortlandt; "it is unsuited to the

materials, the climate, and the uses; and some very powerful motive,

like that mentioned by Mr. Bragg, could alone overcome these

obstacles."

 

Aristabulus started from his seat, and making sundry apologies,

declared his previous unconsciousness that Miss Van Cortlandt was

present; all of which was true enough, as he had been so much

occupied mentally, with her cousin, as not to have observed her,

seated as she was partly behind a screen. Grace received the excuses

favourably, and the conversation was resumed.

 

"I am sorry that my cousin should offend the taste of the country,"

said Eve, "but as we are to live in the house, the punishment will

fall heaviest on the offenders."

 

"Do not mistake me, Miss Eve," returned Aristabulus, in a little

alarm, for he too well understood the influence and wealth of John

Effingham, not to wish to be on good terms with him; "do not mistake

me, I admire the house, and know it to be a perfect specimen of a

pure architecture in its way, but then public opinion is not yet

quite up to it. I see all its beauties, I would wish you to know, but

then there are many, a majority perhaps, who do not, and these

persons think they ought to be consulted about such matters."

 

"I believe Mr. John Effingham thinks less of his own work than you

seem to think of it yourself, sir, for I have frequently heard him

laugh at it, as a mere enlargement of the merits of the composite

order. He calls it a caprice, rather than a taste: nor do I see what

concern a majority, as you term them, can have with a house that does

not belong to them."

 

Aristabulus was surprised that any one could disregard a majority;

for, in this respect, he a good deal resembled Mr. Dodge, though

running a different career; and the look of surprise he gave was

natural and open.

 

"I do not mean that the public has a legal right to control the

tastes of the citizen," he said, "but in a _republican_ government,

you undoubtedly understand, Miss Eve, it _will_ rule in all things."

 

"I can understand that one would wish to see his neighbour use good

taste, as it helps to embellish a country; but the man who should

consult the whole neighbourhood before he built, would be very apt to

cause a complicated house to be erected, if he paid much respect to

the different opinions he received; or, what is quite as likely, apt

to have no house at all."

 

"I think you are mistaken, Miss Effingham, for the public sentiment,

just now, runs almost exclusively and popularly into the Grecian

school. We build little besides temples for our churches, our banks,

our taverns, our court-houses, and our dwellings. A friend of mine

has just built a brewery on the model of the Temple of the Winds."

 

"Had it been a mill, one might understand the conceit," said Eve, who

now began to perceive that her visiter had some latent humour, though

he produced it in a manner to induce one to think him any thing but a

droll. "The mountains must be doubly beautiful, if they are decorated

in the way you mention. I sincerely hope, Grace, that I shall find

the hills as pleasant as they now exist in my recollection!"

 

"Should they not prove to be quite as lovely as you imagine, Miss

Effingham," returned Aristabulus, who saw no impropriety in answering

a remark made to Miss Van Cortlandt, or any one else, "I hope you

will have the kindness to conceal the fact from the world."

 

"I am afraid that would exceed my power, the disappointment would be

so strong. May I ask why you show so much interest in my keeping so

cruel a mortification to myself?"

 

"Why, Miss Eve," said Aristabulus, looking grave, "I am afraid that

_our_ people would hardly bear the expression of such an opinion from

_you_"

 

"From _me!_--and why not from _me_, in particular?"

 

"Perhaps it is because they think you have travelled, and have seen

other countries."

 

"And is it only those who have _not_ travelled, and who have no means

of knowing the value of what they say, that are privileged to

criticise?"

 

"I cannot exactly explain my own meaning, perhaps, but I think Miss

Grace will understand me. Do you not agree with me, Miss Van

Cortlandt, in thinking it would be safer for one who never saw any

other mountains to complain of the tameness and monotony of our own,

than for one who had passed a whole life among the Andes and the

Alps?"

 

Eve smiled, for she saw that Mr. Bragg was capable of detecting and

laughing at provincial pride, even while he was so much under its

influence; and Grace coloured, for she had the consciousness of

having already betrayed some of this very silly sensitiveness, in her

intercourse with her cousin, in connexion with other subjects. A

reply was unnecessary, however, as the door just then opened, and

John Effingham made his appearance. The meeting between the two

gentlemen, for we suppose Aristabulus must be included in the

category by courtesy, if not of right, was more cordial than Eve had

expected to witness, for each really entertained a respect for the

other, in reference to a merit of a particular sort; Mr. Bragg

esteeming Mr. John Effingham as a wealthy and caustic cynic, and Mr.

John Effingham regarding Mr. Bragg much as the owner of a dwelling

regards a valuable house-dog. After a few moments of conversation,

the two withdrew together, and just as the ladies were about to

descend to the drawing-room, previously to dinner, Pierre announced

that a plate had been ordered for the land agent.

 

Chapter II.

 

"I know that Deformed; he has been a vile thief this seven year he

goes up and down like a gentleman."

 

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

 

Eve, and her cousin, found Sir George Templemore and Captain Truck in

the drawing-room, the former having lingered in New-York, with a

desire to be near his friends, and the latter being on the point of

sailing for Europe, in his regular turn. To these must be added Mr.

Bragg and the ordinary inmates of the house, when the reader will get

a view of the whole party.

 

Aristabulus had never before sat down to as brilliant a table, and

for the first time in his life, he saw candles lighted at a dinner;

but he was not a man to be disconcerted at a novelty. Had he been a

European of the same origin and habits, awkwardness would have

betrayed him fifty times, before the dessert made its appearance;

but, being the man he was, one who overlooked a certain prurient

politeness that rather illustrated his deportment, might very well

have permitted him to pass among the _oi polloi_ of the world, were

it not for a peculiar management in the way of providing for himself.

It is true, he asked every one near him to eat of every thing he

could himself reach, and that he used his knife as a coal-heaver uses

a shovel; but the company he was in, though fastidious in its own

deportment, was altogether above the silver-forkisms,