Edward Austin, or, The hunting flask a tale of the forest and town |
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| 4. | CHAPTER IV. |
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 | CHAPTER IV. Edward Austin, or, The hunting flask |  |
4. CHAPTER IV.
In one of those handsome streets that diverge from Broadway, in the
vicinity of the Park, stands an edifice of an exterior somewhat imposing.
It was the aristocratic mansion of an old family now represented only by a
single person—a young gentleman with whom the reader will become acquainted.
The house once stood alone in dignified exclusiveness, but blocks
of dwelling-houses were now closely joined to it on either side, amid which
it stood a grand old representative of the architectural luxury and elaborate
taste of the days anterior to the revolution when the wealthy colonists aped
royalty. It was three stories in height with a deep front, ornamented by a
row of pilasters, with ionic capitals and crowned by an architrave loaded
with ornamental carving. There was a row of lion's heads along the entablature,
and above each window upon an arch was a grotesque human
face. Over the massive and imposing door way was a coat of arms supported
by griffin's claws and surmounted by a baronial coronet. The whole
facade of the house was of a dark brown colour to which in many places
time had added stains of inky black. Altogether this edifice was noble and
striking to the eye and spoke eloquently of the days of by-gone colonial
grandeur.
The full moon, an hour high, was shining in broad, clear radiance upon
its front, lighting up each detail of the architecture with the distinctness of
noonday, when two young men, who had been walking leisurely down the
side of the street which lay black in shadow, (half the street being buried
in the dark shadows of the opposite blocks of houses) stopped over against
it and looked carefully around them.
`There is no one coming down now! Let us cross over,' said De Witt
Wittelsey.
`I had rather wait till those people pass who are coming up!' replied
Ralph Waldron.
`They are only labourers or persons you need'nt care for!'
`It may be, possibly, men I employ in the store. I can't be too careful.
I would rather wait, Wittlesey and go in some other night when the streets
are darker!'
`It is confoundedly light to-night that is a fact!'
`A person entering any house, the opposite side of the way, could be
recognized from people who might be at their drawing-room windows on
this, as plain as in sun-light. As I go with you merely from curiosity, another
night will do as well. I would'nt commit myself by being seen; for
you know I am a business man now!'
`True. But there is no danger! There, those men have got up by. Let
us dart quickly across the way and we shall be in before any one can observe
us!'
Waldron glanced anxiously round at the curtained windows of the houses
near him to see if any one was looking forth, and then taking his friend's
arm hurried across the street with him. They hastened their steps as they
emerged from the shadow that lay upon the half of the street into the
moonlight, on coming into which Ralph felt as if a cloak hitherto concealing
him, had fallen from his person, exposing him to the observation of every
eye; for he was conscious that he was about to enter the door of the
character was only suspected by the world. They reached the door when
De Witt grasping the massive knocker pulled at it as if at a bell handle
when the door as if by invisible means was thrown open and as suddenly
closed upon them. Waldron found himself in a neat vestibule, a small
porter's room between the door and the hall beyond. The only occupant
was a young man with very long light hair sweeping upon his shoulders in
a rich profusion of curls,a light coloured mustache and imperial, effeminate
blue eyes, a fair white complexion and a look of the most decided profligacy.
His hand which was fair and delicate was loaded with massive rings,
and a ponderous cameo set in massive gold adorned the fine linen folds of
his shirt bosom. He was dressed in the height of fashion with an eye-glass
attached to a fine-linked gold chain, a costly watch secured by a second
chain of gold being thrown round his neck and crossing his vest, which
was of blue silk spangled with stars in silver thread. He wore a gorgeous
Chinese dressing robe instead of a coat, and was seated at his ease upon
an arm chair with one foot elegantly booted stretched upon a little marble
table that stood before him. He was, altogether, externally, the personification
of effeminate foppery. His air and attitude were in perfect keeping
with his appearance. But the expression of his countenance was in remarkable
contrast with the gaiety of his attire. It was youthful and fair, but
upon every lineament was impressed the stamp of finished vice. There
was no crime that that young man would not seem to be ready to commit.
His was a countenance neither to be loved nor trusted.
`Ah, De Witt,' he said in a thin, violin-like voice, `You are here late!'
`It is but nine o'clock, Virril!' answered Whittelsey in an indifferent tone,
and with the air of a superior holding the person he answered in supreme
contempt. The young man accustomed to such treatment from the rich
and fashionable young gentlemen who resorted there, betrayed no other
feeling at his manner than by slightly compressing his sharp lips and moving
the corners of his mouth with a scarcely perceptible sneer of hatred.
`Who have you with you? Does he wish to enter his name?'
`No. Merely a friend?'
`He will be trusted?'
`I should not have brought him unless I knew so,' replied Wittelsey
haughtily. `Open the door and let us into the hall!'
`You have not given the recognition! It is required of all who enter
whether known to me or not!'
`True!' and De Wttt drawing off his glove placed the fore finger of the
left hand upon a gold eagle that was fastened upon the centre of the little
marble table. Letting it rest there a moment he carried the finger to his
lips and then resumed his glove. Waldron saw all this with surprise.
`This is the sign of the initiated' answered Wittlesey laughing. `None
pass beyond that door who cannot give it, unless they enter with some one
of the club!'
The door-keeper then threw open the inner door and they entered a
spacious central hall panelled and ornamented with very elaborate architecture.
It was brilliantly lighted by a solar lamp placed upon a pedestal at
the foot of a broad flight of stairs with a massive balustrade. The doors
on each side of the hall were open and Waldron saw that the apartments
were elegantly furnished. Young men were assembled in one playing at
cards on polished tables lighted from above by suspended solar lamps, and
in the other, on the left hand was a large table covered with crimson velvet
and surrounded by a polished brass edge, around which several persons
were gathered playing at some game the name of which he was ignorant.
In the hall two or three young men were walking up and down and smoking.
All were fashionable in their dress, dissipated in their air; and among
Ralph accompanied his guide through both of these rooms, lingering
around the tables to observe the players and watch their varied success.
`We will now go into the upper apartments,' said De Witt after they had
made the tour of these rooms, the luxury and magnificence of which surpried
Ralph; while he was astonished to find such a concourse of young
men of the first families assembled here to play.
Ascending the broad stair-case which was brilliantly lighted, they came
to a second hall with doors leading into four apartments. There was but
one of the doors open through which they passed into an elegant billard
room where some half dozen young men were engaged at play, wearing
gay Turkish smoking caps, and white linen jackets. Every thing aroung
was luxurious and in perfect taste. There was neither disorder nor rudeness.
Ottomans about the room invited to voluptuous indulgence. The
floor was covered with a thick carpet that gave back no sound to the tread,
and the windows were richly curtained. Upon a marble stone at one end of
the room stood a silver salver with cigars upon it, for the use of the players.
There was no appearance of wines in the room, nor had Ralph seen any
below.
`There are three more doors leading from the hall; are these gaming
rooms also?' he enquired.
`Not all of them. One is a private chamber belonging to the young
gentleman, Frank Frankton, who keeps the establishment. You know that
he inherited this house with a handsome fortune which he soon ran through
with, and then mortgaging his house, he ran through with that. It all went
in play, of which he was passionately fond!'
`And how is it then that he dwells here and is proprietor of this splendid
establishment?' asked Ralph with surprise.
`I will tell you. He used to assemble his friends to play in his prosperity,
having two rooms fitted up for this purpose; the apartment below stairs
on the right where you saw them playing at brag, and this we are now in.
Here he lived as a bachelor in great luxury and expenditure; and here his
friends, and well-dressed black-legs whom he at times associated with on
account of their deep playing, won his money from him and ruined him.—
Finding his situation desperate he resolved on converting his house into a
suit of magnificent club gaming saloons. You see what is! It has made
his fortune! Every player pays him a certain sum for the privilege of playing,
while each frequenter here subscribes yearly one hundred dollars.—
His subscriptions amount to ten thousand dollars a year. He reserves to
himself also a certain per centage on all winning over a hundred dollars.—
He does not play himself much, as his passion seems to find food in the
management of such an establishment!'
`Does he pay no tax to the city?'
`Not beyond the value of his property. The city are ignorant of its
character. It is supposed still to be a private house where Frankton as
formerly receives a good many friends to play and make merry. In fact it
is known a club meets here occasionally! Its true character is suspected but
by few!'
`Yet I have heard of its existence as a fashionable gambling house.'
`Yes, I know some people pretend more is carried on here than appears;
but the public have never had their attention drawn to it. Every thing, you
see is managed by a thorough system. Frankton is a perfect prince in his
way. You saw the caution with which we were admitted. No man can
enter here who is not a friend of some one of the club!'
`Your account surprises me! It is a magnificent affair, and I can well
conceive must attract all the rich young men in town!'
`You see here the very elite!' answered Wittlesey with a patronizing
look of ostentation.
`Was that the proprietor below?'
`Who?'
`The pale young man with the gold chains and rings who let us in?'
`He!' exclaimed De Witt with a tone of contempt, `Frank would little
thank you for that compliment. The fellow you saw there has been a black-leg
of the first water. He is Frankton's door-keeper and his tool to do
whatever he chooses to command. I don't know why he employs such a
wretch. But there is some mystery in it which leads Frankton to retain
him about his person. He is vulgar and malicious. Why, the fellow can't
even read or write his own name. The only literature he knows any thing
about is contained within a pack of Crehore's cards. I said he could not
read. Yes, he can read private marks in cards, and so skilfully, that no
man will set down to a table with him, not even his own friends. So as
nobody would play with him, perhaps out of pity to keep the devil from
starving Frankton has taken him into his employ. He makes a good door
keeper, and so does a dog!'
Waldron smiled at this conclusion of De Witt's description of Virril.—
They then together crossed the hall to a door which was closed. Waldron
thought he heard the clashing of steel within; and the door being thrown
open at a knock given by his companion, he found himself in an apartment
in which two young men, striped to their waists, were boxing with gloves,
and two others engaged in a spirited fencing bout, with foils. The room
was hung with boxing-gloves, caps, foils,small swords; and even spears and
sabres, formed a part of its garniture.
`This is the fencing chamber!' said Wittlesey. `You see Frankton has
every thing to please all tastes!'
`It surprises me that I find no drinking here. I have seen nothing like
wine in any of the rooms! Is it possible so gay a resort as this can be governed
by temperance? Yet I am pretty confident some of the young bloods
I have seen here are a little elated!'
`Temperance does not exactly govern here, but it is regarded very strictly
by Frankton, who will not allow any one to remain here after he becomes
at all excited or noisy with wine. This is a rule of the place and is never
set aside for any one. Tipsy people are noisy and cease to be respectable;
and Frankton will have every thing respectable and quiet as you see. Come
with me. There is one other room to enter!'
The young merchant yielded himself to his guidance and they stopped
before a door, which was partly open, and from which came sounds of music.
De Witt threw it wide and Waldron stood still transfixed with astonishment.
The room was large and grand in its height and breadth, and
seemed to be panelled with mirrors multiplying themselves a thousand
times to an infinite series of distances on all sides of the beholder. Between
the mirrors were slender silver-gilt columns wreathed with vines and
flowers exquisitely wrought, and colored to the life. The ceiling was exquisitely
painted with classic groups of figures, and from it was suspended
a gorgeous pyramid of crystal, blazing like the sun with a hundred lights.
The floor was polished and ornamented with stars and borders in mosaic,
the pieces being of colored wood. At one end of the magnificent room
was a raised plat-form laid with rich carpets and surrounded by seats covered
with crimson piled velvet and presenting somewhat the appearance of
a private box at the theatre. In it were two beautiful girls not more than
eighteen stationed before a white marble slab which run across the da's like
a counter, upon which was displayed numerous decanters of sparkling
wines, and silver and cut-glass goblets in dazzling array. There were beautiful
for the smokers, and upon small silver plates were strewn the minute pellets
of cachou aromatise for diffusing an aromatic flavor in the mouth and removing
the taste and smell caused by smoking and drinking. These young
girls were dressed in the most attractive manner, and used their smiles and
glances as lavishly as Don Cupid shoots arrows. They were engaged in
waiting upon several young men, handing them the fragrant cigars on the
vase, or gilded paper-lighters, or the little silver plates of aromatic pellets
with a grace, and air and wreathed smiles and bewildering glances that
were in themselves dangerous enough, without the drinking and gaming, to
ruin half the young men. Yet Waldron could see that they were but automatons,
beautiful animated automatons, giving to all and each who approached
their tempting mart, the same charming smiles, the same fiery
glances! There were at least a dozen young men gathered around this
shrine of Bacchus, where Venus presided with such dangerous fascination,
the most of them with ruby goblets in their hands!
`I had no need' thought Ralph, `to ask if wine were kept here! There is
the crystal throne itself, of the sparkling god!'
Music filled the air around him, and he looked to discern whence it came,
but the source was invisible. It came in rich swells, a burst of instrumental
sounds like the rising wind, and then lulling, was succeeded, in the calm
that followed, by the richest female voice Waldron had over listened to!—
Even the groups about the marble counter of wines ceased their talk with
each other and suspended their gay speeches to the fair attendants, to listen.
`This is a wonderful place, Wittlesey,' said Ralph after the voice and the
instruments, mingling and commingling, had died away as if receding in the
infinite distance which the eye seemed to behold in the perspective of the
mirrors.
`I knew you would be gratified to visit it, or I should not have urged you,'
answered Wittlesey blandly. “Come, my dear fellow what will you take?'
Wittelsey to do him justice blushed as he asked the question; for he knew
that Ralph had before refused him saying that now he was in business with
his uncle he was going to give up all spirits. This was true. Waldron had
been in the city now one month and during that time, although with great
difficulty, and hourly longing for his habitual draught, he had succeeded in
keeping temperate. But the struggle had been a painful, a severe one, and
for the first two weeks he thought he should have to yield to his habit.—
Several times De Witt had sought his company, and in vain tempted him,
laughing at his temperance! Waldron, however, was naturally resolute and
strong-minded and remained firm with the strongest inclination to comply.
His resolution was a reproach and reproof upon the habits of De Witt, and
he felt it to be so. Therefore he secretly determined he would make him
break it. There was a deeper motive. Wittelsey was greatly embarrassed
for want of money, and he knew his cousin had six thousand dollars!
`If I can make him drunk I can make him play!' he said to himself, and a
truer saying was never uttered. He who drinks will play—will—nay there
is nothing he may not be capable of doing; for reason is no longer at the helm
and the man is driven by every wind of temptation whither his tempter leads,
or his inflamed passions urge him onward. Wtttelsey reasoned well, and
from deep knowledge of human character. `If I can make him drink I can
make him play. If he plays I win his money!'
From that moment he ceased not to press his attentions upon Waldron
He began by taking him to the different libraries, the Historical rooms, and
other like places to lull suspicion and with the pretence of introducing him to
what was worth seeing and visiting, now that he intended to reside in town.
He then, gradually approaching the point, suggested a visit to the B*** Club.
You ought not to miss the opportunity of seeing it. Go with me to-night!'
were the words of his tempter.
So Waldron consented and went with him as he desired. But he was not
a man of that pure and high order of morals which characterized Edward
Austin. Ralph was in some sense a man of the world, and saw no great harm
in fashionable amusements. He always liked the theatre, and had played
billards. He felt no compunction in visiting a gaming house out of curiosity,
provided he was not seen entering it. His only fault of character, he
believed, had been his drinking, and in conquering and subduing this he feared
no danger from any other source. He, therefore, did not feel shocked at
the scenes he beheld here. They rather surprised but interested him.—
Edward Austin, on the contrary, in the purity of his heart, and in the uprightness
of his moral feelings would have shrunk from mingling in a scene
where the laws of manly virtue and moral excellence, which alone make a
man dignified and honorable, were suspended.
| CHAPTER IV. Edward Austin, or, The hunting flask | |