Volume Ii Part 3 (1/2)
”Oh, no; they are somewhere on the other side of the boat; my sister-in-law, Mrs. Taylor's little girl is with them.
By-the-bye, Emma, I am going into the cabin to look after Jane; will you go with me?”
”No, indeed; I hate the cabin of a steamboat!”
Adeline was quite satisfied to leave her sister with the prospect of a good supply of young men to flirt with; though matrimony had changed her in some respects, she still considered it a duty to encourage to the utmost, all love-affairs, and flirtations going on in her neighbourhood. Mr. Hopkins resigned the little boy to his mother's care; Mr. St. Leger helped his wife through the crowd; and, under cover of the movement made to allow Adeline to pa.s.s, Mr. Ellsworth made his escape. His eye had been already directed towards the opposite side of the boat, where he had discovered the venerable, benevolent face of Mr. Wyllys, with three ladies near him. Mr. Ellsworth immediately recognised Miss Agnes, Elinor, and Mary Van Alstyne. It was several minutes before he could edge his way through the crowd, to join them; but when he reached the spot, he was received very cordially by Mr.
Wyllys and Miss Agnes, in a friendly manner by Mary Van Alstyne, and possibly there was something of consciousness betrayed by Elinor.
”I thought you already at Saratoga!” exclaimed Mr. Ellsworth.
”We were detained several days, waiting for Mrs. Taylor,” replied Elinor, to whom the remark was made.
”We shall not be at Saratoga until Monday,” added Mr. Wyllys; ”we are going to pa.s.s a day or two with our friends, the V-----s, at Poughkeepsie.”
”I am very sorry to hear it,” continued Mr. Ellsworth; ”I have promised to carry Mrs. Creighton to Nahant, about that time, and shall have my usual bad luck in missing you.”
{”Nahant” = sea-side resort in Ma.s.sachusetts, then very popular, just north of Boston}
”We must persuade Mrs. Creighton not to run away,” said Mr.
Wyllys.
As Elinor stooped at that moment, to untie the hat of the pretty little creature at her side, it was impossible to say whether this intelligence were displeasing to her or not.
”That is Mrs. Taylor's child, is it not?” observed Mr. Ellsworth, looking at the little girl. ”She is very like Mrs. St. Leger.”
”Do you really think so?--we fancy her like her mother,” said Elinor.
”How is Tallman Taylor now?--he was not well when they pa.s.sed through Philadelphia.”
”He looks badly still,” said Miss Agnes. ”He is very imprudent, and distresses Jane very much by his carelessness.”
”Gentlemen never seem to do what is right when invalids,”
observed Mary Van Alstyne, smiling. ”They are either very reckless, and indifferent to their health, or else over-careful.”
”What do you say, Mr. Ellsworth; is that account true?” asked Miss Wyllys.
”I dare say it is--I have no doubt we are very troublesome to our nurses. But, fortunately, women are endowed with a double stock of patience, to make up for our deficiencies. Is Mr. Taylor on board?--I have not seen him.”
”No; he remained in town to attend to some business,” replied Miss Wyllys. ”We have charge of Mrs. Taylor, however, who was very anxious to get into the country, on account of her youngest child.”
”I see, Mr. Ellsworth, that old Ironsides has arrived at Norfolk, bringing Mr. Henley from Rio,” observed Mr. Wyllys.
{”Old Ironsides” = the United States Frigate ”Const.i.tution”; in the early 1800s, U.S. naval s.h.i.+ps frequently carried diplomats to and from their stations}
”Certainly; she arrived on Tuesday.”
”I saw it in the Globe, last night, grandpapa, Mr. Henley had arrived at Was.h.i.+ngton. Harry is with him, of course,” said Elinor, in a quiet, natural tone.
”I supposed you knew of their arrival,” observed Mr. Ellsworth.
”I have a letter from Hazlehurst in my pocket. He seems to have had quite enough of Rio.”
”Mr. Henley, I understand, is talked of as minister to Russia,”