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We looked about the Gendron plantation of course, which Ned
was really disposed to buy, and I gave my opinion in concurrence
*ith his. This task done, we drove to the “ Barony,” and got in
j n (rood time for dinner. There were several guests, several old
friends, parishioners, and a couple of strangers. The dining-saloon
was a large one, and a noble board was spread. The supplies of
such a board in the South need no recital. But I may mention
that Major Buhner was famous for his muttons, and he had a
choice specimen on table. The Madeira of rare old vintage circu
lated freely, and there was no deficiency in the dessert. When
the ladies had retired, and we had finished a bumper or two, we
adjourned to the library, where we rather drowsed and dawdled
awav the remnant of the afternoon than conversed. We did not
return to the supper table, but coffee was brought in to us where
we sate, and after a while the guests departed, leaving me pledged
to several houses in the neighbourhood, for dinner, in some, and
lodging and a long visit in others. W hen they were all gone, the
Major brought up the subject of the Gendron estate.
“Well, what think you of the tract?” —this to me.
“ There is a good deal of uncleared land, pretty heavily tim
bered.”
“Only five or six hundred acres, I think.”
“ But oak and hickory.”
“Yes; hut not remarkable. Light, Dick, very light, and sandy.”
“Better than you think for. There is also some good pine land
too.”
“Not much I fancy. You, perhaps, confounded with it that of
the old French woman, Girardin, alongside of it. By the way,
did you think to go and see her. She is an old friend of your
family, at least, and very exacting. If you did not call upon her,
and she hears of you in the neighbourhood, you are out of her
books forever.”
“ 1 did call. 1 left Ned at Gendroll’s, and went over and saw
the ladies. Madame Girardin and myself confabulated for an hour.
I saw her in the city, and have fortunately found favour in her
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sight by a successful selection of groceries. Iso pleased her, that,
to my horror, she assures me I shall always be permitted to choose
lier groceries,—the sugars, raisins, citron, almonds, Ac., in parti
cular”
“11a! ha! ha! What a creature ! Yet she has some good
pediits. She is a fast friend, and hates like the devil! And I call
thse the inevitable com panion- virtues, as clearly indispensable to
■'ch other as good and evil in the world. What a bunch of pre
judices she is, tied up like a bundle of vipers in a hole throughout
u inter. 1 believe she hates every thing English.”
1 soiled in iny sleeve, and was about to add, —“ as you hate
ever y thing French,” —but in truth, Major Bulmer’s prejudices did
Il(, t amount to hates. There was really no passion in them at all.
h’ had simply imbibed certain habits of speech, —perhaps certain
Inscriptive thoughts— nay notions would be the better word and
‘"T'y stuck to them as persons of insulated life will naturally do,
” that attrition of intellectual society which rubs oil sali
!it angles, and deforming protuberances. It struck me, however,
blinking thus indulgently of the Major’s prejudices, that it
’ bit be no bad policy to show up those ol Madame Girardin in
t leir true colours. His dislike of her would perhaps enable him
j ‘ v equally loathsome and ridiculous is the indulgence of
insane hostility to things and persons of whom, and which,
THE GOLDEN CHRISTMAS.
we really know no evil. Accordingly, I was at pains to report the
conversation which was had between the old lady and myself in
our shopping expedition, in which she emptied so freely her bag
ol gall upon trade and tradesmen, parvenus and clever people. I
dist not spare her, you may he sure, and made the portrait as fan
tastically true as possible. The Major laughed and clapped his
hands delightedly.
What an atrocious old monster. Who ever heard the like ?
To think favourably of sucli a meanspirited, unperforming, snivell
ing creature as ,to think indulgently even of such a base
taidtd ol inanities, seems to me an equal outrage upon decency and
common sense 5 but to denounce commerce, which has made
England queen ol the seas, mistress of the destinies of nations,
v Inch cairies chilization and art wherever it goes, which stirs up
and inspirits intellect, endows the animal with soul, and informs
the clay with energy and action. What a diabolical old fool.
But she hates commerce because it is so thoroughly English!
That’s it! And yet to think that Ned Bulmer is really anxious to
marry into such a family, so blind, ignorant, conceited, and bitterly
prejudiced. It can’t be but that the granddaughter shares in all
the foolish notions of the grandmother. She has been trained up
in the same school. She thinks and feels precisely as the old wo
man does. That a son should desire to wed a woman who hates
and despises the very race to which his father owes his origin!”
I must here advise the reader that this was said after Ned Bul
mer had left us for the night, and when the Major and myself were
lingering over our cigars, and a hot vessel of whiskey punch. Ned
had disappeared purposely, in order that I might have every op
portunity of subduing, if that were possible, the asperities and ob
jections of the old man.
“ You are mistaken, Major,” said I, in reply, “ in your opinion
of Paula Bonneau. She shares in none of the prejudices of her
grandmother, which she properly regards as most unhappy weak
nesses. She is, herself, as liberal and intelligent a young woman
as you will find in the country, nowrnys arrogant or presumptuous,
noways conceited or bigoted, and I believe quite as much an admi
rer of the English as of the Huguenot stock. Nay, the very favour
with which she regards Ned seems to me quite conclusive on this
point.”
“ Favour with which she regards Ned!” exclaimed the Major.
“ Why you don’t mean to say it has got to that ? You don’t mean
to tell me that they have already come to an understanding —that
Ned has been so and and precipitate as to propose, knowing my
objections, and —”
Here he started to his feet, clapt his doubled fists into his ribs,
and stood, arms akimbo, confronting me as if prepared for a regular
engagement. I saw that I had been guilty of a lapse—had gone
a step too far —and must recover.
“ }3y no means,” I answered with laborious coolness and delibe
ration, stirring my whiskey punch and blowing off the smoke.
“ That Paula favoured Ned is only a natural conclusion from her
demeanour when they meet, and from the manner in which she
speaks of him and of yourself. She looks as if she might love
him, and speaks very kindly to and of him.”
“Oh that is all, is it! and well she may love him, and perfectly
natural that she should desire him for a husband, for a better fel
low’ and a better looking fellow —though his own father I make
hold to say it, —is nowhere to be found between the Santee and
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