F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams
Chapter 42
the old woman, addressing herself to the negress, who fusses her way
into the room with a great old-fashioned rocking-chair. "I am so
sensitive of the character of that society," she continues with a
sigh, and wipes and rubs her spectacles, gets up and views herself
in the glass, frills over her cap border, and becomes very generally
anxious. Mrs. Swiggs is herself again. She nervously adjusts the
venerable red shawl about her shoulders, draws the newly-introduced
arm-chair near her own, ("I'm not so old, but am getting a little
deaf," she says), and begs her visitor will be seated.
Mr. Soloman, having paced twice or thrice up and down the little
room, contemplating himself in the glass at each turn, now touching
his neatly-trimmed Saxon mustache and whiskers, then frisking his
fingers through his candy-colored hair, brings his dignity into the
chair.
"I said it was all up with the St. Cecilia--"
"Yes!" interrupts Mrs. Swiggs, her eyes glistening like balls of
fire, her lower jaw falling with the weight of anxiety, and fretting
rapidly her bony hands.
Soloman suddenly pauses, says that was a glorious bottle of old
Madeira with which he enjoyed her hospitality on his last visit. The
flavor of it is yet fresh in his mouth.
"Thank you-thank you! Mr. Soloman. I've a few more left. But pray
lose no time in disclosing to me what hath befallen the St.
Cecilia."
"Well then-but what I say must be in confidence. (The old woman says
it never shall get beyond her lips-never!) An Englishman of goodly
looks, fashion, and money-and, what is more in favor with our first
families, a Sir attached to his name, being of handsome person and
accomplished manners, and travelling and living after the manner of
a nobleman, (some of our first families are simple enough to
identify a Baronet with nobility!) was foully set upon by the
fairest and most marriageable belles of the St. Cecilia. If he had
possessed a dozen hearts, he could have had good markets for them
all. There was such a getting up of attentions! Our fashionable