"Surely, sir,"--Eve never spoke to Mr. Bragg, now, without using a repelling politeness--"surely, sir, the people of these mountains will hardly pretend that their sports are those of a capital."
"I merely mean, ma'am, that the term would be monstrously unpopular; nor do I see why the sports in a city"--Aristabulus was much too peculiar in his notions, to call any place that had a mayor and aldermen a town,--"should not be just as rustic as those of a village. The contrary supposition violates the principle of equality."
"And do you decide against us, dear sir?" Eve added looking at Mr. Effingham.
"Without stopping to examine causes, my child. I shall say that I think you had better all remain at home."
"Voilà, Mademoiselle Viefville, une fête Americaine!"
A shrug of the shoulders was the significant reply.
"Nay, my daughter, you are not entirely excluded from the festivities; all gallantry has not quite deserted the land."
"A young lady shall walk alone with a young gentleman--shall ride alone with him--shall drive out alone with him--shall not move without him, dans le monde, mais, she shall not walk in the crowd, to look at une fête avec son père!" exclaimed Mademoiselle Viefville, in her imperfect English. "Je désespère vraiment, to understand some habitudes Americaines!"
"Well, Mademoiselle, that you may not think us altogether barbarians, you shall, at least, have the benefit of the oration."
"You may well call it the oration, Ned; for, I believe one, or, certainly one skeleton, has served some thousand orators annually, any time these sixty years."