"Fashion, leader of a chattering train."
COWPER.
{William Cowper (English poet, 1731-1800), "Conversation" line 457}
MISS PATSEY'S mother was more unwell than usual; and after breakfast the following morning, Elinor prepared a little basket of particularly fine peaches, which she proposed carrying to Mrs. Hubbard, herself. Harry offered to accompany her, and Jane was persuaded to join them; although in general, she disliked every kind of motion except dancing.
The travellers had already seen Miss Patsey and her youngest sister, and they were now so fortunate as to find Charlie at home. He had come from New York, the evening before, and, of course, was much pleased to see his young friends; indeed, he showed so much emotion at the meeting, as to change colour when he first saw the three cousins enter the little gate.
"Why, Charlie, you have grown in inches; as well as in dignity, since we parted," said Hazlehurst, shaking him warmly by the hand.
"I shall never arrive at any great elevation either way," replied the youth, after shaking hands also with Jane.
"I don't know that; you have grown half a foot since I saw you, and you have done wonders I hear, as a painter. Mr. Wyllys, and Elinor, are both great admirers of your pictures."
"Wonders are comparative, you know; I believe I have accomplished more, for instance, than my mother anticipated, for she thought I was going to devote myself to signs and window-blinds."
{"window-blinds" = window shades were at this time frequently decorated with hand painted pictures}
"That is your account of the matter. But don't suppose I have not learned that Mr. Charles Hubbard is looked upon as one of our most promising young artists, and that several of his pictures are thought the best of their kind that have been painted this side the Atlantic."
"You are very much improved in flattery by a visit to Paris," said Charlie, smiling.
"Only sober truth, as you must well know, Mr. Charles Hubbard. I hope you have something here for us to look at; I am really very impatient to see some of your pictures. I wish you could have enjoyed half the fine works of art that I have seen in the last two years."
Hubbard replied that he had strong hopes of going abroad himself before long, thanks to the liberality of his uncle, and the promise of several orders from different gentlemen. Harry congratulated him warmly, though he regretted that Charlie should think of leaving home just as he himself returned.
The young 1adies paid their visit to Mrs. Hubbard in her bed-room, while Harry and Charlie talked over a hundred different things together; and after engaging Charles to dine at Wyllys-Roof, they walked home again.
"Miss Patsey's parlour really looks neater and smaller than ever," observed Harry. "And I don't think I have seen such an honest, good-natured, pleasant face as her's, since I left Longbridge. She seems satisfied now, with the idea of Charlie's being an artist."
"She is resigned to it, rather," said Elinor, "now that the matter is entirely settled."
"Charlie looks pale," observed Harry; "he has grown though, and he is no longer so very slight as he used to be."
"He seems to be well," replied Elinor; "but at times his spirits are not good. He has been much interested in your movements--quite anxious about your return."
"Charlie is a right good fellow," said Harry; "I was in hopes to see a great deal of him, this winter." At this moment Jane dropped a glove; of course Harry picked it up, and he continued silent after doing so.
"There, you see, is Mr. Taylor's new house," observed Elinor, as an opening in a grove of young trees allowed a full view of a house of some size, and very great pretensions.
Jane looked at the home of her friend Adeline with interest--Harry exclaimed, "What architecture!"
"Don't abuse it," said Elinor, "for I assure you 'Mr. Taylor's splendid mansion'--'Mr. Taylor's magnificent seat' is very much admired."
Just as the party reached the piazza of Wyllys-Roof, Mr. Taylor's barouche drove up to the door, and in an instant Miss Adeline Taylor had thrown herself, and her fashionable morning-dress, into Jane's arms.
"I was so glad to find you were staying here!" she exclaimed. "Pa and I only arrived from Saratoga last night; I did not expect you for a month to come."
"We had a very short passage for the season," said Jane, returning the embrace quite cordially.
"We seem to have taken all our friends rather by surprise, Miss Taylor," said Harry.
"Well, if I had been in your place, I should have staid in Paris till the last minute;--though, I dare say, YOU were in a hurry to get back to Longbridge, Mr. Hazlehurst; no doubt you wanted to see ME very much. Put I wonder that Jane did not contrive to stay there."
Harry looked a little embarrassed, and Jane, too, coloured a little; though there seemed to be no very good reason that either should do so.
"Did you find Saratoga pleasant, this summer, Miss Taylor?" asked Elinor, drawing a chair near the bench where the two friends were sitting, hand in hand.
"Oh, delightful!--Every house full, from the cellar to the garret. How often I wished for you, Jane! if it was only earlier in the season I would make pa take us there again, just for the pleasure of showing off your new French fashions--you would be the greatest belle of the season."
"We need not inquire who was the belle," said Elinor; "such important news reaches even sober, home-staying people like us."
"Oh, we had half a dozen belles--all lively, pretty girls. There was a young gentleman, from Savannah, at Congress Hall, who wrote some verses about us, and called us the 'Chime of Bells;' it was a sort of imitation of 'Those Evening Bells,' and was published in the Saratoga papers. But if Jane had been there, I don't think we should have stood much chance."
{"Those Evening Bells," popular song by the Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779-1852), arranged by Sir John Stevenson (1761-1833)}
"You think the poet would have rung a bob-major, for Jane?"
