CHAPTER V
The celebration went off well. The friends were all present, both theyoung and the old. Among the young were Flossie and Gracie Peanut andtheir brother Adelbert, who was a rising young journeyman tinner,also Hosannah Dilkins, Jr., journeyman plasterer, just out of hisapprenticeship. For many months Adelbert and Hosannah had been showinginterest in Gwendolen and Clytemnestra Foster, and the parents of thegirls had noticed this with private satisfaction. But they suddenlyrealized now that that feeling had passed. They recognized that thechanged financial conditions had raised up a social bar betweentheir daughters and the young mechanics. The daughters could now lookhigher--and must. Yes, must. They need marry nothing below the grade oflawyer or merchant; poppa and momma would take care of this; there mustbe no mesalliances.
However, these thinkings and projects of theirs were private, anddid not show on the surface, and therefore threw no shadow upon thecelebration. What showed upon the surface was a serene and loftycontentment and a dignity of carriage and gravity of deportment whichcompelled the admiration and likewise the wonder of the company. Allnoticed it and all commented upon it, but none was able to divine thesecret of it. It was a marvel and a mystery. Three several personsremarked, without suspecting what clever shots they were making:
"It's as if they'd come into property."
That was just it, indeed.
Most mothers would have taken hold of the matrimonial matter in theold regulation way; they would have given the girls a talking to, ofa solemn sort and untactful--a lecture calculated to defeat its ownpurpose, by producing tears and secret rebellion; and the said motherswould have further damaged the business by requesting the youngmechanics to discontinue their attentions. But this mother wasdifferent. She was practical. She said nothing to any of the youngpeople concerned, nor to any one else except Sally. He listened to herand understood; understood and admired. He said:
"I get the idea. Instead of finding fault with the samples on view,thus hurting feelings and obstructing trade without occasion, you merelyoffer a higher class of goods for the money, and leave nature to takeher course. It's wisdom, Aleck, solid wisdom, and sound as a nut. Who'syour fish? Have you nominated him yet?"
No, she hadn't. They must look the market over--which they did. To startwith, they considered and discussed Brandish, rising young lawyer, andFulton, rising young dentist. Sally must invite them to dinner. But notright away; there was no hurry, Aleck said. Keep an eye on the pair, andwait; nothing would be lost by going slowly in so important a matter.
It turned out that this was wisdom, too; for inside of three weeks Aleckmade a wonderful strike which swelled her imaginary hundred thousandto four hundred thousand of the same quality. She and Sally were in theclouds that evening. For the first time they introduced champagne atdinner. Not real champagne, but plenty real enough for the amount ofimagination expended on it. It was Sally that did it, and Aleck weaklysubmitted. At bottom both were troubled and ashamed, for he was ahigh-up Son of Temperance, and at funerals wore an apron which no dogcould look upon and retain his reason and his opinion; and she was aW. C. T. U., with all that that implies of boiler-iron virtue andunendurable holiness. But there it was; the pride of riches wasbeginning its disintegrating work. They had lived to prove, once more,a sad truth which had been proven many times before in the world: thatwhereas principle is a great and noble protection against showy anddegrading vanities and vices, poverty is worth six of it. More thanfour hundred thousand dollars to the good. They took up the matrimonialmatter again. Neither the dentist nor the lawyer was mentioned; therewas no occasion, they were out of the running. Disqualified. Theydiscussed the son of the pork-packer and the son of the village banker.But finally, as in the previous case, they concluded to wait and think,and go cautiously and sure.
Luck came their way again. Aleck, ever watchful saw a great and riskychance, and took a daring flyer. A time of trembling, of doubt, of awfuluneasiness followed, for non-success meant absolute ruin and nothingshort of it. Then came the result, and Aleck, faint with joy, couldhardly control her voice when she said:
"The suspense is over, Sally--and we are worth a cold million!"
Sally wept for gratitude, and said:
"Oh, Electra, jewel of women, darling of my heart, we are free at last,we roll in wealth, we need never scrimp again. It's a case for VeuveCliquot!" and he got out a pint of spruce-beer and made sacrifice, hesaying "Damn the expense," and she rebuking him gently with reproachfulbut humid and happy eyes.
They shelved the pork-packer's son and the banker's son, and sat down toconsider the Governor's son and the son of the Congressman.