the age of innocence - edith wharton

8/8/2019 The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

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TheAgeofInnocenceEdithWharton


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TheAgeofInnocence

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BookI

I.

OnaJanuaryeveningoftheearlyseventies,ChristineNilssonwassinginginFaustattheAcademyofMusicinNewYork.

Though there was already talk of the erection, in remotemetropolitandistancesabovetheForties,ofanewOperaHousewhichshould compete in costlinessand splendourwith thoseof

thegreat

European

capitals,

the

world

of

fashion

was

still

content

toreassembleeverywinterintheshabbyredandgoldboxesofthesociableoldAcademy.Conservativescherisheditforbeingsmalland inconvenient,and thuskeepingout thenewpeoplewhomNewYorkwasbeginning todreadandyetbedrawn to;and thesentimentalclungtoitforitshistoricassociations,andthemusicalforitsexcellentacoustics,alwayssoproblematicaqualityinhallsbuiltforthehearingofmusic.

Itwas

Madame

Nilssons

first

appearance

that

winter,

and

what

thedailypresshadalreadylearnedtodescribeasanexceptionallybrilliantaudiencehadgathered tohearher, transported throughtheslippery,snowystreets inprivatebroughams,in thespaciousfamily landau, or in the humbler but more convenient Browncoupe.To come to theOpera in aBrown coupewas almost ashonourable a way of arriving as in ones own carriage; anddeparture by the same means had the immense advantage ofenablingone(withaplayfulallusiontodemocraticprinciples)to

scrambleinto

the

first

Brown

conveyance

in

the

line,

instead

of

waiting till the coldandgin congested nose of ones owncoachmangleamedundertheporticooftheAcademy.Itwasoneofthe great liverystablemans most masterly intuitions to havediscoveredthatAmericanswanttogetawayfromamusementevenmorequicklythantheywanttogettoit.

WhenNewlandArcheropenedthedooratthebackoftheclubboxthe curtainhad justgoneupon thegarden scene.Therewasno

reasonwhy

the

young

man

should

not

have

come

earlier,

for

he

had dined at seven, alone with his mother and sister, and hadlingeredafterwardovera cigar in theGothic librarywithglazedblackwalnut bookcases and finialtopped chairswhich was the


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onlyroominthehousewhereMrs.Archerallowedsmoking.But,inthefirstplace,NewYorkwasametropolis,andperfectlyawarethat inmetropolises itwas not the thing to arrive early at the

opera;and

what

was

or

was

not

the

thing

played

apart

as

importantinNewlandArchersNewYorkastheinscrutabletotemterrorsthathadruledthedestiniesofhisforefathersthousandsofyearsago.

The second reason for his delay was a personal one. He haddawdledoverhis cigarbecausehewasatheartadilettante,andthinking over a pleasure to come often gave him a subtlersatisfactionthanitsrealisation.Thiswasespeciallythecasewhen

thepleasure

was

adelicate

one,

as

his

pleasures

mostly

were;

and

onthisoccasionthemomenthelookedforwardtowassorareandexquisite in quality thatwell, if he had timed his arrival inaccordwith theprimadonnas stagemanagerhe couldnothaveenteredtheAcademyatamoresignificantmomentthanjustasshewassinging:HelovesmehelovesmenotHELOVESME!andsprinklingthefallingdaisypetalswithnotesasclearasdew.

She sang, of course, Mama! and not he lovesme, since an

unalterableand

unquestioned

law

of

the

musical

world

required

that the German text of French operas sung by Swedish artistsshouldbe translated into Italian for theclearerunderstandingofEnglish speakingaudiences.Thisseemedasnatural toNewlandArcherasalltheotherconventionsonwhichhislifewasmoulded:such as the duty of using two silver backed brushes with hismonograminblueenameltoparthishair,andofneverappearingin society without a flower (preferably a gardenia) in hisbuttonhole.

Mama...nonmama...theprimadonnasang,andMama!,with a final burst of love triumphant, as she pressed thedishevelled daisy to her lips and lifted her large eyes to thesophisticated countenanceof the littlebrownFaustCapoul,whowasvainlytrying,inatightpurplevelvetdoubletandplumedcap,tolookaspureandtrueashisartlessvictim.

NewlandArcher,leaningagainst thewallat thebackof theclub

box,turned

his

eyes

from

the

stage

and

scanned

the

opposite

side

ofthehouse.DirectlyfacinghimwastheboxofoldMrs.MansonMingott, whose monstrous obesity had long since made itimpossible for her to attend the Opera, but who was always


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represented on fashionable nights by some of the youngermembersofthefamily.Onthisoccasion,thefrontoftheboxwasfilled by her daughterinlaw, Mrs. Lovell Mingott, and her

daughter,Mrs.

Welland;

and

slightly

withdrawn

behind

these

brocadedmatronssatayounggirl inwhitewitheyesecstaticallyfixedon thestagelovers.AsMadameNilssonsMama! thrilledout above the silent house (the boxes always stopped talkingduringtheDaisySong)awarmpinkmountedtothegirlscheek,mantledherbrowtotherootsofherfairbraids,andsuffusedtheyoungslopeofherbreast to the linewhere itmetamodest tulletuckerfastenedwithasinglegardenia.Shedroppedhereyestotheimmensebouquetofliliesofthevalleyonherknee,andNewland

Archersaw

her

white

gloved

finger

tips

touch

the

flowers

softly.

Hedrewabreathofsatisfiedvanityandhiseyesreturned tothestage.

No expense had been spared on the setting, which wasacknowledgedtobeverybeautifulevenbypeoplewhosharedhisacquaintance with the Opera houses of Paris and Vienna. Theforeground, to the footlights, was covered with emerald greencloth.Inthemiddledistancesymmetricalmoundsofwoollygreen

mossbounded

by

croquet

hoops

formed

the

base

of

shrubs

shaped

like orangetrees but studded with large pink and red roses.Giganticpansies, considerably larger than the roses, and closelyresemblingthefloralpen wipersmadebyfemaleparishionersforfashionable clergymen, sprang from themoss beneath the rosetrees;andhereandthereadaisygraftedonarose branchfloweredwith a luxuriance prophetic of Mr. Luther Burbanks faroffprodigies.

Inthe

centre

of

this

enchanted

garden

Madame

Nilsson,

in

white

cashmereslashedwithpalebluesatin,areticuledanglingfromablue girdle, and large yellow braids carefully disposed on eachsideofhermuslinchemisette, listenedwithdowncasteyes toM.Capouls impassioned wooing, and affected a guilelessincomprehensionofhisdesignswhenever,bywordorglance,hepersuasivelyindicatedthegroundfloorwindowoftheneatbrickvillaprojectingobliquelyfromtherightwing.

Thedarling!

thought

Newland

Archer,

his

glance

flitting

back

to

the young girl with the liliesofthe valley. She doesnt evenguess what its all about. And he contemplated her absorbedyoungfacewithathrillofpossessorshipinwhichprideinhisown


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masculine initiationwasmingledwitha tenderreverence forherabysmalpurity.WellreadFausttogether...bytheItalianlakes.. . he thought, somewhat hazily confusing the scene of his

projectedhoney

moon

with

the

masterpieces

of

literature

which

it

wouldbehismanlyprivilege to reveal tohisbride. Itwasonlythat afternoon that May Welland had let him guess that shecared (NewYorks consecratedphraseofmaiden avowal), andalreadyhisimagination,leapingaheadoftheengagementring,thebetrothalkissand themarch fromLohengrin,picturedherathissideinsomesceneofoldEuropeanwitchery.

HedidnotintheleastwishthefutureMrs.NewlandArchertobe

asimpleton.

He

meant

her

(thanks

to

his

enlightening

companionship) to develop a social tact and readiness of witenabling her to hold her own with the most popular marriedwomen of the younger set, in which it was the recognisedcustom toattractmasculinehomagewhileplayfullydiscouragingit.Ifhehadprobedtothebottomofhisvanity (ashesometimesnearly did) he would have found there the wish that his wifeshouldbeasworldlywiseand as eager topleaseas themarriedladywhosecharmshadheldhisfancythroughtwomildlyagitated

years;without,

of

course,

any

hint

of

the

frailty

which

had

so

nearlymarredthatunhappybeingslife,andhaddisarrangedhisownplansforawholewinter.

Howthismiracleoffireandicewastobecreated,andtosustainitself inaharshworld,hehadnevertakenthe time to thinkout;buthewascontenttoholdhisviewwithoutanalysingit,sinceheknew itwas thatofall the carefullybrushed,whitewaistcoated,button holefloweredgentlemenwhosucceededeachotherinthe

clubbox,

exchanged

friendly

greetings

with

him,

and

turned

their

operaglassescriticallyonthecircleofladieswhoweretheproductofthesystem.InmattersintellectualandartisticNewlandArcherfelthimselfdistinctly the superiorof these chosen specimensofoldNewYorkgentility;hehadprobablyreadmore,thoughtmore,andevenseenagooddealmoreoftheworld,thananyothermanofthenumber.Singlytheybetrayedtheirinferiority;butgroupedtogethertheyrepresentedNewYork,andthehabitofmasculinesolidaritymadehimaccept theirdoctrineonall the issuescalled

moral.He

instinctively

felt

that

in

this

respect

it

would

be

troublesomeandalsoratherbadformtostrikeoutforhimself.


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Welluponmy soul!exclaimedLawrenceLefferts, turninghisoperaglassabruptlyawayfrom thestage.LawrenceLeffertswas,onthewhole,theforemostauthorityonforminNewYork.He

hadprobably

devoted

more

time

than

any

one

else

to

the

study

of

this intricateand fascinatingquestion;butstudyalone couldnotaccount forhis complete and easy competence.Onehad only tolookathim,from theslantofhisbaldforeheadand thecurveofhisbeautiful fairmoustache to the longpatentleather feetat theother end of his lean and elegant person, to feel that theknowledge of formmustbe congenital in any onewhoknewhowtowearsuchgoodclothessocarelesslyandcarrysuchheightwithsomuchlounginggrace.Asayoungadmirerhadoncesaidof

him:If

anybody

can

tell

afellow

just

when

to

wear

ablack

tie

witheveningclothesandwhennotto,itsLarryLefferts.Andonthe question of pumps versus patentleather Oxfords hisauthorityhadneverbeendisputed.

MyGod!hesaid;andsilentlyhandedhisglasstooldSillertonJackson.

Newland Archer, following Leffertss glance, saw with surprise

thathis

exclamation

had

been

occasioned

by

the

entry

of

anew

figure into oldMrs.Mingotts box. Itwas that of a slim youngwoman, a little less tall than May Welland, with brown hairgrowing in close curlsabouther templesandheld inplacebyanarrow band of diamonds. The suggestion of this headdress,which gave her what was then called a Josephine look, wascarried out in the cut of the dark blue velvet gown rathertheatrically caughtupunderherbosomby agirdlewith a largeoldfashionedclasp.Thewearerofthisunusualdress,whoseemed

quiteunconscious

of

the

attention

it

was

attracting,

stood

a

momentinthecentreofthebox,discussingwithMrs.Wellandtheproprietyoftakingthelattersplaceinthefrontright handcorner;then she yieldedwith a slight smile, and seated herself in linewithMrs.Wellands sisterinlaw,Mrs.LovellMingott,whowasinstalledintheoppositecorner.

Mr. Sillerton Jackson had returned the operaglass to LawrenceLefferts. The whole of the club turned instinctively, waiting to

hearwhat

the

old

man

had

to

say;

for

old

Mr.

Jackson

was

as

great

anauthorityonfamilyasLawrenceLeffertswasonform.Heknewall the ramificationsofNewYorkscousinships;andcouldnot only elucidate such complicated questions as that of the


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connectionbetweentheMingotts(throughtheThorleys)withtheDallases of South Carolina, and that of the relationship of theelderbranchofPhiladelphiaThorleystotheAlbanyChiverses(on

noaccount

to

be

confused

with

the

Manson

Chiverses

of

University Place), but could also enumerate the leadingcharacteristics of each family: as, for instance, the fabulousstinginess of the younger lines of Leffertses (the Long Islandones); or the fatal tendency of theRushworths to make foolishmatches; or the insanity recurring in every secondgeneration oftheAlbany Chiverses, with whom their New York cousins hadalways refused to intermarrywith the disastrous exception ofpoorMedoraManson,who,aseverybodyknew . . .but thenher

motherwas

aRushworth.

In addition to this forest of family trees, Mr. Sillerton Jacksoncarried between his narrow hollow temples, and under his softthatch of silver hair, a register of most of the scandals andmysteriesthathadsmoulderedundertheunruffledsurfaceofNewYork society within the last fifty years. So far indeed did hisinformationextend,andsoacutelyretentivewashismemory,thathewassupposedtobetheonlymanwhocouldhavetoldyouwho

JuliusBeaufort,

the

banker,

really

was,

and

what

had

become

of

handsomeBobSpicer,oldMrs.MansonMingottsfather,whohaddisappearedsomysteriously(withalargesumoftrustmoney)lessthan a year after hismarriage, on the very day that a beautifulSpanishdancerwhohadbeendelighting thronged audiences intheoldOperahouseon theBatteryhadtakenshipforCuba.Butthese mysteries, and many others, were closely locked in Mr.Jacksonsbreast;fornotonlydidhiskeensenseofhonourforbidhisrepeatinganythingprivatelyimparted,buthewasfullyaware

thathis

reputation

for

discretion

increased

his

opportunities

of

findingoutwhathewantedtoknow.

The club box, therefore, waited in visible suspense while Mr.SillertonJacksonhandedbackLawrenceLeffertssoperaglass.Foramoment he silently scrutinised the attentive group out of hisfilmy blue eyes overhung by old veined lids; then he gave hismoustacheathoughtfultwist,andsaidsimply:IdidntthinktheMingottswouldhavetriediton.


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II.

NewlandArcher,duringthisbriefepisode,hadbeenthrownintoa

strangestate

of

embarrassment.

It was annoying that the box which was thus attracting theundivided attention of masculine New York should be that inwhichhisbetrothedwasseatedbetweenhermotherandaunt;andforamomenthecouldnot identify the lady in theEmpiredress,norimaginewhyherpresencecreatedsuchexcitementamongtheinitiated. Then light dawned on him, and with it came amomentary rushof indignation.No, indeed;noonewouldhave

thoughtthe

Mingotts

would

have

tried

it

on!

Buttheyhad;theyundoubtedlyhad;forthelow tonedcommentsbehindhimleftnodoubtinArchersmindthattheyoungwomanwasMayWellands cousin, the cousin always referred to in thefamily as poor Ellen Olenska. Archer knew that she hadsuddenly arrived from Europe a day or two previously; he hadevenheardfromMissWelland (notdisapprovingly) thatshehadbeen to seepoorEllen,whowas stayingwitholdMrs.Mingott.

Archerentirely

approved

of

family

solidarity,

and

one

of

the

qualities he most admired in the Mingotts was their resolutechampionship of the fewblack sheep that theirblameless stockhad produced. There was nothing mean or ungenerous in theyoungmansheart,andhewasgladthathisfuturewifeshouldnotberestrainedbyfalsepruderyfrombeingkind(inprivate)toherunhappy cousin; but to receiveCountessOlenska in the familycirclewasadifferent thing fromproducingher inpublic,at theOperaofallplaces,andintheveryboxwiththeyounggirlwhose

engagementto

him,

Newland

Archer,

was

to

be

announced

within

a fewweeks.No,he feltasoldSillerton Jackson felt;hedidnotthinktheMingottswouldhavetriediton!

He knew, of course, that whatever man dared (within FifthAvenues limits) thatoldMrs.MansonMingott, theMatriarchoftheline,woulddare.Hehadalwaysadmiredthehighandmightyold lady,who, in spite ofhaving been onlyCatherineSpicerofStaten Island,withafathermysteriouslydiscredited,andneither

moneynor

position

enough

to

make

people

forget

it,

had

allied

herselfwiththeheadofthewealthyMingottline,marriedtwoofherdaughters toforeigners (an ItalianmarquisandanEnglishbanker),andputthecrowningtouchtoheraudacitiesbybuilding


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a large house of pale creamcoloured stone (when brownsandstone seemed asmuch the onlywear as a frockcoat in theafternoon)inaninaccessiblewildernessneartheCentralPark.

OldMrs.Mingottsforeigndaughtershadbecomealegend.Theynever came back to see their mother, and the latter being, likemanypersonsofactivemindanddominatingwill,sedentaryandcorpulentinherhabit,hadphilosophicallyremainedathome.Butthecream colouredhouse(supposedtobemodelledontheprivatehotelsof theParisianaristocracy)was thereasavisibleproofofhermoralcourage;andshethronedinit,amongpreRevolutionaryfurnitureandsouvenirsoftheTuileriesofLouisNapoleon(where

shehad

shone

in

her

middle

age),

as

placidly

as

if

there

were

nothingpeculiarinlivingaboveThirtyfourthStreet,orinhavingFrench windows that opened like doors instead of sashes thatpushedup.

Every one (includingMr. Sillerton Jackson)was agreed that oldCatherinehadneverhadbeautyagiftwhich,intheeyesofNewYork, justified every success, and excused a certain number offailings.Unkindpeoplesaidthat,likeherImperialnamesake,she

hadwon

her

way

to

success

by

strength

of

will

and

hardness

of

heart, and a kind of haughty effrontery that was somehowjustifiedby the extremedecency anddignity ofherprivate life.Mr.MansonMingotthaddiedwhen shewasonly twentyeight,andhadtiedup themoneywithanadditionalcautionbornofthegeneraldistrustoftheSpicers;buthisboldyoungwidowwentherwayfearlessly,mingled freely inforeignsociety,marriedherdaughters inheavenknewwhat corrupt and fashionable circles,hobnobbedwith Dukes and Ambassadors, associated familiarly

withPapists,

entertained

Opera

singers,

and

was

the

intimate

friendofMme.Taglioni; and all thewhile (asSillerton Jacksonwas the first to proclaim) therehad never been a breath on herreputation; the only respect, he always added, in which shedifferedfromtheearlierCatherine.

Mrs. Manson Mingott had long since succeeded in untying herhusbands fortune,andhad lived inaffluence forhalfa century;butmemoriesofherearlystraitshadmadeherexcessivelythrifty,

andthough,

when

she

bought

adress

or

apiece

of

furniture,

she

tookcarethatitshouldbeofthebest,shecouldnotbringherselftospendmuchon the transientpleasuresof the table.Therefore,fortotallydifferentreasons,herfoodwasaspoorasMrs.Archers,


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andherwinesdidnothing to redeem it.Her relativesconsideredthatthepenuryofhertablediscreditedtheMingottname,whichhad always been associated with good living; but people

continuedto

come

to

her

in

spite

of

the

made

dishes

and

flat

champagne, and in reply to the remonstrancesofher sonLovell(whotriedtoretrievethefamilycreditbyhavingthebestchefinNew York) she used to say laughingly: Whats the use of twogoodcooksinonefamily,nowthatIvemarriedthegirlsandcanteatsauces?

Newland Archer, as he mused on these things, had once moreturnedhiseyestowardtheMingottbox.HesawthatMrs.Welland

andher

sister

in

law

were

facing

their

semicircle

of

critics

with

the

MingottianAPLOMBwhich oldCatherine had inculcated in allher tribe,and thatonlyMayWellandbetrayed,by aheightenedcolour(perhapsduetotheknowledgethathewaswatchingher)asense of the gravity of the situation. As for the cause of thecommotion, she satgracefully inher cornerof thebox,her eyesfixedon the stage, and revealing, as she leaned forward, a littlemore shoulder and bosom than New York was accustomed toseeing, at least in ladies who had reasons for wishing to pass

unnoticed.

FewthingsseemedtoNewlandArchermoreawfulthananoffenceagainstTaste,thatfaroffdivinityofwhomFormwasthemerevisiblerepresentativeandvicegerent.MadameOlenskaspaleandseriousfaceappealedtohisfancyassuitedtotheoccasionandtoher unhappy situation; but the way her dress (which had notucker)slopedawayfromherthinshouldersshockedandtroubledhim.He hated to think ofMayWellands being exposed to the

influenceof

ayoung

woman

so

careless

of

the

dictates

of

Taste.

After all,heheardoneof theyoungermenbeginbehindhim(everybody talked through the Mephistopheles andMarthascenes),afterall,justWHAThappened?

Wellshelefthim;nobodyattemptstodenythat.

Hesanawfulbrute, isnthe? continued theyoungenquirer,a

candidThorley,

who

was

evidently

preparing

to

enter

the

lists

as

theladyschampion.


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Theveryworst;IknewhimatNice,saidLawrenceLeffertswithauthority. A halfparalysed white sneering fellowratherhandsomehead,buteyeswithalotoflashes.Well,Illtellyouthe

sort:when

he

wasnt

with

women

he

was

collecting

china.

Paying

anypriceforboth,Iunderstand.

Therewasageneral laugh,and theyoungchampionsaid:Well,then?

Well,then;sheboltedwithhissecretary.

Oh,Isee.Thechampionsfacefell.

Itdidntlastlong,though:IheardofherafewmonthslaterlivingaloneinVenice.IbelieveLovellMingottwentouttogether.Hesaid she was desperately unhappy. Thats all rightbut thisparadingherattheOperasanotherthing.

Perhaps,youngThorleyhazarded,shestoounhappytobeleftathome.

Thiswas

greeted

with

an

irreverent

laugh,

and

the

youth

blushed

deeply, and tried to look as if he hadmeant to insinuatewhatknowingpeoplecalledadoubleentendre.

Wellitsqueer tohavebroughtMissWelland,anyhow,someonesaidinalowtone,withaside glanceatArcher.

Oh, thats part of the campaign: Grannys orders, no doubt,Lefferts laughed. When the old lady does a thing she does it

thoroughly.

The act was ending, and there was a general stir in the box.SuddenlyNewlandArcherfelthimselfimpelledtodecisiveaction.The desire to be the first man to enter Mrs. Mingotts box, toproclaim to thewaitingworld his engagement toMayWelland,and to see her through whatever difficulties her cousinsanomalous situation might involve her in; this impulse hadabruptly overruled all scruples and hesitations, and sent him

hurryingthrough

the

red

corridors

to

the

farther

side

of

the

house.

Ashe entered theboxhis eyesmetMissWellands, andhe sawthat shehad instantlyunderstoodhismotive, though the family


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dignitywhichbothconsideredsohighavirtuewouldnotpermither to tell him so. The persons of their world lived in anatmosphereoffaint implicationsandpaledelicacies,andthefact

thathe

and

she

understood

each

other

without

aword

seemed

to

theyoungmantobring themnearer thananyexplanationwouldhavedone.Hereyessaid:YouseewhyMammabroughtme,andhisanswered:Iwouldnotfortheworldhavehadyoustayaway.

YouknowmynieceCountessOlenska?Mrs.Wellandenquiredas she shook handswith her future son inlaw.Archer bowedwithout extending his hand, as was the custom on beingintroduced to a lady; and EllenOlenska bent her head slightly,

keepingher

own

pale

gloved

hands

clasped

on

her

huge

fan

of

eaglefeathers.HavinggreetedMrs.LovellMingott,alargeblondeladyincreakingsatin,hesatdownbesidehisbetrothed,andsaidin a low tone: I hope youve toldMadameOlenska thatwereengaged? I want everybody to knowI want you to let meannounceitthiseveningattheball.

MissWellandsfacegrewrosyasthedawn,andshelookedathimwith radianteyes.Ifyou canpersuadeMamma, she said;but

whyshould

we

change

what

is

already

settled?

He

made

no

answerbutthatwhichhiseyesreturned,andsheadded,stillmoreconfidently smiling: Tellmy cousin yourself: I give you leave.Shesayssheusedtoplaywithyouwhenyouwerechildren.

Shemadewayforhimbypushingbackherchair,andpromptly,and a little ostentatiously,with the desire that thewhole houseshould see what he was doing, Archer seated himself at theCountessOlenskasside.

WeDIDusetoplaytogether,didntwe?sheasked,turninghergrave eyes to his. Youwere a horrid boy, and kissedme oncebehindadoor;butitwasyourcousinVandieNewland,whoneverlookedatme,thatIwasinlovewith.Herglancesweptthehorseshoecurveofboxes.Ah,howthisbringsitallbacktomeIseeeverybodyhereinknickerbockersandpantalettes,shesaid,withhertrailingslightlyforeignaccent,hereyesreturningtohisface.

Agreeableas

their

expression

was,

the

young

man

was

shocked

that they should reflect so unseemly a picture of the augusttribunal beforewhich, at that verymoment, her casewas beingtried.Nothing couldbe inworse taste thanmisplaced flippancy;


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andhe answered somewhat stiffly: Yes, youhavebeen away averylongtime.

Oh,centuries

and

centuries;

so

long,

she

said,

that

Im

sure

Im

dead and buried, and this dear oldplace is heaven;which, forreasons he could not define, struckNewlandArcher as an evenmoredisrespectfulwayofdescribingNewYorksociety.


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III.

Itinvariablyhappenedinthesameway.

Mrs.JuliusBeaufort,onthenightofherannualball,neverfailedto appear at theOpera; indeed, she always gave her ball on anOpera night in order to emphasise her complete superiority tohousehold cares, and her possession of a staff of servantscompetent to organise every detail of the entertainment in herabsence.

The Beauforts house was one of the few in New York that

possessedaball

room

(it

antedated

even

Mrs.

Manson

Mingotts

andtheHeadlyChiverses);andatatimewhenitwasbeginningtobe thought provincial toput a crash over thedrawingroomfloor andmove the furniture upstairs, the possession of a ballroom that was used for no other purpose, and left for threehundredandsixtyfour days of the year to shuttered darkness,withitsgiltchairsstackedinacorneranditschandelierinabag;this undoubted superioritywas felt to compensate forwhateverwasregrettableintheBeaufortpast.

Mrs.Archer,whowasfondofcoininghersocialphilosophy intoaxioms,hadonce said: We allhaveourpet commonpeopleand though the phrase was a daring one, its truth was secretlyadmittedinmanyanexclusivebosom.ButtheBeaufortswerenotexactly common; some people said they were even worse. Mrs.Beaufort belonged indeed to one of Americas most honouredfamilies; she had been the lovely Regina Dallas (of the SouthCarolina branch), a penniless beauty introduced to New York

societyby

her

cousin,

the

imprudent

Medora

Manson,

who

was

alwaysdoing thewrong thing from the rightmotive.WhenonewasrelatedtotheMansonsandtheRushworthsonehadadroitde cite (as Mr. Sillerton Jackson, who had frequented theTuileries,calledit)inNewYorksociety;butdidonenotforfeititinmarryingJuliusBeaufort?

The question was: who was Beaufort? He passed for anEnglishman, was agreeable, handsome, illtempered, hospitable

andwitty.

He

had

come

to

America

with

letters

of

recommendationfromoldMrs.MansonMingottsEnglishsoninlaw, the banker, and had speedily made himself an importantpositionintheworldofaffairs;buthishabitsweredissipated,his


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tongue was bitter, his antecedents were mysterious; and whenMedoraMansonannouncedhercousinsengagementtohimitwasfelt tobeonemore actof folly inpoorMedoras long recordof

imprudences.

Butfollyisasoftenjustifiedofherchildrenaswisdom,andtwoyearsafteryoungMrs.Beaufortsmarriageitwasadmittedthatshehad the most distinguished house in New York. No one knewexactly how the miracle was accomplished. She was indolent,passive,thecausticevencalledherdull;butdressedlikeanidol,hung with pearls, growing younger and blonder and morebeautiful eachyear, she throned inMr.Beaufortsheavybrown

stonepalace,

and

drew

all

the

world

there

without

lifting

her

jewelled little finger. The knowing people said itwas Beauforthimselfwhotrainedtheservants,taughtthechefnewdishes,toldthegardenerswhathothouseflowerstogrowforthedinnertableand the drawingrooms, selected the guests, brewed the afterdinner punch anddictated the littlenoteshiswifewrote toherfriends. If he did, these domestic activities were privatelyperformed, and he presented to the world the appearance of acarelessandhospitablemillionairestrollingintohisowndrawing

roomwith

the

detachment

of

an

invited

guest,

and

saying:

My

wifesgloxiniasareamarvel,arentthey?IbelieveshegetsthemoutfromKew.

Mr.Beaufortssecret,peoplewereagreed,wasthewayhecarriedthings off. It was all very well to whisper that he had beenhelped to leaveEnglandby the internationalbankinghouse inwhichhehadbeenemployed;hecarriedoffthatrumouraseasilyas the restthoughNewYorksbusiness consciencewasno less

sensitivethan

its

moral

standardhe

carried

everything

before

him, and all New York into his drawing rooms, and for overtwenty years now people had said they were going to theBeaufortswiththesametoneofsecurityasiftheyhadsaidtheywere going to Mrs. Manson Mingotts, and with the addedsatisfactionofknowingtheywouldgethotcanvasbackducksandvintagewines,insteadoftepidVeuveClicquotwithoutayearandwarmedupcroquettesfromPhiladelphia.

Mrs.Beaufort,

then,

had

as

usual

appeared

in

her

box

just

before

the JewelSong;andwhen,againasusual,she roseat theendofthethirdact,drewheroperacloakaboutherlovelyshoulders,and


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disappeared,NewYorkknewthatmeantthathalfanhourlatertheballwouldbegin.

TheBeaufort

house

was

one

that

New

Yorkers

were

proud

to

show

to foreigners, especially on the night of the annual ball. TheBeaufortshadbeenamong the firstpeople inNewYork toowntheirown redvelvetcarpetandhave it rolleddown thestepsbytheirown footmen,under theirownawning, insteadofhiring itwith the supper and the ballroom chairs. They had alsoinauguratedthecustomoflettingtheladiestaketheircloaksoffinthe hall, instead of shuffling up to the hostesss bedroom andrecurling theirhairwith theaidof thegasburner;Beaufortwas

understoodto

have

said

that

he

supposed

all

his

wifes

friends

had

maidswho saw to it that theywereproperly coiffeeswhen theylefthome.

Thenthehousehadbeenboldlyplannedwithaballroom,sothat,insteadofsqueezingthroughanarrowpassagetogettoit(asattheChiverses) one marched solemnly down a vista of enfiladeddrawing rooms (theseagreen,thecrimsonand theboutondor),seeingfromafarthemanycandledlustresreflectedinthepolished

parquetry,and

beyond

that

the

depths

of

aconservatory

where

camellias and treeferns arched their costly foliage over seats ofblackandgoldbamboo.

NewlandArcher,asbecameayoungmanofhisposition,strolledinsomewhatlate.Hehadlefthisovercoatwiththesilkstockingedfootmen (thestockingswereoneofBeauforts few fatuities),haddawdled a while in the library hung with Spanish leather andfurnished with Buhl and malachite, where a few men were

chattingand

putting

on

their

dancing

gloves,

and

had

finally

joinedthelineofguestswhomMrs.Beaufortwasreceivingonthethresholdofthecrimsondrawingroom.

Archerwasdistinctlynervous.Hehadnotgoneback tohisclubafter theOpera (as theyoungbloodsusuallydid),but, thenightbeingfine,hadwalkedforsomedistanceupFifthAvenuebeforeturning back in the direction of the Beauforts house. He wasdefinitelyafraidthattheMingottsmightbegoingtoofar;that,in

fact,they

might

have

Granny

Mingotts

orders

to

bring

the

CountessOlenskatotheball.


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From the tone of the club box he had perceived how grave amistake that would be; and, though he was more than everdetermined to see the thing through, he felt less chivalrously

eagerto

champion

his

betrotheds

cousin

than

before

their

brief

talkattheOpera.

Wanderingon to theboutondordrawingroom (whereBeauforthad had the audacity to hang Love Victorious, the muchdiscussed nude ofBouguereau)Archer foundMrs.Welland andher daughter standing near the ballroom door. Couples werealreadyglidingoverthefloorbeyond:thelightofthewaxcandlesfell on revolving tulle skirts, on girlish heads wreathed with

modestblossoms,

on

the

dashing

aigrettes

and

ornaments

of

the

young married womens coiffures, and on the glitter of highlyglazedshirtfrontsandfreshglacegloves.

MissWelland, evidently about to join thedancers, hung on thethreshold,herliliesofthevalleyinherhand(shecarriednootherbouquet), her face a little pale, her eyes burningwith a candidexcitement.Agroupofyoungmenandgirlsweregatheredabouther,and therewasmuchhandclasping, laughingandpleasantry

onwhich

Mrs.

Welland,

standing

slightly

apart,

shed

the

beam

of

a

qualifiedapproval.ItwasevidentthatMissWellandwasintheactofannouncingherengagement,whilehermotheraffectedtheairofparentalreluctanceconsideredsuitabletotheoccasion.

Archer paused a moment. It was at his express wish that theannouncement had been made, and yet it was not thus that hewouldhavewished tohavehishappinessknown.Toproclaim itintheheatandnoiseofacrowdedballroomwastorobitofthe

finebloom

of

privacy

which

should

belong

to

things

nearest

the

heart.Hisjoywassodeepthatthisblurringofthesurfaceleftitsessenceuntouched;buthewouldhave liked tokeep the surfacepure too. It was something of a satisfaction to find that MayWellandsharedthisfeeling.Hereyesfledtohisbeseechingly,andtheirlooksaid:Remember,weredoingthisbecauseitsright.

No appeal could have found a more immediate response inArchersbreast;buthewishedthatthenecessityoftheiractionhad

beenrepresented

by

some

ideal

reason,

and

not

simply

by

poor

EllenOlenska.ThegroupaboutMissWellandmadewayforhimwith significant smiles, and after taking his share of the


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felicitations he drew his betrothed into the middle of the ballroomfloorandputhisarmaboutherwaist.

Nowwe

shant

have

to

talk,

he

said,

smiling

into

her

candid

eyes,astheyfloatedawayonthesoftwavesoftheBlueDanube.

Shemadenoanswer.Herlipstrembledintoasmile,buttheeyesremaineddistantandserious,asifbentonsomeineffablevision.Dear,Archerwhispered,pressinghertohim:itwasborneinonhimthatthefirsthoursofbeingengaged,evenifspentinaballroom,hadinthemsomethinggraveandsacramental.Whatanewlifeitwasgoingtobe,withthiswhiteness,radiance,goodnessat

onesside!

Thedanceover,thetwo,asbecameanaffiancedcouple,wanderedintotheconservatory;andsittingbehindatallscreenoftreefernsandcamelliasNewlandpressedherglovedhandtohislips.

YouseeIdidasyouaskedmeto,shesaid.

Yes: I couldntwait,he answered smiling.After amomenthe

added:Only

Iwish

it

hadnt

had

to

be

at

aball.

Yes, I know. Shemet his glance comprehendingly. But afterallevenherewerealonetogether,arentwe?

Oh,dearestalways!Archercried.

Evidently shewas always going to understand; shewas alwaysgoing to say the right thing.Thediscoverymade the cup ofhis

blissoverflow,

and

he

went

on

gaily:

The

worst

of

it

is

that

Iwant

tokissyouandIcant.Ashespokehetookaswiftglanceabouttheconservatory,assuredhimselfoftheirmomentaryprivacy,andcatching her to him laid a fugitive pressure on her lips. Tocounteracttheaudacityofthisproceedingheledhertoabamboosofaina lesssecludedpartof theconservatory,andsittingdownbeside her broke a lilyofthevalley from her bouquet. She satsilent,andtheworldlaylikeasunlitvalleyattheirfeet.

Didyou

tell

my

cousin

Ellen?

she

asked

presently,

as

if

she

spokethroughadream.


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He roused himself, and remembered that he had not done so.Someinvinciblerepugnancetospeakofsuchthingstothestrangeforeignwomanhadcheckedthewordsonhislips.

NoIhadntthechanceafterall,hesaid,fibbinghastily.

Ah.Shelookeddisappointed,butgentlyresolvedongainingherpoint.Youmust,then,forIdidnteither;andIshouldntlikehertothink

Ofcoursenot.Butarentyou,afterall,thepersontodoit?

Shepondered

on

this.

If

Id

done

it

at

the

right

time,

yes:

but

now

that theresbeenadelay I thinkyoumustexplain that Idaskedyou to tell her at the Opera, before our speaking about it toeverybodyhere.Otherwise shemight think I had forgottenher.Yousee,shesoneofthefamily,andshesbeenawaysolongthatshesrathersensitive.

Archerlookedatherglowingly.Dearandgreatangel!OfcourseIll tell her. He glanced a trifle apprehensively toward the

crowdedball

room.

But

Ihavent

seen

her

yet.

Has

she

come?

No;atthelastminuteshedecidednotto.

At the lastminute?he echoed,betrayinghis surprise that sheshouldeverhaveconsideredthealternativepossible.

Yes. Shes awfully fond of dancing, the young girl answeredsimply.Butsuddenlyshemadeuphermindthatherdresswasnt

smartenough

for

aball,

though

we

thought

it

so

lovely;

and

so

my

aunthadtotakeherhome.

Oh,wellsaidArcherwithhappyindifference.Nothingabouthisbetrothedpleasedhimmorethanherresolutedeterminationtocarrytoitsutmostlimitthatritualofignoringtheunpleasantinwhichtheyhadbothbeenbroughtup.

SheknowsaswellasIdo,hereflected,therealreasonofher

cousinsstaying

away;

but

Ishall

never

let

her

see

by

the

least

sign

that Iam consciousof therebeinga shadowofa shadeonpoorEllenOlenskasreputation.


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IV.

Inthecourseofthenextdaythefirstoftheusualbetrothalvisits

wereexchanged.

The

New

York

ritual

was

precise

and

inflexible

in

suchmatters;andinconformitywithitNewlandArcherfirstwentwithhismotherandsistertocallonMrs.Welland,afterwhichheand Mrs. Welland and May drove out to old Mrs. MansonMingottstoreceivethatvenerableancestresssblessing.

AvisittoMrs.MansonMingottwasalwaysanamusingepisodetothe young man. The house in itself was already an historicdocument,thoughnot,ofcourse,asvenerableascertainotherold

familyhouses

in

University

Place

and

lower

Fifth

Avenue.

Those

were of thepurest 1830,with a grimharmony of cabbage rosegarlanded carpets, rosewood consoles, roundarched fireplaceswith black marble mantels, and immense glazed bookcases ofmahogany;whereas oldMrs.Mingott,who had built her houselater,hadbodilycastoutthemassivefurnitureofherprime,andmingledwith theMingottheirlooms the frivolousupholsteryofthe Second Empire. It was her habit to sit in a window of hersittingroomonthegroundfloor,asifwatchingcalmlyforlifeand

fashionto

flow

northward

to

her

solitary

doors.

She

seemed

in

no

hurry to have them come, for her patiencewas equalled by herconfidence. She was sure that presently the hoardings, thequarries, the onestory saloons, the wooden greenhouses inragged gardens, and the rocks from which goats surveyed thescene,wouldvanishbeforetheadvanceofresidencesasstatelyasherownperhaps(forshewasanimpartialwoman)evenstatelier;and that the cobble stones over which the old clatteringomnibusesbumpedwouldbereplacedbysmoothasphalt,suchas

peoplereported

having

seen

in

Paris.

Meanwhile,

as

every

one

she

caredtoseecametoHER(andshecouldfillherroomsaseasilyastheBeauforts,andwithoutaddingasingleitemtothemenuofhersuppers),shedidnotsufferfromhergeographicisolation.

The immense accretion of fleshwhichhad descended onher inmiddlelifelikeafloodoflavaonadoomedcityhadchangedherfrom aplump active littlewomanwith aneatlyturned foot andankleintosomethingasvastandaugustasanaturalphenomenon.

Shehad

accepted

this

submergence

as

philosophically

as

all

her

other trials, and now, in extreme old age, was rewarded bypresenting to hermirror an almost unwrinkled expanse of firmpinkandwhiteflesh,inthecentreofwhichthetracesofasmall


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20

facesurvivedasifawaitingexcavation.Aflightofsmoothdoublechinsleddowntothedizzydepthsofastillsnowybosomveiledinsnowymuslinsthatwereheldinplacebyaminiatureportraitof

thelate

Mr.

Mingott;

and

around

and

below,

wave

after

wave

of

black silk surged away over the edges of a capacious armchair,withtwotinywhitehandspoisedlikegullsonthesurfaceofthebillows.

TheburdenofMrs.MansonMingottsfleshhadlongsincemadeitimpossible for her to go up and down stairs, and withcharacteristic independence she had made her reception roomsupstairs and established herself (in flagrant violation of all the

NewYork

proprieties)

on

the

ground

floor

of

her

house;

so

that,

as

yousatinhersittingroomwindowwithher,youcaught(throughadoor thatwasalwaysopen,anda looped backyellowdamaskportiere) theunexpectedvistaofabedroomwithahugelowbedupholstered like a sofa, and a toilettable with frivolous laceflouncesandagiltframedmirror.

Hervisitorswerestartledandfascinatedbytheforeignnessofthisarrangement, which recalled scenes in French fiction, and

architecturalincentives

to

immorality

such

as

the

simple

American

hadneverdreamedof.Thatwashowwomenwithloverslivedinthewickedoldsocieties,inapartmentswithalltheroomsononefloor, and all the indecent propinquities that their novelsdescribed. ItamusedNewlandArcher (whohad secretly situatedthe lovescenes of Monsieur de Camors in Mrs. Mingottsbedroom) topictureherblameless life led in the stagesettingofadultery;buthesaidtohimself,withconsiderableadmiration,thatifa loverhadbeenwhatshewanted, the intrepidwomanwould

havehad

him

too.

TothegeneralrelieftheCountessOlenskawasnotpresentinhergrandmothers drawingroom during the visit of the betrothedcouple.Mrs.Mingott said shehadgoneout;which,on adayofsuchglaringsunlight,andattheshoppinghour,seemedinitselfan indelicate thing for a compromisedwoman todo.But at anyrate it spared them the embarrassment of her presence, and thefaintshadow thatherunhappypastmightseem toshedon their

radiantfuture.

The

visit

went

off

successfully,

as

was

to

have

been

expected.OldMrs.Mingottwasdelightedwith the engagement,which, being long foreseen by watchful relatives, had beencarefullypasseduponinfamilycouncil;andtheengagementring,


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a large thick sapphire set in invisible claws, met with herunqualifiedadmiration.

Itsthe

new

setting:

of

course

it

shows

the

stone

beautifully,

but

it

looks a little bare to oldfashioned eyes, Mrs. Welland hadexplained,withaconciliatorysideglanceatherfuturesoninlaw.

Oldfashionedeyes?Ihopeyoudontmeanmine,mydear?Ilikeallthenovelties,saidtheancestress,liftingthestonetohersmallbright orbs, which no glasses had ever disfigured. Veryhandsome, she added, returning the jewel; very liberal. Inmytimeacameosetinpearlswasthoughtsufficient.Butitsthehand

thatsets

off

the

ring,

isnt

it,

my

dear

Mr.

Archer?

and

she

waved

oneofher tinyhands,withsmallpointednailsand rollsofagedfatencirclingthewristlikeivorybracelets.MinewasmodelledinRome by the great Ferrigiani. You should haveMays done: nodoubthellhave itdone,my child.Herhand is largeits thesemodernsportsthatspreadthejointsbuttheskiniswhite.Andwhens the wedding to be? she broke off, fixing her eyes onArchersface.

OhMrs.

Welland

murmured,

while

the

young

man,

smiling

at

hisbetrothed,replied:Assoonaseveritcan,ifonlyyoullbackmeup,Mrs.Mingott.

Wemustgivethemtimetogettoknoweachotheralittlebetter,mamma,Mrs.Wellandinterposed,withtheproperaffectationofreluctance; towhich the ancestress rejoined: Know each other?Fiddlesticks! Everybody in New York has always knowneverybody.Let theyoungmanhavehisway,mydear;dontwait

tillthe

bubbles

off

the

wine.

Marry

them

before

Lent;

Imay

catch

pneumonia any winter now, and I want to give the weddingbreakfast.

These successive statements were received with the properexpressionsofamusement,incredulityandgratitude;andthevisitwas breaking up in a vein of mild pleasantry when the dooropenedtoadmittheCountessOlenska,whoenteredinbonnetandmantlefollowedbytheunexpectedfigureofJuliusBeaufort.

Therewasacousinlymurmurofpleasurebetweentheladies,andMrs. Mingott held out Ferrigianis model to the banker. Ha!


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22

Beaufort, this is a rare favour! (Shehad anodd foreignwayofaddressingmenbytheirsurnames.)

Thanks.Iwish

it

might

happen

oftener,

said

the

visitor

in

his

easy arrogant way. Im generally so tied down; but I met theCountessEllen inMadisonSquare,andshewasgoodenough toletmewalkhomewithher.

AhIhopethehousewillbegayer,nowthatEllenshere!criedMrs. Mingott with a glorious effrontery. Sit downsit down,Beaufort:pushuptheyellowarmchair;nowIvegotyouIwantagoodgossip. Ihearyourballwasmagnificent;and Iunderstand

youinvited

Mrs.

Lemuel

Struthers?

WellIve

acuriosity

to

see

thewomanmyself.

Shehadforgottenherrelatives,whoweredriftingoutintothehallunder Ellen Olenskas guidance. Old Mrs. Mingott had alwaysprofessedagreatadmiration for JuliusBeaufort,and therewasakindofkinshipintheircooldomineeringwayandtheirshortcutsthrough the conventions.Now shewas eagerly curious toknowwhathaddecided theBeauforts to invite (for the first time)Mrs.

LemuelStruthers,

the

widow

of

Strutherss

Shoe

polish,

who

had

returnedthepreviousyearfromalonginitiatorysojourninEuropetolaysiegetothetightlittlecitadelofNewYork.Ofcourseifyouand Regina invite her the thing is settled. Well, we need newbloodandnewmoneyandIhearshesstillverygoodlooking,thecarnivorousoldladydeclared.

In the hall, while Mrs. Welland and May drew on their furs,ArchersawthattheCountessOlenskawaslookingathimwitha

faintlyquestioning

smile.

Of course you know alreadyabout May and me, he said,answering her look with a shy laugh. She scolded me for notgivingyouthenewslastnightattheOpera:IhadherorderstotellyouthatwewereengagedbutIcouldnt,inthatcrowd.

The smilepassed fromCountessOlenskas eyes toher lips: shelooked younger,more like theboldbrownEllenMingott ofhis

boyhood.Of

course

Iknow;

yes.

And

Im

so

glad.

But

one

doesnt

tellsuchthingsfirstinacrowd.Theladieswereonthethresholdandsheheldoutherhand.


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Goodbye;comeandseemesomeday,shesaid,stilllookingatArcher.

Inthe

carriage,

on

the

way

down

Fifth

Avenue,

they

talked

pointedly of Mrs. Mingott, of her age, her spirit, and all herwonderfulattributes.NoonealludedtoEllenOlenska;butArcherknewthatMrs.Wellandwasthinking:ItsamistakeforEllentobeseen,theverydayafterherarrival,paradingupFifthAvenueatthe crowded hour with Julius Beaufort and the young manhimselfmentallyadded:Andsheoughttoknowthatamanwhosjust engaged doesnt spend his time calling onmarriedwomen.But I daresay in the set shes lived in they dothey never do

anythingelse.

And,

in

spite

of

the

cosmopolitan

views

on

which

hepridedhimself,hethankedheaventhathewasaNewYorker,andabouttoallyhimselfwithoneofhisownkind.


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TheAgeofInnocence

24

V.

ThenexteveningoldMr.SillertonJacksoncametodinewiththe

Archers.

Mrs.Archerwas a shywomanand shrank from society;but sheliked to be wellinformed as to its doings. Her old friend Mr.SillertonJacksonappliedtotheinvestigationofhisfriendsaffairsthepatienceofacollectorand thescienceofanaturalist;andhissister, Miss Sophy Jackson, who lived with him, and wasentertained by all the people who could not secure her muchsoughtafterbrother,broughthomebitsofminorgossipthatfilled

outusefully

the

gaps

in

his

picture.

Therefore,wheneveranythinghappenedthatMrs.Archerwantedto know about, she asked Mr. Jackson to dine; and as shehonoured few people with her invitations, and as she and herdaughter Janeywere an excellent audience,Mr. Jackson usuallycame himself instead of sending his sister. If he could havedictated all the conditions, he would have chosen the eveningswhen Newland was out; not because the young man was

uncongenialto

him

(the

two

got

on

capitally

at

their

club)

but

because the old anecdotist sometimes felt, onNewlands part, atendencytoweighhisevidencethattheladiesofthefamilynevershowed.

Mr.Jackson,ifperfectionhadbeenattainableonearth,wouldalsohave asked thatMrs.Archers food shouldbe a littlebetter.ButthenNewYork,asfarbackasthemindofmancouldtravel,hadbeen divided into the two great fundamental groups of the

Mingottsand

Mansons

and

all

their

clan,

who

cared

about

eating

andclothesandmoney,andtheArcherNewland vanderLuydentribe,whoweredevotedtotravel,horticultureandthebestfiction,andlookeddownonthegrosserformsofpleasure.

You couldnt have everything, after all. If you dined with theLovell Mingotts you got canvasback and terrapin and vintagewines; atAdelineArchers you could talk aboutAlpine sceneryandTheMarbleFaun;andluckilytheArcherMadeirahadgone

roundthe

Cape.

Therefore

when

afriendly

summons

came

from

Mrs.Archer,Mr. Jackson,whowasa trueeclectic,wouldusuallysaytohissister:IvebeenalittlegoutysincemylastdinnerattheLovellMingottsitwilldomegoodtodietatAdelines.


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25

Mrs.Archer,whohadlongbeenawidow,livedwithhersonanddaughter in West Twentyeighth Street. An upper floor was

dedicatedto

Newland,

and

the

two

women

squeezed

themselves

intonarrowerquartersbelow.Inanuncloudedharmonyoftastesand interests they cultivated ferns in Wardian cases, mademacrame laceandwoolembroideryon linen,collectedAmericanrevolutionaryglazedware,subscribedtoGoodWords,andreadOuidas novels for the sake of the Italian atmosphere. (Theypreferred thoseaboutpeasant life,becauseof thedescriptionsofscenery and the pleasanter sentiments, though in general theyliked novels about people in society,whosemotives and habits

weremore

comprehensible,

spoke

severely

of

Dickens,

who

had

neverdrawnagentleman,andconsideredThackeraylessathomeinthegreatworldthanBulwerwho,however,wasbeginningtobethoughtoldfashioned.)Mrs.andMissArcherwerebothgreatloversofscenery.Itwaswhattheyprincipallysoughtandadmiredon their occasional travels abroad; considering architecture andpaintingassubjectsformen,andchieflyforlearnedpersonswhoreadRuskin.Mrs.ArcherhadbeenbornaNewland,andmotherand daughter,whowere as like as sisters,were both, aspeople

said,true

Newlands;

tall,

pale,

and

slightly

round

shouldered,

withlongnoses,sweetsmilesandakindofdroopingdistinctionlike that in certain faded Reynolds portraits. Their physicalresemblancewouldhavebeencompleteifanelderlyembonpointhadnotstretchedMrs.Archersblackbrocade,whileMissArchersbrownandpurplepoplinshung,as theyearswenton,moreandmoreslacklyonhervirginframe.

Mentally,thelikenessbetweenthem,asNewlandwasaware,was

lesscomplete

than

their

identical

mannerisms

often

made

it

appear.The longhabitof living together inmutuallydependentintimacyhadgiventhemthesamevocabulary,andthesamehabitof beginning their phrases Mother thinks or Janey thinks,accordingasoneortheotherwishedtoadvanceanopinionofherown;butinreality,whileMrs.Archerssereneunimaginativenessrested easily in the accepted and familiar, Janey was subject tostarts and aberrations of fancy welling up from springs ofsuppressedromance.

Motheranddaughteradoredeachotherandreveredtheirsonandbrother; and Archer loved them with a tenderness madecompunctious and uncritical by the sense of their exaggerated


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26

admiration,andbyhissecretsatisfactioninit.Afterall,hethoughtitagoodthingforamantohavehisauthorityrespectedinhisownhouse,evenifhissenseofhumoursometimesmadehimquestion

theforce

of

his

mandate.

On thisoccasion theyoungmanwasvery sure thatMr. Jacksonwouldratherhavehadhimdineout;buthehadhisownreasonsfornotdoingso.

OfcourseoldJacksonwantedtotalkaboutEllenOlenska,andofcourseMrs.ArcherandJaneywantedtohearwhathehadtotell.All threewouldbe slightlyembarrassedbyNewlandspresence,

nowthat

his

prospective

relation

to

the

Mingott

clan

had

been

madeknown;andtheyoungmanwaitedwithanamusedcuriositytoseehowtheywouldturnthedifficulty.

Theybegan,obliquely,bytalkingaboutMrs.LemuelStruthers.

ItsapitytheBeaufortsaskedher,Mrs.Archersaidgently.ButthenReginaalwaysdoeswhathetellsher;andBEAUFORT

Certainnuances

escape

Beaufort,

said

Mr.

Jackson,

cautiously

inspecting the broiled shad, and wondering for the thousandthtime why Mrs. Archers cook always burnt the roe to a cinder.(Newland,whohadlongsharedhiswonder,couldalwaysdetectitintheoldermansexpressionofmelancholydisapproval.)

Oh,necessarily;Beaufortisavulgarman,saidMrs.Archer.MygrandfatherNewlandalwaysusedtosaytomymother:`Whateveryoudo,dont let that fellowBeaufortbe introduced to thegirls.

Butat

least

hes

had

the

advantage

of

associating

with

gentlemen;

inEnglandtoo,theysay.ItsallverymysteriousSheglancedatJaneyandpaused.SheandJaneykneweveryfoldoftheBeaufortmystery,but inpublicMrs.Archer continued toassume that thesubjectwasnotonefortheunmarried.

But thisMrs.Struthers,Mrs.Archer continued;whatdidyousaySHEwas,Sillerton?

Outof

amine:

or

rather

out

of

the

saloon

at

the

head

of

the

pit.

Then with Living WaxWorks, touring New England. After thepolicebrokeTHATup, they say she livedMr. Jackson inhisturnglancedatJaney,whoseeyesbegantobulgefromunderher


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prominentlids.TherewerestillhiatusesforherinMrs.Struthersspast.

Then,Mr.

Jackson

continued

(and

Archer

saw

he

was

wondering

whynoonehad told thebutlernever to slice cucumberswith asteel knife), then Lemuel Struthers came along. They say hisadvertiser used the girls head for the shoepolish posters; herhairs intensely black, you knowthe Egyptian style. Anyhow,heeventuallymarriedher.Therewerevolumesof innuendointhewaytheeventuallywasspaced,andeachsyllablegivenitsduestress.

Oh,wellat

the

pass

weve

come

to

nowadays,

it

doesnt

matter,

said Mrs. Archer indifferently. The ladies were not reallyinterestedinMrs.Struthersjustthen;thesubjectofEllenOlenskawastoofreshandtooabsorbingtothem.Indeed,Mrs.Strutherssname had been introduced byMrs.Archer only that shemightpresentlybeable tosay:AndNewlandsnewcousinCountessOlenska?WasSHEattheballtoo?

Therewasafainttouchofsarcasminthereferencetoherson,and

Archerknew

it

and

had

expected

it.

Even

Mrs.

Archer,

who

was

seldomundulypleasedwithhuman events,hadbeen altogethergladofhersonsengagement.(EspeciallyafterthatsillybusinesswithMrs.Rushworth,asshehadremarkedtoJaney,alludingtowhat had once seemed toNewland a tragedy ofwhich his soulwouldalwaysbearthescar.)

TherewasnobettermatchinNewYorkthanMayWelland,lookatthe question from whatever point you chose. Of course such a

marriagewas

only

what

Newland

was

entitled

to;

but

young

men

are so foolish and incalculableand somewomen so ensnaringandunscrupulousthat itwasnothing shortof amiracle to seeones only son safe past the Siren Isle and in the haven of ablamelessdomesticity.

AllthisMrs.Archerfelt,andhersonknewshefelt;butheknewalsothatshehadbeenperturbedbytheprematureannouncementof his engagement, or rather by its cause; and it was for that

reasonbecauseon

the

whole

he

was

atender

and

indulgent

masterthathehadstayedathome thatevening.Itsnot that IdontapproveoftheMingottsespritdecorps;butwhyNewlandsengagement should be mixed up with that Olenska womans


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comingsandgoingsIdontsee,Mrs.Archergrumbled toJaney,theonlywitnessofherslightlapsesfromperfectsweetness.

Shehad

behaved

beautifullyand

in

beautiful

behaviour

she

was

unsurpassedduring the call on Mrs. Welland; but Newlandknew (andhisbetrotheddoubtlessguessed) thatall through thevisit she and Janey were nervously on the watch for MadameOlenskas possible intrusion; and when they left the housetogethershehadpermittedherselftosaytoherson:ImthankfulthatAugustaWellandreceivedusalone.

These indicationsof inwarddisturbancemovedArcher themore

thathe

too

felt

that

the

Mingotts

had

gone

alittle

too

far.

But,

as

it

was against all the rules of their code that themother and sonshould ever allude towhatwasuppermost in their thoughts,hesimplyreplied:Oh,well,theresalwaysaphaseoffamilypartiesto be gone throughwhen one gets engaged, and the sooner itsoverthebetter.Atwhichhismothermerelypursedherlipsunderthelaceveilthathungdownfromhergreyvelvetbonnettrimmedwithfrostedgrapes.

Herrevenge,

he

felther

lawful

revengewould

be

to

draw

Mr.

Jackson that evening on the Countess Olenska; and, havingpubliclydonehisdutyasafuturememberoftheMingottclan,theyoung man had no objection to hearing the lady discussed inprivateexcept that the subject was already beginning to borehim.

Mr.Jacksonhadhelpedhimselftoasliceofthetepidfiletwhichthemournfulbutlerhadhandedhimwithalookasscepticalashis

own,and

had

rejected

the

mushroom

sauce

after

ascarcely

perceptible sniff. He looked baffled and hungry, and ArcherreflectedthathewouldprobablyfinishhismealonEllenOlenska.

Mr. Jackson leaned back in his chair, and glanced up at thecandlelitArchers,NewlandsandvanderLuydenshangingindarkframesonthedarkwalls.

Ah,howyourgrandfatherArcher lovedagooddinner,mydear

Newland!he

said,

his

eyes

on

the

portrait

of

aplump

full

chested

youngman in a stock and a blue coat,with a view of awhitecolumned countryhouse behind him. Wellwellwell . . . Iwonderwhathewouldhavesaidtoalltheseforeignmarriages!


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Mrs.Archerignored theallusion to theancestralcuisineandMr.Jackson continued with deliberation: No, she was NOT at the

ball.

AhMrs.Archermurmured, ina tone that implied:Shehadthatdecency.

PerhapstheBeaufortsdontknowher,Janeysuggested,withherartlessmalice.

Mr. Jacksongave a faint sip, as ifhehadbeen tasting invisible

Madeira.Mrs.

Beaufort

may

notbut

Beaufort

certainly

does,

for

shewasseenwalkingupFifthAvenuethisafternoonwithhimbythewholeofNewYork.

Mercy moaned Mrs. Archer, evidently perceiving theuselessnessoftryingtoascribetheactionsofforeignerstoasenseofdelicacy.

Iwonderifshewearsaroundhatorabonnetintheafternoon,

Janeyspeculated.

At

the

Opera

Iknow

she

had

on

dark

blue

velvet,perfectlyplainandflatlikeanightgown.

Janey! saidhermother; andMissArcherblushed and tried tolookaudacious.

It was, at any rate, in better taste not to go to the ball, Mrs.Archercontinued.

Aspirit

of

perversity

moved

her

son

to

rejoin:

I

dont

think

it

was

aquestionof tastewithher.Maysaidshemeant togo,and thendecidedthatthedressinquestionwasntsmartenough.

Mrs.Archer smiled at this confirmation of her inference. PoorEllen, she simply remarked;adding compassionately:Wemustalways bear in mind what an eccentric bringingup MedoraMansongaveher.Whatcanyouexpectofagirlwhowasallowedtowearblacksatinathercomingoutball?

AhdontIrememberherinit!saidMr.Jackson;adding:Poorgirl! in the tone of onewho,while enjoying thememory, hadfullyunderstoodatthetimewhatthesightportended.


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Its odd, Janey remarked, that she should have kept such anugly name as Ellen. I should have changed it to Elaine. She

glancedabout

the

table

to

see

the

effect

of

this.

Herbrotherlaughed.WhyElaine?

I dont know; it sounds moremore Polish, said Janey,blushing.

It sounds more conspicuous; and that can hardly be what shewishes,saidMrs.Archerdistantly.

Why not? broke in her son, growing suddenly argumentative.Why shouldnt shebe conspicuous if she chooses?Why shouldsheslinkaboutasifitwereshewhohaddisgracedherself?Shes`poor Ellen certainly, because she had the bad luck to make awretchedmarriage;but Idontsee that thatsa reason forhidingherheadasifsheweretheculprit.

That,Isuppose,saidMr.Jackson,speculatively,isthelinethe

Mingottsmean

to

take.

Theyoungman reddened.Ididnthave towait for theircue, ifthatswhatyoumean,sir.MadameOlenskahashadanunhappylife:thatdoesntmakeheranoutcast.

Therearerumours,beganMr.Jackson,glancingatJaney.

Oh, I know: the secretary, the young man took him up.

Nonsense,mother;

Janeys

grown

up.

They

say,

dont

they,

he

wenton,thatthesecretaryhelpedhertogetawayfromherbruteofahusband,whokeptherpracticallyaprisoner?Well,whatifhedid?Ihope thereisntamanamonguswhowouldnthavedonethesameinsuchacase.

Mr. Jackson glanced over his shoulder to say to the sad butler:Perhaps . . . thatsauce . . . justa little,afterall; then,havinghelpedhimself,heremarked:Imtoldsheslookingforahouse.

Shemeans

to

live

here.

Ihearshemeanstogetadivorce,saidJaneyboldly.


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Ihopeshewill!Archerexclaimed.

Theword had fallen like a bombshell in the pure and tranquil

atmosphereof

the

Archer

dining

room.

Mrs.

Archer

raised

her

delicate eyebrows in the particular curve that signified: Thebutlerandtheyoungman,himselfmindfulofthebadtasteofdiscussing such intimatematters in public, hastily branched offintoanaccountofhisvisittooldMrs.Mingott.

After dinner, according to immemorial custom,Mrs.Archer andJaney trailed their long silk draperies up to the drawingroom,where,whilethegentlemensmokedbelowstairs,theysatbesidea

Carcellamp

with

an

engraved

globe,

facing

each

other

across

a

rosewoodworktablewithagreensilkbagunderit,andstitchedatthetwoendsofatapestrybandoffieldflowersdestinedtoadornan occasional chair in the drawing room of young Mrs.NewlandArcher.

Whilethisritewasinprogressinthedrawingroom,ArchersettledMr.JacksoninanarmchairnearthefireintheGothiclibraryandhanded him a cigar. Mr. Jackson sank into the armchair with

satisfaction,lit

his

cigar

with

perfect

confidence

(it

was

Newland

whoboughtthem),andstretchinghisthinoldanklestothecoals,said: You say the secretarymerely helped her to get away,mydear fellow?Well,hewas stillhelpingherayear later, then; forsomebodymetemlivingatLausannetogether.

Newlandreddened.Livingtogether?Well,whynot?Whohadtherighttomakeherlifeoverifshehadnt?Imsickofthehypocrisythatwouldburyaliveawomanofherageifherhusbandprefersto

livewith

harlots.

He stopped and turned away angrily to lighthis cigar. Womenought to be freeas free as we are, he declared, making adiscovery of which he was too irritated to measure the terrificconsequences.

Mr. Sillerton Jackson stretched his ankles nearer the coals andemittedasardonicwhistle.

Well, he said after a pause, apparently Count Olenski takesyourview;forIneverheardofhishavingliftedafingertogethiswifeback.


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VI.

Thatevening,afterMr. Jacksonhad takenhimselfaway,and the

ladieshad

retired

to

their

chintz

curtained

bedroom,

Newland

Archermounted thoughtfully tohisown study.Avigilanthandhad,asusual,kept the firealiveand the lamp trimmed;and theroom, with its rows and rows of books, its bronze and steelstatuettes of The Fencers on the mantelpiece and its manyphotographsoffamouspictures,lookedsingularlyhomelikeandwelcoming.

Ashedroppedintohisarmchairnearthefirehiseyesrestedona

largephotograph

of

May

Welland,

which

the

young

girl

had

given

him in the first days of their romance, and which had nowdisplacedalltheotherportraitsonthetable.Withanewsenseofawehelookedatthefrankforehead,seriouseyesandgayinnocentmouthoftheyoungcreaturewhosesoulscustodianhewastobe.That terrifying product of the social system he belonged to andbelieved in, the young girl who knew nothing and expectedeverything, looked back at him like a stranger through MayWellandsfamiliarfeatures;andoncemoreitwasborneinonhim

thatmarriage

was

not

the

safe

anchorage

he

had

been

taught

to

think,butavoyageonunchartedseas.

The case of the Countess Olenska had stirred up old settledconvictionsandset themdriftingdangerously throughhismind.Hisownexclamation:Womenshouldbefreeasfreeasweare,strucktotherootofaproblemthat itwasagreedinhisworldtoregardasnonexistent.Nicewomen,howeverwronged,wouldneverclaimthekindoffreedomhemeant,andgenerous minded

menlike

himself

were

thereforein

the

heat

of

argumentthe

more chivalrously ready to concede it to them. Such verbalgenerosities were in fact only a humbugging disguise of theinexorableconventionsthattiedthingstogetherandboundpeopledowntotheoldpattern.Butherehewaspledgedtodefend,onthepartofhisbetrothedscousin,conductthat,onhisownwifespart,would justify him in calling down on her all the thunders ofChurchandState.Ofcoursethedilemmawaspurelyhypothetical;sincehewasnt ablackguardPolishnobleman, itwas absurd to

speculatewhat

his

wifes

rights

would

be

if

he

WERE.

But

NewlandArcherwas too imaginativenot to feel that, inhis caseand Mays, the tie might gall for reasons far less gross andpalpable.Whatcouldheandshereallyknowofeachother,sinceit


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34

washisduty, asadecent fellow, to concealhispast fromher,andhers,asamarriageablegirl,tohavenopasttoconceal?Whatif,forsomeoneofthesubtlerreasonsthatwouldtellwithbothof

them,they

should

tire

of

each

other,

misunderstand

or

irritate

each

other?Hereviewedhisfriendsmarriagesthesupposedlyhappyonesand saw none that answered, even remotely, to thepassionate and tender comradeship which he pictured as hispermanent relationwithMayWelland.Heperceived that such apicture presupposed, on her part, the experience, the versatility,thefreedomofjudgment,whichshehadbeencarefullytrainednottopossess; andwitha shiverof forebodinghe sawhismarriagebecomingwhatmostoftheothermarriagesabouthimwere:adull

associationof

material

and

social

interests

held

together

by

ignoranceon theone sideandhypocrisyon theother.LawrenceLeffertsoccurredtohimasthehusbandwhohadmostcompletelyrealisedthisenviableideal.Asbecamethehighpriestofform,hehadformedawifesocompletely tohisownconvenience that, inthemost conspicuousmoments ofhis frequent loveaffairswithother menswives, shewent about in smiling unconsciousness,saying that Lawrence was so frightfully strict; and had beenknown toblush indignantly,andaverthergaze,when someone

alludedin

her

presence

to

the

fact

that

Julius

Beaufort

(as

became

a

foreignerofdoubtfulorigin)hadwhatwasknowninNewYorkasanotherestablishment.

Archer tried toconsolehimselfwith the thought thathewasnotquite suchanassasLarryLefferts,norMaysucha simpletonaspoorGertrude;butthedifferencewasafteralloneofintelligenceand not of standards. In reality they all lived in a kind ofhieroglyphicworld,wheretherealthingwasneversaidordoneor

eventhought,

but

only

represented

by

aset

of

arbitrary

signs;

as

whenMrs.Welland,whoknew exactlywhyArcherhadpressedher to announceherdaughters engagement at theBeaufortball(andhad indeed expectedhim todono less),yet feltobliged tosimulate reluctance, and the air of having had her hand forced,quiteas, in thebooksonPrimitiveMan thatpeopleofadvancedculturewerebeginning to read, thesavagebride isdraggedwithshrieksfromherparentstent.

Theresult,

of

course,

was

that

the

young

girl

who

was

the

centre

of

this elaborate system of mystification remained the moreinscrutable forhervery franknessandassurance.Shewas frank,poordarling,becauseshehadnothingtoconceal,assuredbecause


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sheknewofnothingtobeonherguardagainst;andwithnobetterpreparationthanthis,shewastobeplungedovernightintowhatpeopleevasivelycalledthefactsoflife.

Theyoungmanwassincerelybutplacidlyinlove.Hedelightedinthe radiant good looks of his betrothed, in her health, herhorsemanship, her grace and quickness at games, and the shyinterest in books and ideas that she was beginning to developunderhisguidance.(Shehadadvancedfarenoughtojoinhiminridiculing the Idyls of the King, but not to feel the beauty ofUlyssesandtheLotusEaters.)Shewasstraightforward,loyalandbrave;shehadasenseofhumour(chieflyprovedbyherlaughing

atHIS

jokes);

and

he

suspected,

in

the

depths

of

her

innocently

gazingsoul,aglowoffeelingthatitwouldbeajoytowaken.Butwhenhehadgonethebriefroundofherhereturneddiscouragedbythethoughtthatallthisfranknessandinnocencewereonlyanartificial product. Untrained human nature was not frank andinnocent; itwas fullof the twists anddefencesof an instinctiveguile.Andhefelthimselfoppressedbythiscreationoffactitiouspurity,socunninglymanufacturedbyaconspiracyofmothersandaunts and grandmothers and longdead ancestresses, because it

wassupposed

to

be

what

he

wanted,

what

he

had

aright

to,

in

orderthathemightexercisehislordlypleasureinsmashingitlikeanimagemadeofsnow.

Therewasacertain tritenessinthesereflections:theywere thosehabitualtoyoungmenontheapproachoftheirweddingday.ButtheyweregenerallyaccompaniedbyasenseofcompunctionandselfabasementofwhichNewlandArcher feltno trace.He couldnot deplore (asThackerays heroes so often exasperated him by

doing)that

he

had

not

ablank

page

to

offer

his

bride

in

exchange

fortheunblemishedoneshewastogivetohim.Hecouldnotgetawayfromthefactthatifhehadbeenbroughtupasshehadtheywould have been no more fit to find their way about than theBabes in theWood;nor couldhe, forallhisanxious cogitations,see any honest reason (any, that is, unconnected with his ownmomentarypleasure,andthepassionofmasculinevanity)whyhisbride should not have been allowed the same freedom ofexperienceashimself.

Suchquestions,atsuchanhour,wereboundtodriftthroughhismind;buthewas conscious that theiruncomfortablepersistenceandprecisionwereduetotheinopportunearrivaloftheCountess


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Olenska. Here he was, at the very moment of his betrothalamomentforpurethoughtsandcloudlesshopespitchforkedintoa coilof scandalwhich raisedall the specialproblemshewould

havepreferred

to

let

lie.

Hang

Ellen

Olenska!

he

grumbled,

as

he

coveredhisfireandbegantoundress.Hecouldnotreallyseewhyherfateshouldhavetheleastbearingonhis;yethedimlyfeltthathehadonlyjustbeguntomeasuretherisksofthechampionshipwhichhisengagementhadforceduponhim.

Afewdayslatertheboltfell.

TheLovellMingottshadsentoutcardsforwhatwasknownasa

formaldinner

(that

is,

three

extra

footmen,

two

dishes

for

each

course,andaRomanpunchinthemiddle),andhadheadedtheirinvitationswith thewords Tomeet theCountessOlenska, inaccordance with the hospitable American fashion, which treatsstrangersasiftheywereroyalties,oratleastastheirambassadors.

Theguestshadbeenselectedwithaboldnessanddiscriminationinwhich the initiated recognised the firmhandofCatherine theGreat.AssociatedwithsuchimmemorialstandbysastheSelfridge

Merrys,who

were

asked

everywhere

because

they

always

had

been, theBeauforts,onwhom therewas a claimof relationship,and Mr. Sillerton Jackson and his sister Sophy (who wentwherever her brother told her to), were some of the mostfashionableandyetmost irreproachableof thedominantyoungmarried set; the Lawrence Leffertses, Mrs. Lefferts Rushworth(thelovelywidow),theHarryThorleys,theReggieChiversesandyoungMorrisDagonetandhiswife(whowasavanderLuyden).Thecompanyindeedwasperfectlyassorted,sinceallthemembers

belongedto

the

little

inner

group

of

people

who,

during

the

long

NewYorkseason,disportedthemselvestogetherdailyandnightlywithapparentlyundiminishedzest.

Fortyeighthourslatertheunbelievablehadhappened;everyonehadrefusedtheMingottsinvitationexcepttheBeaufortsandoldMr.Jacksonandhissister.TheintendedslightwasemphasisedbythefactthateventheReggieChiverses,whowereoftheMingottclan,wereamongthoseinflictingit;andbytheuniformwording

ofthe

notes,

in

all

of

which

the

writers

regretted

that

they

were

unable to accept, without the mitigating plea of a previousengagementthatordinarycourtesyprescribed.


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37

NewYorksocietywas,inthosedays,fartoosmall,andtooscantinits resources, foreveryone in it (including liverystablekeepers,butlersandcooks)nottoknowexactlyonwhicheveningspeople

werefree;

and

it

was

thus

possible

for

the

recipients

of

Mrs.

Lovell

MingottsinvitationstomakecruellycleartheirdeterminationnottomeettheCountessOlenska.

Theblowwasunexpected;buttheMingotts,astheirwaywas,metit gallantly. Mrs. Lovell Mingott confided the case to Mrs.Welland,whoconfided it toNewlandArcher;who,aflameat theoutrage,appealedpassionatelyandauthoritatively tohismother;who, after a painful period of inward resistance and outward

temporising,succumbed

to

his

instances

(as

she

always

did),

and

immediatelyembracinghiscausewithanenergyredoubledbyherprevioushesitations,putonhergreyvelvetbonnetandsaid:IllgoandseeLouisavanderLuyden.

TheNewYorkofNewlandArchersdaywasasmallandslipperypyramid, inwhich, as yet, hardly a fissure had beenmade or afootholdgained.At itsbasewasa firm foundationofwhatMrs.Archercalledplainpeople;anhonourablebutobscuremajority

ofrespectable

families

who

(as

in

the

case

of

the

Spicers

or

the

Leffertses or the Jacksons) hadbeen raised above their level bymarriagewithoneoftherulingclans.People,Mrs.Archeralwayssaid, were not as particular as they used to be; and with oldCatherine Spicer ruling one end of Fifth Avenue, and JuliusBeaufort the other, you couldnt expect the old traditions to lastmuchlonger.

Firmly narrowing upward from this wealthy but inconspicuous

substratumwas

the

compact

and

dominant

group

which

the

Mingotts, Newlands, Chiverses and Mansons so activelyrepresented.Mostpeopleimaginedthemtobetheveryapexofthepyramid; but they themselves (at least those of Mrs. Archersgeneration) were aware that, in the eyes of the professionalgenealogist,onlyastillsmallernumberoffamiliescouldlayclaimtothateminence.

Dont tellme,Mrs.Archerwould say toher children,all this

modernnewspaper

rubbish

about

aNew

York

aristocracy.

If

there

isone,neithertheMingottsnortheMansonsbelongtoit;no,northeNewlandsortheChiverseseither.Ourgrandfathersandgreatgrandfathers were just respectable English or Dutch merchants,


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38

whocame to thecolonies tomake their fortune,and stayedherebecause theydid sowell.Oneofyourgreatgrandfathers signedtheDeclaration,andanotherwasageneralonWashingtonsstaff,

andreceived

General

Burgoynes

sword

after

the

battle

of

Saratoga.Thesearethingstobeproudof,buttheyhavenothingtodowith rank or class.NewYorkhas alwaysbeen a commercialcommunity,and therearenotmore than three families in itwhocanclaimanaristocraticoriginintherealsenseoftheword.

Mrs.Archerandhersonanddaughter,likeeveryoneelseinNewYork, knewwho these privileged beingswere: theDagonets ofWashington Square,who came of an old English county family

alliedwith

the

Pitts

and

Foxes;

the

Lannings,

who

had

intermarriedwiththedescendantsofCountdeGrasse,andthevander Luydens, direct descendants of the first Dutch governor ofManhattan,and relatedbyprerevolutionarymarriages toseveralmembersoftheFrenchandBritisharistocracy.

The Lannings survived only in the person of two very old butlively Miss Lannings, who lived cheerfully and reminiscentlyamong family portraits and Chippendale; the Dagonets were a

considerableclan,

allied

to

the

best

names

in

Baltimore

and

Philadelphia; but the van der Luydens, who stood above all ofthem, had faded into a kind of superterrestrial twilight, fromwhich only two figures impressively emerged; those ofMr. andMrs.HenryvanderLuyden.

Mrs.Henry van der Luyden had been LouisaDagonet, and hermotherhadbeen thegranddaughterofColonelduLac,ofanoldChannelIslandfamily,whohadfoughtunderCornwallisandhad

settledin

Maryland,

after

the

war,

with

his

bride,

Lady

Angelica

Trevenna,fifthdaughteroftheEarlofSt.Austrey.Thetiebetweenthe Dagonets, the du Lacs of Maryland, and their aristocraticCornishkinsfolk, theTrevennas,hadalways remained closeandcordial.Mr. andMrs. vander Luydenhadmore than once paidlongvisitstothepresentheadofthehouseofTrevenna,theDukeofSt.Austrey,athiscountryseatinCornwallandatSt.AustreyinGloucestershire; and his Grace had frequently announced hisintentionofsomeday returning theirvisit (without theDuchess,

whofeared

the

Atlantic).

Mr. and Mrs. van der Luyden divided their time betweenTrevenna, their place in Maryland, and Skuytercliff, the great


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39

estateontheHudsonwhichhadbeenoneofthecolonialgrantsoftheDutchgovernmenttothefamousfirstGovernor,andofwhichMr.vanderLuydenwasstillPatroon.Theirlargesolemnhouse

inMadison

Avenue

was

seldom

opened,

and

when

they

came

to

towntheyreceivedinitonlytheirmostintimatefriends.

I wish you would go with me, Newland, his mother said,suddenlypausingatthedooroftheBrowncoupe.Louisaisfondofyou;andofcourse itsonaccountofdearMaythatIm takingthisstepandalsobecause,ifwedontallstandtogether,therellbenosuchthingasSocietyleft.


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VII.

Mrs.HenryvanderLuydenlistenedinsilencetohercousinMrs.

Archersnarrative.

Itwasallverywell to tellyourself inadvance thatMrs.vanderLuyden was always silent, and that, though noncommittal bynature and training, shewas very kind to the people she reallyliked. Even personal experience of these factswas not always aprotection from the chill that descended on one in the highceilingedwhitewalledMadisonAvenuedrawingroom,with thepalebrocadedarmchairssoobviouslyuncoveredfortheoccasion,

andthe

gauze

still

veiling

the

ormolu

mantel

ornaments

and

the

beautifuloldcarvedframeofGainsboroughsLadyAngelicaduLac.

Mrs.vanderLuydensportraitbyHuntington(inblackvelvetandVenetianpoint)facedthatofherlovelyancestress.Itwasgenerallyconsideredas fineasaCabanel,and, though twentyyearshadelapsed since itsexecution,was stillaperfect likeness. Indeedthe Mrs. van der Luyden who sat beneath it listening to Mrs.

Archermight

have

been

the

twin

sister

of

the

fair

and

still

youngishwomandroopingagainstagiltarmchairbeforeagreenrep curtain. Mrs. van der Luyden still wore black velvet andVenetianpointwhen shewent into societyor rather (since sheneverdinedout)whenshethrewopenherowndoorstoreceiveit.Her fair hair, which had faded without turning grey, was stillpartedinflatoverlappingpointsonherforehead,andthestraightnosethatdividedherpaleblueeyeswasonlyalittlemorepinchedabout thenostrils thanwhen theportraithadbeenpainted.She

always,indeed,

struck

Newland

Archer

as

having

been

rather

gruesomely preserved in the airless atmosphere of a perfectlyirreproachable existence, as bodies caught in glaciers keep foryearsarosylifeindeath.

Likeallhisfamily,heesteemedandadmiredMrs.vanderLuyden;buthefoundhergentlebendingsweetnesslessapproachablethanthe grimness of some ofhismothers old aunts, fierce spinsterswho said No on principle before they knew what they were

goingto

be

asked.

Mrs.vanderLuydensattitudesaidneitheryesnorno,butalwaysappearedtoinclinetoclemencytillherthinlips,waveringintothe


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TheAgeofInnocence

41

shadowofasmile,madethealmostinvariablereply:Ishallfirsthavetotalkthisoverwithmyhusband.

Sheand

Mr.

van

der

Luyden

were

so

exactly

alike

that

Archer

oftenwonderedhow, after fortyyearsof the closest conjugality,twosuchmergedidentitieseverseparatedthemselvesenoughforanythingascontroversialasatalkingover.Butasneitherhadeverreached a decision without prefacing it by this mysteriousconclave, Mrs. Archer and her son, having set forth their case,waitedresignedlyforthefamiliarphrase.

Mrs. van der Luyden, however, who had seldom surprised any

one,now

surprised

them

by

reaching

her

long

hand

toward

the

bellrope.

I think, she said, I should likeHenry tohearwhatyouhavetoldme.

Afootmanappeared,towhomshegravelyadded:IfMr.vanderLuydenhasfinishedreadingthenewspaper,pleaseaskhimtobekindenoughtocome.

the age of innocence - edith wharton

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