University of Virginia Library

6. CHAPTER VI.

“What success, ladies, to-day?” inquired
Mr. Barclay, as he tossed up “little Fan” in
the air.

“You had better ask, husband, I should
think, `Why didn't you tell me Bond and his
wife were coming to examine the premises?'
then we should have been in better order about
house. The kitchen was a scene of confusion;
for Polly had just emptied the cupboards to
clean the tin-ware; and my chamber was filled
with trumpery that I left when I cleaned out
that great chest; and the boys' room was a
sight to behold! If you had only told us they
were coming, things would have looked differently,
I assure you.”

Poor woman, she did not know a good house-keeper
never need have an untidy-looking
house.

“How could I tell you what I did not know

myself?” said Mr. Barclay, in a pleasant tone.
“The truth is, I met Bond in State-street this
morning, and, like every body that knows me,
he inquired if I was about breaking up house-keeping;
if I intended to rent or sell my house;
and remarked, in either case he should like to
avail himself of the opportunity to purchase or
hire it. I told him I should rent it; that more
than a dozen applicants were on my memoranda
now. `Then,' said he, `put me first
among them; for, ever since my wife has been
apprised of your vacating your house, she has
bored me incessantly to hire or buy it.”'

“And how much do you ask for the rent?”
inquired Fanny. Mrs. B. never meddled with
such matters.

“I told him,” said Mr. B., “I thought it
would command a thousand dollars, but he
should have it, being a friend, with a small
family, for nine hundred and the taxes. He
came immediately over to inspect it, and the
rest you know about. But tell me, have you
yet seen a place where you would like to

board? I have kept pretty still thus far, as
you know; but when I get so far as to leave
my old home, I must think about getting a
new one; and I was going to give you, Mrs.
Barclay and Fanny, but one more day to perambulate
the streets in search of a place, and
then, if you find none, I shall feel obliged to
take the matter in hand myself. Bond says
he thinks we can take the rooms he leaves.
How should you like them, wife?”

Mrs. Barclay hopped out of her chair, and
dancing up to her husband, only said, “Do
get them. You know how often I have envied
Mrs. Bond her pleasant window and easy
enjoyment.”

“But,” said Fanny, “old Miss Widdifield
has a place in view. Mrs. Bates, opposite her,
she says, has a splendid establishment, and we
are going to see that this afternoon.”

“Very well,” said Barclay, “look all you
want to. I wish Hepsy to be fully satisfied;
for as it is, in homely phrase, `a dish of her

own cooking,' I will not throw an ingredient
into it to which she has an aversion.”

After dinner the two cousins proceeded to
call for Miss Widdifield. The good old lady
inhabited a “second-rate boarding-house,” and
quite an ordinary room up two flights of stairs.
Mrs. Barclay thought of her remark, “she had
learned how to live,” as very inappropriate;
but she was very cordial in her reception, and
highly gratified with the prospect of her call
on Mrs. Bates. And now we will conduct
you, kind reader, to the interior of Mrs. Bates's
“fashionable establishment.” A man-servant,
of course, bowed the ladies into the drawing-room,
asked for their card, and being informed
that their call was on business, withdrew to
summon the lady of the house into their presence.

And here was indeed splendor! Mrs. Barclay's
drawing-rooms contained nothing more
elegant; indeed, her ottomans, lounges, and
window seats were not so modern. “No
wonder,” thought Miss Widdifield, “they never

raise the curtains; the light of day would
injure such delicate fabrics!” While the ladies
remained patiently seated, gazing upon
the splendid paintings which decorated the
walls, the servant returned, saying, “Madam
Bates would wait on them as soon as she had
finished her game at bagatelle with General
Frazer!”

At length she appeared. She was most
queenly in figure, attractive in manner, and
fashionable in dress, and listened to the purport
of their business in a most deferential
manner, and with an easy, nonchalant air.
She informed her guests that she had just now
rather an unusual number of vacancies, as one
of the United States ships had just gone out of
port, and many of the officers, although they
nominally lived on board the ship, yet hired
rooms, and took most of their food at her table.
Old Miss W. here made the untimely remark
that “she supposed she lived high, then, for all
the officers she ever knew were dreadful fond
of good living.” Fanny wished the old lady
farther.

“All the luxuries of the market I generally
procure, ladies, and of course charge a
price correspondent. I likewise keep plenty
of servants; for I once boarded myself, and
never did my poor husband find a house with
a sufficient number of what he called `useful
appendages.' I have just procured a French
cook, a man who is most thoroughly acquainted
with his business, and serves us with the
finest soups I ever tasted. He has two assistant
women, who go and come at his bidding;
and I believe I may say no better chamber-maids
ever were found. Indeed, ladies, I am
relieved of nearly all care; but my expenses
are enormous. But I will not inflict such a
disagreeable feature in one's living upon you,
but, if you please, I will conduct you over my
vacant apartments, and I am sure you can find
just the rooms you may desire, for `I have
large, small, and between ones,' as Commodore
Gates frequently remarks.”

The ladies followed, and often cast toward
each other very meaning looks as they did so.

Here was first exhibited a large, very large
drawing-room, finished and furnished nearly
as tastefully as the one underneath. Adjoining
this was Midshipman Andrew's private
room, carefully locked; but a cough announced
that the gentleman was within it. Over
the entry was a large unoccupied chamber or
parlor, as you pleased to make it: it had been
used for both. Madam B. had a splendid
French bedstead and marble washstand, which
she furnished, if requested (the property of a
surgeon in one of the steam-ships, but which
he permitted her to use as her own in his absence).
“All my gentlemen,” she remarked,
en passant, “are very obliging, and,” she
added, “excellent paymasters in the end, although
I often suffer some inconveniences in
waiting.” Opposite this room, upon the other
side of the house, was another, of the same dimensions,
similarly furnished; fine closet-room
was very common likewise; and above all
these apartments were six more nearly as eligible,
but all unoccupied!

Mrs. Barclay expressed great surprise at
these vacancies; so did Fanny; but old Miss
W—did more. She quaintly remarked her
surprise how any body could get a living in an
empty house, when they pretended to keep
boarders; a sentence Madam Bates appeared
not to hear. She seemed to have a convenient
deafness; and no treatise upon that delicate
organ, the ear, ever yet prescribed for this
disease.

Having shown all “the vacancies,” she added,
“And now, ladies, just take a peep in my
dining-room.” It was a spacious room indeed.
A long table, which was folded again
and again, as her family decreased, making
desertions more visible, stood in the center;
upon it was the bagatelle board, and in a room
leading beyond, Fanny declared was a billiard-table.

“You see we keep very comfortable here,
ladies,” continued Madam Bates. Behind her,
upon the commode, stood two decanters, labeled
“Sherry,” “Madeira.”

This was too much for old Lady W—,
who was a thorough temperance woman. She
burst out,

“Bless me, Miss Bates, here is a sight I haven't
seen for years! Do you furnish liquors on your
table?”

The cousins wished the old lady in California.

“Oh,” replied madam, “I lay no restrictions
upon commanding officers; they are unused
to obedience, and, of course, they board where
every thing is made easy and agreeable. Temperance
is a very good thing, but a glass of
wine now and then never hurts me. I do not,
however, usually keep my wines in quite so
conspicuous a place; but Colonel—”

And here the man-servant announced a box
had arrived, directed to “Madam Bates, —
Avenue.”

The ladies ought here to have withdrawn,
but really they were entertained, and so prolonged
their stay beyond all the bounds of etiquet.

“Bring it here, Sam,” ordered the hostess,

“and quickly open it; I can not imagine its
contents.”

And, sure enough, it is a headdress, and a
very tasteful one too, with Commodore Shaler's
compliments, and inviting Mrs. Bates to partake
of an evening's amusement at the theater,
with a bill at the bottom of the box announcing
the play, “Romeo and Juliet,” to conclude with
the laughable comedy, “Three Weeks after
Marriage.”

“You see, ladies, a specimen here of my
boarders! they are whole-souled gentlemen!
This commodore is a very generous man. He
has only been with me a month or so; has a
beautiful wife in England; and so I feel at liberty
to accept his attentions, as,” she added,
“you know no remarks will be made.”

“Dear me, I don't know about that,” said
old Miss W—, “for she would speak,” she
said, after she came out.

Thus, an unwarrantably long call having
been made, our ladies, promising to call again,
left Madam Bates.

Old Miss W— had hardly stepped upon
the sidewalk ere she commenced with plenty
of comments; but the decanters seemed to be
the burden of her song, and the explanation in
those, she thought, she found in Madam Bates's
volubility. She deeply regretted she had
spoken of this place to Mrs. Barclay; but, as
she had thereby looked “behind the curtains,”
she comforted herself she had done no harm;
for Mrs. Barclay said, “Nothing on earth would
induce her to board in such a house.”

And with this day closed Mrs. Barclay's
and Fanny's hunt for a fashionable boarding-house.
Very few would have persevered so
long in looking, but curiosity prompted Fanny,
and a desire to get a “good home in a genteel
house,” Mrs. Barclay. They returned home,
and narrated the particulars, as above described,
at Madam Bates's, to Mr. Barclay.

“And what did you say the woman's name
was?” he inquired.

“Bates.”

“Bates? Bates? Why, that is the very

woman Bond was talking about this morning.
She has just gone into bankruptcy.”

“What a comment upon a style without
any means to carry it on!” said Fanny.

It was now left for them to secure Bond's
rooms when he vacated them. Having examined
them, and found them rather eligible,
compared with those they had seen, Fanny
and Mrs. Barclay concluded to take them without
farther comment, for a beginning must be
made.