Quid RomÊ faciam? Mentiri nescio[3].
JUVENAL.
I am as true as Truth's simplicity,
And simpler than the infancy of Truth.
SHAKESPEARE.
[Footnote 3: What should I do at Rome, unknowing how to feign?]
Selina's impatience to reach the end of her journey made her consider it
tedious in its progress, notwithstanding the velocity with which Lady
Eltondale always travelled; who was too much a woman of fashion not to
increase as much as possible her own consequence along the king's
highway, by the trifling exertion of keeping the poor goaded animals
which had the honor of drawing her vehicle at their utmost speed,
thereby endangering the lives of such of his majesty's peaceful subjects
as happened to approach them. As to Lord Eltondale, he seldom found
leisure to reflect on the consequence attending any direction her
Ladyship pleased to give; and even had he reflected, he would scarcely
have ventured to dissent, so confirmed was his habit of passive
acquiescence. Indeed, poor man, he was in a situation something similar
to the coronet on his own equipage,--an external appendage to Lady
Eltondale, which, while hurried along under the direction of her
caprice, gave her a dignity in the eyes of the many, who merely look on
the outside of every thing, but, in reality, totally disregarded by all
those who were admitted into the interior.
At last, from a little eminence on the road, the first view of London
broke on Selina's delighted eye. And yet such had been the exaggerated
picture of this queen of cities, which her vivid imagination had drawn,
that the _coup d'oeil_ almost disappointed her. It is true, a long
line of smoke darkened the whole horizon, yet she could scarcely
believe, the towers she saw so pre-eminent in the distance were really
the St. Paul's, and Westminster Abbey, she had so long wished to see.
Judgment must be corrected by experience, before it can form a true
scale for grandeur either moral or physical. However, as by degrees
Selina discovered the immensity of the parts, she formed some idea of
the comparative magnitude of the whole; and as she approached the
metropolis, the throng of passengers of every rank, the crowd of
carriages of all descriptions, the protracted suburbs, and the bustling
scene altogether, nearly overcame her agitated spirits; and, at last,
when the carriage was suddenly stopped, and for some minutes detained in
Bond Street by the concourse of people, her heart became oppressed with
contending feelings. She experienced that worst pang of solitude--a
consciousness of being alone in a crowd; and, leaning back in the
carriage, she burst into tears. This was, however, but a momentary
depression; her elastic spirits soon recovered their spring; and when
the barouche stopped in Portman Square, she bounded out of it, and gaily
followed Lady Eltondale into her new abode.
For a moment she paused to look round the splendid drawing rooms, as if
to ascertain that the scene was real, and no fleeting vision of her
fancy. Then darting forward, she roamed from room to room, admiring
every thing, examining nothing: the china, the mirrors, the statues, the
lamps, the chandeliers, all in turn caught her attention, and all were
in turn abandoned;
"Gold, silver, iv'ry, vases sculptur'd high,
Paint, marbles, gems, and robes of Persian dye."
At last she noticed the balcony, that "rifled all the breathing
spring," and flew to the open French window, expressing aloud all her
admiration.
"All that does vastly well, my dear Selina, now we are _tÍte a tÍte_,"
quietly said the Viscountess, who, in the mean time, had been looking
over the cards that nearly covered one of her tables. "But, pray child,
don't be too _naÔve_. You must learn to suppress your feelings; indeed,
my dear, you must. If you choose to adopt the _ton_ of natural manners,
do so, _cela vous sied bien_; but make the proper distinction between
simplicity and ignorance. I will never act the _chaperone_ to _La
contadina in corte_." Then perceiving her rebuke had, at the moment, all
the effect she desired, she took Selina's arm, and familiarly leaning on
it, "Come, my love," added she, "let me introduce you to your own
apartments: I feel you are so much my child, I quite forget to play the
Lady Macbeth, and kindly bid you welcome." Lady Eltondale knew so well
how to soften the asperity of reproof, without weakening its effect,
that, perhaps, there were no moments in which her fascinating powers
were more displayed, than when she finely touched a string a less
skilful hand would jar: and, having once hinted to Selina that
possibility of her unrestrained emotions being construed into the
affectation of _naÔvetÈ_; she knew the diffidence that suggestion would
occasion, would have the effect of making her still more pliable to her
well versed instructress in the arts of fashion.
Selina's toilet was soon made, and she repaired to the drawing room,
long before her aunt was dressed. Here she prepared to renew, at
leisure, her entertaining examination; and, for this purpose, leaned on
a marble table, to admire the perfection of _bijouterie_, as it was
fully exemplified in a French clock that it supported. She had not long
remained thus employed, when she was disturbed by a voice close behind
her ear, exclaiming, "Beautiful! enchanting! divine, upon my soul!" and
turning round, she perceived a gentleman, who, in the mean time, had
been as attentively, and, to all appearance, not less delightedly
examining her. She colored, but made him a slight curtsy, to which he
returned a bow, as obsequious as he could accomplish without withdrawing
his eyes from her countenance; whilst his own was intended to express
the most reverential admiration: but so little obedient were his
features to his feelings, that their expression bordered on the
ludicrous, and thereby served as an antidote to his ardent, and almost
impertinent gaze. The ceremonious salute was prolonged by both, to
enable each to assume a proper, though different, control over their
features: but Selina, finding her risible muscles moved almost beyond
the power of restraint, turned towards a chair, which her spell-struck
admirer presented to her in silence, and with protracted admiration.
The figure that thus offered incense at her shrine was one, that would
more properly have served as a prototype to a Silenus than a Cupid. He
was habited in the very extreme of fashion, apparently unconscious that
his ill-proportioned limbs, and corpulent form, "made by nature's
journeymen," were but ill adapted to the exhibition of a tailor's art.
His head, which was immense, rose out of a filleting of neckcloth, that
seemed to impede his respiration; at least such might be inferred from
the deepened color of his swoln cheeks. In one hand he held a newspaper,
and in the other a glass, which he always applied to his eye when he
meant to recognize an acquaintance, always saving and reserving to
himself the privilege of "_cutting_" an old friend on the plea of
short-sightedness.
He had neither the graces of youth, nor the respectability of age; and
yet, merely because he had become, nobody knew how or why, the _ton_, he
was a welcome inmate of every fashionable mansion. His recommendations,
such as they were, consisted in a capability of relating a good story in
the best possible manner, and of submitting patiently to a hoax from his
superiors, always knowing how and when to return the compliment with
interest: besides,
"Our courtier walks from dish to dish,
Tastes, for his friend, of fowl and fish,
Tells all their names, lays down the law,
_Que Á‡ est bon! Ah! go˚tez Áa._"
He was, in truth, a living _Almanac des Gourmands_, and could withal
play well, and bet high at every game. Being a professed old bachelor,
he took the liberty of paying to ladies such undressed compliments, as,
however acceptable they may be from some, it is not the etiquette to
listen to from all. And perhaps from this assumed license, which he owed
chiefly to his own ugliness, did he derive that privilege of which he
was most vain, an undisputed right to decide on all claims to female
beauty.
Such was the character and appearance of Sir James Fenton, whom Lady
Eltondale, on entering, formally introduced to Selina: adding, in a
manner half ironical and half serious, "This is my niece, Miss Seymour,
for whom I bespeak your patronage, Sir James; I expect you will make her
your first toast all this next month." Sir James acceded to her
Ladyship's request with all possible seriousness; and leaning over the
chair of the Viscountess, while he continued his scrutiny of Selina,
lavished on her beauty the most rapturous praise in an audible voice,
and, in a tone of criticism, concluding, as he conducted Lady Eltondale
to the dinner room,--
Let her be seen; could she that wish obtain,
All other wishes her own power would gain.
Selina scarcely knew whether to be most offended at Sir James's
effrontery, or entertained by his originality. She had not an
opportunity to decide on this important question afterwards, as he did
not make his re-appearance in the drawing room.
Lord Eltondale had accidentally met him in Bond Street, as he strolled
down towards the Royal Institution; and Sir James had accepted his
casual invitation to dinner, for the sole purpose of seeing "the
beautiful heiress;" and being able to anticipate the judgment the
connoisseurs were to pass on her title to admiration. For Lady Eltondale
had not been idle during her stay in the country: she was well aware,
that there was no way by which a woman could better secure the
admiration of any one man, than by convincing him she had obtained that
of the rest of the world; and having gained "the beautiful heiress" for
Frederick Elton, she wished to enhance the gift in his eyes, by
increasing her value in those of others.
She knew that Selina's beauty was above praise, and that, even had she
been less lovely, an _heiress_ was always transformed into a goddess, in
the pages of a newspaper. She therefore had written, previous to their
arrival in town, to about twenty of her confidential friends, making
very slight mention of Selina's person, but giving a most minute detail
of her property; and thus prepared the paragraph in the Morning Post,
which next day met Selina's eyes, describing herself as
"A creature,
Would she begin a sect, might quench the zeal
Of all professors else, make proselytes
of whom she bid but follow."
Lady Eltondale was excessively entertained at the surprise and confusion
of Selina, at reading this unexpected compliment to her own charms, the
real existence of which she was totally unconscious of. As the time had
arrived when Selina had promised to lay aside her mourning, they
determined to commence the pleasing toil of shopping that very day, and
accordingly visited in turn all the jewellers, milliners, mantua-makers,
corset-makers, and shoemakers, and all the _et cetera_, that disputed
the palm of fashionable praise. While Lady Eltondale gratified at once
her love of extravagance and exquisite taste, as she directed that of
her lovely charge, at the same time she indulged Selina's very natural
curiosity, by taking her through the different parts of the metropolis;
for the wary Viscountess was anxious that Selina should not be produced
to the world's eye, while she was herself too new to its wonders; well
knowing that all her care and all her instructions, would scarcely
suffice to check the first warm effusions of an unpractised heart.
Some days passed in this manner; and at last the decorations of Selina's
lovely person being decided on, the embellishment of her mind was next
to be attended to, at least so Lady Eltondale termed the cultivation of
her _talents_; for with her _mind_ she, in truth, little interfered,
however much she wished to direct the expression of her feelings. To
perfect her in all the accomplishments of the day, the first masters
were engaged to attend her. Selina, in her usual lively manner, wrote to
Mrs. Galton an entertaining description of her various avocations,
alleging that she was already introduced "to the whole _dramatis
personÊ_ of the _Bourgeois Gentilhomme_," consisting of "_un maitre de
musique_, _un maitre ‡ danser_, _un maitre tailleur_, _plusieurs
laquais_" and that she hoped "_les hommes du bel air_ would soon make
the _entrÈe du ballet_."
A beautiful boudoir was resigned to Selina by the Viscountess for her
morning room, as it by no means was a part of her Ladyship's plan, that
Selina should be _‡ portÈ_ to the train of idle visitors that formed her
usual levee. She knew the world well enough to be aware, that even
beauty might grow familiar, and "pall on the eye;" and the more Miss
Seymour was found difficult of access, the more would her society be
sought. Therefore in acceding to Selina's entreaty to be allowed to pass
her morning, as usual, in employment, while apparently only yielding to
her wishes, she in truth pursued her own. Selina, with gratitude and
delight, took possession of her little Paradise, for so she deemed it;
into it she speedily removed her books, her drawing materials, and her
magnificent new harp, which had been one of her first purchases, and
there did she devote many hours to practising the lessons she daily
received; particularly attending to the improvement of her naturally
fine voice, which she could already accompany tolerably well on her new
instrument; and often did she find her toil amply recompensed by a
silent reflection of "how delighted Augustus and aunt Mary would be to
hear me now!"
Nearly a fortnight had elapsed since their arrival in town, and Lady
Eltondale became tired of remaining so long in private; for though she
had, in truth, been out every evening, she had not yet gone to any large
assembly, not wishing to appear in public without Selina, and choosing
that her _dÈbut_ should take place at her own house. She therefore sent
out her cards for "a small party, with music;" and in the selection she
made of her intended guests, took care that nearly all the leaders of
_ton_, of both sexes, should be invited, whose fiat could at once
impress the stamp of fashion on her _protÈgÈe_, for of their award she
felt well assured, as her own silence on her beauty indicated. In the
mean time she was most assiduous in preparing Selina for the exhibition.
An easy but beautiful duet was practised and repractised with
Mademoiselle Omphalie, who declared her full approbation of her quick
adaptation of her style. Another was "_got up_," in which Selina was to
accompany Madame ---- on the piano forte, with just as many full chords
on the harp as would show her beautiful figure to advantage, and impress
the company with an idea of her manifold accomplishments; and a popular
air, with brilliant variations, was selected for her performance on the
piano forte, which was, in truth, the only part of the _scene_ in which
poor Selina felt the least assurance of success. At last the evening
arrived, and Selina attended her aunt to the drawing room in a tumult of
contending feelings: she stood on the threshold of pleasure--hope
danced in her eyes, whilst the blush of timidity flushed her cheek. The
magnificence of the apartments, the splendor of the lights, the perfume
of the flowers, at once dazzled and delighted her. All the rooms were
opened, and all shone in one blaze of borrowed day except the favourite
boudoir: it too was open, and in it still sweeter flowers charmed the
sense. But its simple, though beautiful, decorations, were more obscured
than shown by the pale light of lamps, which shed almost a moonlight
around, as they darted their tempered rays through vases of transparent
alabaster. It seemed like the retreat of luxurious elegance receding
from the world's glare; and Selina herself appeared like the goddess of
this blest abode. Her dress had been entirely superintended by the
Viscountess, as Selina neither understood nor valued the arts of the
toilet; but her well versed aunt, knowing that the reputation of
Selina's immense fortune was already sufficiently extended, had
determined to consider nothing in this her first appearance, but how
best to heighten her natural loveliness. The style of her dress was of
the chastest simplicity. Her luxuriant hair, "when unadorned adorned the
most," shone in no borrowed ornament, but every tress was arranged by
the nicest hand of art, "then best exercised when least displayed." No
jewels shed round her their meretricious glare; her gown of pure white
seemed as spotless as the robe of innocence--but its beauty was not the
effect of chance: no fold was unimpressed with the finest touch
experienced taste could bestow; and, as Lady Eltondale turned her eyes
on the beautiful girl, thus moulded, to all the external perfection she
could have desired, she smiled at the anticipation of the triumphs that
awaited her.
The frequent knocks, and rapidly repeated succession of names,
announced to Selina that the Ides of March were come. Lady Eltondale
took her station in the most conspicuous part of the rooms, for the
purpose of receiving her guests; and never was the fascinating elegance
of her manners more conspicuously displayed than on such occasions. At
first she kept Selina leaning on her arm, for the purpose of showing her
blushing charms to all, and of actually introducing her to a favored
few. But the rooms rapidly filling, and the music being commenced, Lady
Eltondale left Miss Seymour under the peculiar protection of the old
Dutchess of Saltoun, whose countenance showed how truly she was
delighted with her young acquaintance. But Lady Eltondale, in
withdrawing from Selina, did not cease to observe all her motions. Nor
was she a little gratified at the universal murmur of applause her
appearance excited, thus bursting into view in all the heightened effect
of unexpected beauty. All the fashionable beaux in the room crowded
round the new star, expressing, in all the variety of tones and
gestures, their admiration of her loveliness: at last, their profuse
compliments confusing, rather than gratifying Selina, she looked
anxiously round for her aunt, and perceived her standing in earnest
conversation with two gentlemen, in one of whom, with equal surprise and
pleasure, she recognised Augustus, and the other she rightly conjectured
to be Lord Osselstone.