elinor wyllys-2-第62部分

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he　friendship　of　early　companionship。　Patsey　hesitated　for　a　moment；　but　then　decided　that　the　miniature　and　the　verses　should　never　be　shownthey　should　meet　no　eyes　but　her　own；　Charlie　had　not　spoken　himself；　his　secret　should　remain　untold。

We　must　not　omit　to　mention；　that　a　few　weeks　after　Charlie's　death　young　Van　Horne　offered　himself　to　Mary　Hubbard；　the　youngest　daughter　of　the　family；　he　was　accepted；　and　the　connexion；　which　was　very　gratifying　to　Patsey　and　her　mother；　proved　a　happy　one。　Mrs。　Hubbard　survived　her　daughter's　marriage　several　years。　Kate　and　her　little　ones　have　remained　at　the　old　grey　cottage　from　the　time　of　Clapp's　flight；　the　children　are　now　growing　up　promising　young　people；　and　they　owe　much　to　Patsey's　judicious　care。　Willie；　the　hero　of　the　temperance　meeting；　is　her　favourite；　for　she　persuades　herself　that　he　is　like　her　lost　Charlie；　and　in　many　respects　the　boy　happily　resembles　his　uncle　far　more　than　his　father。　Last　year　Mrs。　Clapp　received　for　the　first　time；　a　letter　in　a　handwriting　very　like　that　of　her　husband；　its　contents　seemed　distressing；　for　she　wept　much；　and　held　several　consultations　with　Patsey。　At　length　quite　a　little　sum　was　drawn　from　their　modest　means；　Kate　packed　up　her　trunk；　took　leave　of　her　sister　and　children；　and　set　out　upon　a　long　and　a　solitary　journey。　She　was　absent　for　months；　but　letters　were　occasionally　received　from　her；　and　at　length　she　returned　to　the　grey　cottage　in　deep　mourning。　It　was　supposed　that　she　was　now　a　widow；　and　as　Patsey　upon　one　single　occasion　confirmed　the　report；　the　opinion　must　have　been　correct；　for　Patsey　Hubbard's　word　was　truth　itself。　No　public　account　of　Clapp's　death；　however；　reached　Longbridge；　and　his　name　was　never　mentioned　by　the　Hubbards；　still；　it　seemed　to　be　known　at　last　that　Mrs。　Clapp　had　gone　to　a　great　distance；　to　attend　her　husband　during　a　long　and　fatal　illness：　and　Mrs。　Tibbs　also　found　out　by　indefatigable　inquiries；　far　and　near；　that　about　the　same　time　one　of　the　elders　of　Joe　Smith；　the　Mormon　impostor；　had　died　of　consumption　at　Nauvoo；　that　he　had　written　somewhere　several　months　before　his　death；　that　a　delicate…looking　woman　had　arrived；　and　had　not　quitted　his　side　as　long　as　he　lived；　that　immediately　after　his　death　she　had　left　Nauvoo；　and　had　gone　no　one　knew　whither。　It　is　quite　certain　that　a　young　man　from　Longbridge　travelling　at　the　west；　wrote　home　that　he　had　seen　Mrs。　Clapp　on　board　a　Mississippi　steamer；　just　about　that　time。　The　story　is　probably　true；　although　nothing　very　positive　is　known　at　Longbridge。

｛〃no　public　account〃　=　the　uncertainty　surrounding　Mr。　Clapp's　fate　resembles　that　of　Judith　Hutter；　at　the　end　of　James　Fenimore　Cooper's　〃The　Deerslayer〃　（1841）｝

As　for　Hopgood；　we　have　already　mentioned　that　he　had　been　arrested；　and　most　righteously　condemned　to　a　long　imprisonment　for　his　share　in　that　unprincipled；　audacious　conspiracy。　A　year　afterwards；　however；　it　pleased　those　in　authority　to　send　him　out　into　the　community　again；　he　was　pardoned

As　all　reserve　is　generally　dropped　in　the　last　chapter；　we　may　as　well　tell　the　reader　a　secret　of　Mrs。　Creighton's。　We　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　she　never　cared　much　for　Harry；　although　she　always　cared　a　great　deal　for　his　fortune。　She　was　determined　to　marry　again；　for　two　reasons；　in　the　first　place　she　did　not　wish　to　give　way　to　a　sister…in…law；　and　she　knew　her　brother　intended　marrying；　and　then　she　never　could　manage　that　brother　as　she　wished；　he　was　by　no　means　disposed　to　throw　away　as　much　time；　thought；　and　money　upon　dissipation；　as　she　would　have　liked。　She　wanted　a　rich　husband；　of　course；　Harry　did　very　well　in　every　particular　but　oneshe　thought　him　too　much　like　her　brother　in　his　tastes　to　be　all　she　desired；　still　he　suited　her　better　than　any　of　her　other　admirers；　and　she　would　have　been　quite　satisfied　to　accept　him；　had　he　kept　his　fortune。　Without　that　fortune；　it　was　a　very　different　affair；　he　was　no　longer　to　be　thought　of　for　a　moment。　We　strongly　suspect　also；　that　the　pretty　widow　saw　farther　than　any　one　else　into　the　true　state　of　matters　between　Elinor　and　Harry；　long　before　the　parties　themselves　had　had　an　explanation；　and　for　that　reason；　so　long　as　she　was　determined　to　take　Hazlehurst　for　her　second　husband；　she　decidedly　encouraged　Ellsworth's　attention　to　Elinor。　Since　we　are　so　near　the　last　page；　we　shall　also　admit　that　Mrs。　Creighton　had　quite　a　strong　partiality　for　Mr。　Stryker；　while　the　gentleman　was　thoroughly　in　love　with　her；　but　neither　was　rich；　and　money；　that　is　to　say　wealth；　was　absolutely　necessary　in　the　opinion　of　both　parties；　so　Mr。　Stryker　went　off　to　New　Orleans　in　quest　of　a　quadroon　heiress　recommended　to　him；　and　Mrs。　Creighton　became　Mrs。　Pompey　Taylor；　junior；　marrying　the　second　son　of　the　merchant；　an　individual　who　was　nearly　ten　years　younger　than　herself；　and　resembled　his　brother　in　every　respect　except　in　being　much　less　handsome。　The　happy　couple　sailed　for　Europe　immediately　after　the　ceremony。

We　are　sorry　to　say　that　Mr。　Taylor；　the　father；　suffered　severely；　not　long　after　the　marriage　of　his　second　son；　by　the　great　fire；　he　suffered　also　in　the　great　panic；　and　in　various　other　panics　which　have　succeeded　one　another。　Still　he　has　not　failed；　but　he　is　a　poorer　man　than　when　we　first　had　the　honour　of　making　his　acquaintance。　In　other　respects　he　is　much　what　he　was　fifteen　years　ago；　devoted　as　much　as　ever　and　as　exclusively　as　ever　to　making　money；　still　valuing　everything；　visible　or　invisible；　by　the　market…price　in　gold；　silver；　or　bank…notes；　although　unfortunately　much　less　successful　than　at　the　commencement　of　his　career；　in　accumulating　dollars　and　cents；　his　seems　to　be　〃the　fruitless　race；　without　a　prize；〃　and　yet　Mr。　Taylor　is　approaching　the　time　of　life　when　the　end　of　the　race　cannot　be　very　distant。

｛〃the　great　fire〃　=　the　fire　that　destroyed　much　of　downtown　New　York　City　in　1835。　〃the　great　panic。。。〃　=　the　financial　panic　of　1837；　and　the　depression　that　followed；　〃the　fruitless　race。。。〃　=　from　William　Cowper　（English　poet；　1731…1800）；　〃Hope〃　line　25｝

Adeline　is　improved　in　many　respects；　her　mother's　advice　has　had　a　good　effect　on　her；　still　it　is　amusing　to　see　her　already　training　up　several　little　girls　for　future　belles；　on　her　own　pattern；　rather　it　is　believed　to　the　annoyance　of　her　quiet　husband。　Emma　Taylor　is　decidedly　less　lively；　she　too　having　in　some　measure　composed　herself；　after　achieving　belle…ship　and　matrimony。

Mr。　and　Mrs。　Uncle　Dozie　removed　from　Longbridge　not　long　after　their　marriage；　they　have　since　returned　there　again；　and　now；　by　the　last　accounts；　they　are　again　talking　of　leaving　the　place。

Mrs。　Hilson　still　continues　to　annoy　her　family　with　a　persevering　ingenuity；　for　which　certain　silly　women　appear　peculiarly　well　qualified；　at　times　she　talks　of　taking　the　veil　in　a　nunnery；　at　others；　of　again　entering　the　bands　of　Hymen　with　some　English　aristocrat　of　illustrious　lineage；　she　confesses　that　either　step　would　be　sufficiently　romantic　and　aristocratic　to　suit　her　refined　tastes；　but　which　she　will　eventually　adopt　cannot　yet　be　known。　Fortunately；　her　sister　Emmeline　has　profited　much　more　than　the　〃city　lady〃　herself　by　the　follies　of　the　past；　she　has　lately　married　a　respectable　man；　one　of　their　Longbridge　neighbours；　much　to　her　father's　satisfaction。

Mary　Van　Alstyne　remains　single；　and　passes　much　of　her　time　with　Elinor。

Some　eighteen　months　after　Harry's　marriage；　one　evening　as　he　was　sitting　on　the　piazza　at　Wyllys…Roof；　he　received　a　letter　which　made　him　smile；　calling　Elinor　from　the　drawing…room；　he　communicated　the　contents　to　her。　It　was　from　Ellsworth；　announcing　his　approaching　marriage　with　the　lovely　Mrs。　Taylor；　or　in　other　words；　our　friend　Jane。　Harry　laughed　a　good　deal；　and　coloured　a　little　too；　as　he　plainly　saw　by　the　tone　of　the　letter；　that　his　friend　was　going　through　precisely　the　same　process　as　himself；　during　his　Paris　days；　when　he　first　discovered　such　wisdom　in　the　depths　of　Jane's　dark　eyes；　such　delicacy　of　sentiment　in　the　purity　of　her　complexion；　such　tenderness　in　every　common　smile　of　her　beautiful　lips。　Ellsworth；　however；　would　probably　not　find　out　as　soon　as　himself；　that　all　these　beauties　made　up　a　lovely　picture　indeed；　but　nothing　more；　for　his　friend　was　an　accepted　suitor；　and　might　indulge　himself　by　keeping　agreeable　fancies　alive　as　long　as　he　chose；　while　Harry　had　been　rather　rudely　awakened　from　his　trance　by　very　shabby　treatment　in　the　first　place；　and　a　refusal　at　last。　To　Hazlehurst；　the　most　amusing　part　of　Ellsworth's　story　was；　an　allusion　to　a　certain　resemblance　in　character　between　Mrs。　Taylor　and　'one　whom　he　had　so　much　admired；　one　whom　he　must　always　admire。'

〃Now；　Elinor；　do　me　the　justice　to　say　I　was　never　half　so　bad　as　that；　I　never　pretended　to　think　Jane　like　you；　in　one　good　quality。〃

〃It　would　be　a　pity　if　you　hadJane　has　good　qualities　of　her　own。　But　I　am　rejoiced　to　hear　the　news；　it　is　an　excellent　match　for　both　parties。〃

〃Yes；　though　Jane　is　a　lovely　puppet；　and　nothing　more；　yet　it　is　a　good　match　on　that　very　account；　Ellsworth　will　look　after　her。　It　is　to　be　hoped　they　are　satisfied；　I　think　we　are；　my　sweet　wife；　don't　you？〃

His　frank；　natural；　affectionate　smile　as　he　spoke；　was　tolerably　satisfactory；　certainly　as　to　his　estimate　of　his　own　fate；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped　the　reader　is　by　this　time　sufficiently　well　acquainted　with　Elinor　and　Harry；　to　credit　his　account　of　the　matter。　From　all　we　know　of　both；　we　are　ourselves　disposed　to　believe　them　very　well　qualified　to　pass　through　life　happily　together；　making　the　cheerful　days　pleasanter；　and　the　dark　hours　less　gloomy　to　each　other。

Harry　seems　to　have　given　up　his　diplomatic　pursuits　for　the　present　at　least；　he　remains　at　home；　making　himself　useful　both　in　private　and　public　life。　Last　year　he　and　Elinor　were　at　the　Rip…Raps；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Miss　Agnes；　and　a　little　family　of　their　ownseveral　engaging；　clever；　well…trained　children。　The　little　girls；　without　being　beauties；　are　not　plain；　they　are　indeed　quite　as　pretty　as　Jane's　daughters；　the　only　ugly　face　in　the