“And what harm is there in that, if the Poles make good husbands, and prove themselves honourable men?” demanded my friend.
“Why, it’s always such an experiment,” she replied, “when one of our young ladies marries an European! People from the Old World entertain such different notions about women. Besides, a great many of our girls have been taken in: they expected to marry a prince, or at least a count, when their husbands turned out to have been strolling minstrels or dancing-masters. One of those unfortunate marriages was very nigh taking place the other day, and only prevented by the father of the young lady making a compromise with her admirer in the shape of a handsome sum of money. Another European Don Juan, who was flirting with every young lady in Boston, was considered so dangerous a personage, that the respectable merchants of that city made a very handsome collection to get rid of him by shipping him back to Europe.”
“And I heard that, having spent the money, he made them another visit to lay them under a fresh contribution,” observed my friend.
“I believe that was the case,” affirmed the lady; “and every Atlantic city is exposed to the same calamity. If we could only tell the real nobleman from the impostor, I should not care. I prefer, myself, the higher society of Europe to the business people of this country; but, lately, Continental noblemen have come in droves, and a greater set of beggars was never known in America. By the by, do you know what has become of that handsome Spanish marquis, who last year was so much the fashion in Philadelphia?”
“The Marquis de *** you mean? I lived with him for nearly three weeks without knowing his title: he is one of the most unassuming men I ever knew.”
“And yet I can assure you he is a real marquis,” retorted the young lady. “Some of our people took a great deal of pains to ascertain the truth. He brought letters to Mr. ***, and to the *** Consul in Philadelphia; and they have written to Europe to learn all about his family. If every foreigner coming to this country were equally respectable, there would be no complaints about impostors; but our people are too easily taken in by high-sounding titles.”
“But do you know the marquis is poor? that he cannot at this moment realise a dollar from his estate?” demanded my friend.
“Ah, that is very unfortunate! poverty is such a drawback!”
“But he set out to make an honest living in the United States.”
“Not by teaching Spanish, I hope. Nothing can be more pitiable than the avocation of an instructor.”