“You are very kind, Mr. ***; have you got it with you?”
“Here, Miss ***, you see I directed it myself; it will be one of the most brilliant parties given in New York this season.”
“Well, I declare you are monstrous good-natured,” said the young lady with a bow; then, turning to her companion, “Dear Fanny, only look at Mrs. ***’s politeness; she invites me ten days ahead.”
“Pray, won’t you act the post-boy for me, Mr. ***?” said Fanny, looking half ironically, half condescendingly, upon my friend.
“Most willingly, if anybody will intrust me with a note to you, which I dare say will be in the course of to-morrow.”
“Well, I do admire Mr. ***’s gallantry, I declare!” cried the young lady, relieved from a painful embarrassment: “what would become of us if we had not Southerners and Europeans” (here she deigned to notice me for the first time) “to take care of us? Our New York gentlemen will be devoted to business; you can get no more attention from them than from a stick of wood.”
At this moment a stout negro rang the bell for dinner. It was one of those high-toned, shrieking bells, a single note of which would have set a musician crazy; but, to judge of the electrifying effect it produced on the whole company, it was far from being disagreeable even to the most refined American ears. The gentlemen especially smiled with approbation, as it called them once more from helpless idleness to active industry; and, in their eagerness to obey its summons, offered their arms to young and old, in order to have the good fortune of the first entrée. It was a scene of complete confusion,—one of those which occur but rarely in America, except just before dinner,—a mêlée of ladies and gentlemen. I saw three young men offer their arms to an old lady near the door, and a pretty little creole woman was actually marched off under double escort. I felt my heart bleed as I looked round for my unsophisticated brunette, and saw her dragged along by a young broker, who was already smacking his lips in anticipation of the turtle. Her mother was gone long ago: when she heard the bell, she made an instinctive move towards the door, and was immediately snatched off by a young man, who made the most of her in the way of taking precedence of his friends. Even the old widow-lady vanished with a gentleman from Boston. What was to be done? Without a lady there was no seat to be had at the upper part of the table, and, in fact, no certainty of obtaining a seat at all; and there remained yet two Englishmen,—a physician, and an agent of a house in Manchester,—a Spaniard from the island of Cuba, two Portuguese, my friend and myself, to be helped to partners. Fortunately for us, however, the young lady who had just passed such high encomiums on Southern and European gallantry, had already seized my friend’s arm, before he had a chance to offer it; and her amiable companion thought herself bound to accept the offer of mine. The remaining girls were equally divided among the representatives of the three nations; but the British Æsculapius, being the stoutest man of the company, was a host by himself, and formed the rear of the train.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] At whatever hour people may breakfast in New York, they are sure to dine at half-past two or three.