CLARA MANTON.
James Cromwell did not remain at the Madison Hotel, but secured board
for himself and Robert at a private house in the village, where the only
other boarders were a gentleman and his daughter. The latter was about
nineteen, passably pretty, and very fond of attention. Her name was
Clara Manton. Her father was in ill-health, and for a year or two had
been out of business. He was possessed of about fifteen thousand
dollars, well invested, and the income of this sum in a place like
Madison, yielded him and his daughter a very comfortable support.
When Clara Manton heard that they were to have two fellow-boarders, and
that one of them was a young man, she determined, as she expressed it to
her friend, Louisa Bates, "to set her cap for him."
"Would you marry him?" inquired Louisa, of her friend.
"As to that, I can't tell. I haven't seen him yet. He may be very
disagreeable for all I know. But even if he is, I am going to flatter
him up, and make him fall in love with me. Then, when he offers himself,
I can take his case into consideration."
"Perhaps you'll fall in love yourself, Clara," suggested her friend.
"I am not very susceptible. I wouldn't marry a masculine angel, unless
he had some money. I must find out how Mr. Cromwell stands in that way,
first."
When James Cromwell first made his appearance at Mrs. Shelby's table,
Clara Manton, who sat opposite, fixed her black eyes upon his face, and
examined him attentively.
As James Cromwell's personal appearance has previously been described,
it will readily be believed that Clara was not fascinated with the
retreating forehead, ferret-like eyes, mottled complexion and
insignificant features.
"He's horrid ugly!" she said to herself. "I don't think I ever saw a
homelier man. The boy is much better looking. I wish he were the young
man. There'd be some satisfaction in exercising my fascinations upon
him. However, beauty is only skin deep, and if Mr. Cromwell has got
money, I don't know that I would object to marrying him. What I want is
a nice house and an easy life."
It will be seen that Clara Manton was not one of the romantic girls of
which heroines are usually made. In truth, she was incapable of any
love, except self-love, and though she could counterfeit sentiment, she
had none of the quality. She was very practical and calculating, and did
not mean to surrender her freedom, unless she could obtain the
substantial advantages which she desired.
In spite, therefore, of James Cromwell's personal deficiencies, she
determined to exercise her arts upon him.
On sitting down to the table she was introduced by Mrs. Shelby.
"How do you like Madison, Mr. Cromwell?" she said, with great suavity.
"Pretty well, thank you," said Cromwell, rather awkwardly, for he always
felt uncomfortable in the society of ladies, particularly if they were
young, or in any way pretty or attractive. It might have been a vague
idea of his own personal disadvantages that produced this feeling, but
it was partly because he had had very limited opportunities of becoming
acquainted or associating with the opposite sex.
"I am glad you like us well enough to establish yourself here," said the
young lady, graciously. "I hear you have gone into business in the
village, so that we may hope to have you as a permanent accession to our
village society."
"Thank you, Miss Manton," said James Cromwell, trying to think of
something more to say, but not succeeding.
"Do you go back to the store in the evening?" asked the young lady, as
he rose from the table.
"Yes, I think so. I am expected to keep open in the evening."
"But you have an assistant?"
"Yes."
"Then I advise you not to make yourself a slave to business. We shall
hope for the pleasure of your company occasionally in the evening."
James Cromwell felt flattered, and looking full in the young lady's
face, he thought to himself, "She is very pretty, and she seems to show
me a great deal of politeness."
"Thank you, Miss Manton, for your kind invitation. I will accept it very
soon--as soon as I think I can be spared from my business."
"You will be quite welcome," said Clara, graciously.
The young man might not have felt quite so well pleased, if he could
have read what was passing in Clara's mind.
"He is not only ugly," she said to herself, "but an awkward boor. I
don't believe he ever spoke to a lady before. However, he may be worth
catching. At any rate, it will give me a little amusement to angle for
him, and I will see if I can't make an impression."
"Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." So runs an old
proverb. This was illustrated in the case of James Cromwell, who,
ignorant of the real opinion entertained of him by Miss Manton, began,
after a while, to conceive the delusive thought that she had taken a
fancy to him. But we are anticipating.
Three evenings later, when supper was concluded, James Cromwell made no
movement to go back to the store. This was quickly observed by Clara,
who said, with a smile:
"You are going to remain with us, this evening, are you not, Mr.
Cromwell?"
"If it will be agreeable," he said.
"Can you doubt it?" she said, with a look which quickened the
pulsations of Cromwell's heart. "I get so tired passing the evening
alone. Papa gets hold of a paper or magazine, and I am left to my own
devices for amusement."
She invited Cromwell to their private parlor, which was furnished with a
piano.
"Do you like music, Mr. Cromwell?" she inquired.
"Very much, indeed," he answered, though the truth was he scarcely knew
one tune from another.
"Perhaps you are a musician?"
"Not at all," he said, hastily, and in this statement, at least, he was
correct. "Won't you play something, Miss Manton?"
"I haven't anything new, but if you don't mind old pieces, I will play
for you."
She played a noisy instrumental piece, to which James Cromwell listened
in silence, with very little idea of what was being played. His eyes
were fixed rather on the young lady herself.
"How do you like it, Mr. Cromwell?"
"Very much, indeed," said Cromwell, hitching his chair a little nearer
the instrument, and then coloring, lest the movement should have been
observed.
"I think I will sing you something," said Clara. "I don't sing in
public, but before an intimate friend I do not feel so bashful."
The words "intimate friend," slipped out so easily and naturally that
she seemed unconscious of them, but they were intentional, and she
glanced out of the corners of her eyes to watch their effect. She saw
that Cromwell's eyes brightened, and the color came to his pale cheeks,
and then she knew that they had produced the effect which she intended.
"She is certainly very charming," thought Cromwell, "and she is very
friendly. I don't think I ever met a young lady so attractive."
"He's getting in love," said Clara to herself. "It'll be fun to see him
when he gets quite carried away by the tender passion. I've heard of
eloquent eyes, but I don't think his are capable of looking like
anything except those of a ferret. Well, I'll see the play through."
She accordingly sang the well-known song, "Then I'll Remember Thee,"
putting into it as much meaning as possible, and occasionally glancing
in a languishing manner at the young man, who sat uneasily in his chair,
and began to feel all the symptoms of love. He sat as if spell-bound
when she had finished.
"Why don't you compliment me, Mr. Cromwell?" she said, turning round,
with a smile. "Do you know you are wanting in your duty, sir? Every
young lady expects to be complimented, when she has done a young
gentleman the favor to sing to him."
"It was because I was so charmed," said James Cromwell, with more
readiness than might have been expected. "I was so charmed that I was
incapable of saying a word."
"I am afraid you are like the rest of your sex, a sad flatterer, Mr.
Cromwell," said the young lady, shaking her head, with a smile. "You
don't expect me to believe that, now, do you?"
"Yes, I do, Miss Manton, for it is perfectly true," said James Cromwell,
plucking up courage; "you sing like a nightingale."
"Do I? I was so afraid you'd say like an owl, or something else
uncomplimentary. As you have behaved so well, I must sing you something
more."
So the evening passed. The young lady paid assiduous attention to her
visitor, and when they parted her task was accomplished. James Cromwell
was in love.