14. CHAPTER XIV.
AN OLD FASHIONED DINNER.
It was a fine old Hall, that at Temple Farm, hung with many war-like
trophies, and stag-horns, and fox tails, while here and there were some little
peculiarities that distinguished the hospitable owner, from others of the
Cocked Hat Gentry. Near the centre of the room on one side, hung the
General's own martial implements, which he had worn upon the field, and
suspended over them in a small silk net was a rusty cannon ball of about
three pounds weight. This had struck the veteran himself when it was
nearly spent, and he was in the habit of showing it to his guests, when fighting
his battles again over his wine. Dorothea used to insist upon it, that the
true signal for the departure of the ladies, was the introduction of the cannon
ball by her father, instead of the
lead from Lady Spotswood.
Two immense fire places occupied the best part of each end of the hall,
surmounted by curiously carved work, reaching quite to the ceiling, while the
side pannels corresponding to these were painted with various scenes, intended
to represent the most remarkable military events of the age. The whole appearance
of the room, bore rather a military than a feudal or baronial aspect,
for all the scenes and trophies were of that sort, and quite recent, even to the
antlers.
The dinner was on the table, and such a dinner! The reeking viands
would have furnished a French restaurateur a stock in trade for a month. A
whole surloin of beef formed the chief ornament of one end of the table. It
was furnished from the Governor's own stock, upon which he prided himself
not a little. At the opposite end was a ham, which if not the real, rivalled the
Westphalia in flavor. These were flanked with various dishes of fowls, both
wild and tame, not forgetting the canvass back ducks. They were all placed
on the table together, after the good old fashion, and the ladies soon after entered
in the order of their rank, and placed themselves at the head of the
table; Ellen Evylin among the others. Mr. Lee walked entirely round the
table to greet her, which he did in a really warm manner for him, with many
compliments upon her improved looks, all which was received with the most
freezing courtesy; barely returning his repeated bows, with a single inclination
of the head. Dorothea bit her lip till it almost bled, in her itching restlessness,
at such temporizing with so obstinately complacent a man. As he
returned to his seat, Mr. Hall was entering and met him full face, just as the
Governor presented him by name to the new guest. Hall held out his hand
in the most frank and open manner, but the other paid him off with one of the
cold bows he had just received from Miss Evylin, leaving the poor tutor with
his hand awkwardly extended, without a response. Every one seemed to feel
for the young man, except him who had inflicted the unnecessary indignity.
The subject of it recovered himself with great dignity, after the first awkward
moment, and as if fate intended on purpose to revenge him, his chair was
found to be next to Ellen Evylin and Kate. His late discomfiture was soon
forgotten amidst the lively chat of the two charming girls. Kate bearing the
burthen of the entertainment, of course, while her friend threw in a quiet
response occasionally. Both the young ladies seemed determined to make
amends to the slighted tutor, for the previous repulse, at the same time; perhaps,
rejoicing that they saw it rankling in the heart of him who inflicted it.
Several times, while Kate eagerly conversed with the tutor, Ellen sat looking
up through her long eye lashes, lost in painful reflections. Again she saw
the same smile flashing over that otherwise sad and sombre face, as the summer
lightning blazes up behind the dark blue clouds of the horizon. The
impression was indescribable, so indistinct, so confused with memories of the
past; blending so strangely with the personal outlines of others, yet in spite of
all improbabilities and obstacles to the contrary, carrying her back to days and
scenes long passed by—her days of childhood. She was of course very absent.
The tutor seemed desirous to draw her out, and for that purpose would
turn a question or reply to her, instead of her friend, but she would frequently
have to ask a second time, even the subject of discourse, then join in for a
moment quite brilliantly, and glide away again; busy with her memory.
She desired to become better acquainted with Mr. Hall, preparatory to her
asking the questions she meditated: yet he was himself the innocent and
unconscious cause of her becoming lost, again and again. But absent as she
was, and imperfectly as she may have borne her part in the conversation, it
was by far the most interesting dinner party that she had been present at
for many a long day. She had almost forgotten that such a man lived as
Mr. Henry Lee, until he suddenly addressed a question to her across the table.
“Miss Evylin, here is the Rev. Commissary running a tirade against the
new Bolingbroke fashion of tying the hair, (he sported it himself with no small
complacency,) what say you, is it an improvement or not?”
“I will turn that grave matter over to my friend Dorothea, if you please,
Mr. Lee, I have been so long out of the world of fashion, that I do not feel
competent to answer,” said Ellen.
“Well, I think,” said Dorothea, “that it is far more important what a gentleman
has in his head, than how it is tied outside.”
Even the Commissary smiled at the home thrust which the little girl had
given the inquisitor, while the young ladies exchanged glances of satisfaction.
“I do not like these innovations upon our good old customs,” said his Excellency,
“with all due deference to you younger gentlemen: they will put aside
our old Cocked Hats next, and gentlemen will cease to wear swords.”
“The war has commenced already, my good sir,” said Dr. Evylin, “for I
read in No. 526 of the Spectator, that John Sly, a haberdasher of hats and
tobacconist, is directed to take down the names of such country gentlemen as
have left the hunting, for the military Cock of the Hat; and in No. 532, is a
letter written in the name of the said John Sly, in which he states, that he is
preparing hats for the several kinds of heads that make figures in the realms
of Great Britain, with cocks significant of their powers and faculties. His
hats for law and physic, do but just turn to give a little life to their sagacity;
his military hats, glare full in the face; and he has proposed a familiar easy
cock, for all good companions between the two extremes.”
“Capital,” said the Commissary, “by and by we shall be enabled, Dorothea,
to tell what a man has in his head by the cut of his beaver, so that you
see the outside of the head has something to do at last with the inside; but
how are we to divine what lies beneath those ever towering pyramids upon
the ladies' heads? I hope they will take a fashion soon, that may indicate the
powers beneath.”
“They indicate pretty forcibly the powers above now,” said Dorothea, “for
I heard Kate declare, the other day, that the maid had screwed her's up so
tight, that she could not wink her eyes without crying.”
“Fie! fie! Dorothea,” said Kate, laughing, nevertheless.
“Castle-building, you see, Mr. Hall,” said she turning to that gentleman,
“is now done on the outside of our heads, while our grandmothers, if all tales of
them be true, were wont to erect them elsewhere.”
“You seem disposed to carry on Mr. Lee's craniological discussion, while
that gentleman has dropped out of the debate,” replied he, sotto voce.
The conversation gradually merged into literary matters, in which the Doctors
both of Theology and Physic took a part, as well as the Governor and
Mr. Hall. The latter seemed now more at home than he had been, and having
but recently arrived from the fountain head, added many new and interesting
materials to the common stock, from Newton's latest philosophical discoveries,
to Joe Miller's last and best.
“Have you seen any of our native productions, Mr. Hall?” enquired the
Commissary.
“I have not, sir; indeed, I have not yet had an opportunity. I have seen
a small newspaper in his Excellency's library, published, I think, in Philadelphia,
and that of not very recent date, but nothing in durable shape.”
“Well, said Dorothea, “if you will only excuse me for one moment, I will
run and fetch you a specimen of native poetry, which, I think, will satisfy you
at once, that there is one genius at least, this side of the water.”
She rose from the table, notwithstanding that portentous finger of her father,
raised in a threatening attitude. The rest of the company being unanimous,
he was overruled, and she tripped away to bring it, and soon returned with a
narrow strip of paper, and handed it to Mr. Harry Lee, with a request to read
it. That gentleman's physiognomy perceptibly lengthened, and his eyes
dilated, while running over the two lines, which, as soon as he had finished,
he crumpled up and inserted into his pocket, protesting against such a specimen
being taken as the standard of the colony. Dorothea declared she must
have the paper, that it was a genuine native production, and must be read.
All the company being more eager now than ever to see it, he was forced to
produce it, and she handed it to Mr. Hall, with a request that he would read it
aloud. He had no sooner cast his eyes over the lines, than he burst into a fit
of laughter, the first he had indulged in since landing upon the shores of Virginia.
When he had wiped the tears from his eyes, and was sufficiently composed,
he rose and read, in mock heroic intonations, the following lines:
“God bless the Church, and the Queen, its defender,
Convert fanatics, and baulk the Pretender.”[4]
Every one laughed, except the grave Mr. Lee, he seemed to writhe under
the infliction, as if his personal peculiarities were the subject of merriment.
“Why, Mr. Lee,” said Dorothea, “you take the thing so much to heart,
that we shall suspect you of being the author, presently.”
“Those memorable lines,” said his Excellency, seeing his guest's confusion,
“remind me, that we have not yet drank a toast, never neglected at this
table, `Health and long life to the Queen, God bless her.”'
Ladies and gentlemen paid it due homage, with one exception; Mr. Hall
merely raised his glass, as if about to touch it to his lips, but set it down again,
his hand trembling violently. Lee observed it, as did the young ladies, who
sat near him; the eye of the former twinkled with gratified feelings of some
sort, while the latter were all pained at the young man's embarrassment.
The Governor did not notice the affair; or, if he did, chose to wink at it.
The desert having been removed, Lady Spotswood soon after gave the signal
to the ladies, and they retired to the drawing-room, leaving the gentlemen
over their wine. Before Kate departed she stepped behind her father's chair,
and in a whisper, begged a moment's conversation with him. He rose, led
his daughter to the door leading to the library. After they had passed the
threshold, she told him of the secret which Ellen had communicated to her,
and begged his permission to peruse the papers which he had received with
the body of General Elliot. “What,” said he, “you and Ellen turn diplomatists
and read my state papers. No, no, my child, it would never do—never.”
But Kate coaxed and intreated until the old gentleman was compelled to give
way, and he opened the door and called Mr. Hall, and directed him to gather up
those papers that he had been directed to copy, and hand them to his daughter.
He soon returned with the bundle and handed them to Kate, and as he did so,
she could not help observing, how excessively agitated he was, but she attributed
it to the late patriotic toast which he had declined drinking, and knowing
that her father was not the man to create a mountain out of that mole hill,
she thought she might as well assure him of it at once, and she did so, endeavoring
at the same time to reassure the perplexed youth. He made no other
reply than an inclination of the head, and thanks for the interest she manitested
in him. Having escaped from the dining-room, and supposing that a
poor tutor and private secretary would scarcely be missed, he made good his
retreat altogether. Kate secured her treasure in her pocket, resolved, however,
not to divulge the secret to Ellen, until they had found their own apartments
for the night.
