"He IS distinguished,or will be.He's a particular friend of Ida's,and is as rich as Croesus.""Three items in his favor,"said Mrs.Mayhew complacently;"but Ida has so many friends,or beaux,rather,that I can't keep track of them.Her friends speedily become furnace-like lovers,or else escape for their lives into the dim and remote region of mere bowing acquaintanceship.I once tried to keep a list of the various and variegated gentlemen with red whiskers and black whiskers,with whiskers sandy,brown,and occasionally almost white,but borrowing a golden hue from their purses,that appeared and disappeared so rapidly,as to almost make me dizzy.I was about as bewildered as the poor Indian who sought to take the census of London by notching a stick for every passer-by he met.And now before we are through supper on the first evening of our arrival,another appears,who is evidently an eligible 'parti'and twice as good as the minx deserves;but in a few days he,too,will vanish into thin air,and another and different style of man will take his place.Mark my words,Ida,you will be through the woods before long,and Iexpect you will take up with the crookedest of crooked sticks on the farther side,"and the voluble Mrs.Mayhew resumed her supper with a zest which this dismal prospect did not by any means impair.
"If I were in search of a crabbed,crooked stick,I would not have to look farther than yonder table,"said the young lady,petulantly.
"What you suppose about that dabbler in paint is about as far from the truth as your sketch of those who are my friends.That man never was my friend,and never shall be.I don't want you to get acquainted with him or speak to him.You must not introduce him to me,for if you do,I shall be rude to him.""Hoity-toity!what's the matter?"
"I don't like him.Only Ik thinks he's wonderful.He has probably blinded our cousin to his faults by painting a flattering likeness of the vain youth here.""But in suggesting another portrait that was not altogether pleasing,he sinned beyond hope,"whispered Stanton.
Ida bit her lip and frowned,recalling the obnoxious artist's portrait of herself as giggling and flirting through one of Beethoven's symphonies;and she said spitefully:
"He can never hope for anything from me.""Poor,hopeless wretch!"groaned Stanton."How can he sip his tea yonder so complacently oblivious of his doom?""Mother,I'm in earnest,"resumed the daughter."I have reasons for disliking that man,and I do not wish the annoyance of his acquaintance.""Well,well,"said Mrs.Mayhew;"as long as the wind blows from that cool quarter,we can keep cool till it changes.If I mistake not,he is the same gentleman who met us in the corridor.I'm sure he has fine manners.""If it is fine manners in a man to nearly run over two ladies,he is perfect.But I am sick of hearing about him,and especially of seeing him.I insist,Ik,that you have our table changed to yonder corner,and then arrange it so that I can sit with my back towards him.""I am your Caliban,but would hint,my amiable Coz,that you should not bite off your own pretty nose in spite.Must all your kin join in this bitter feud?May I not smoke with my ancient familiar?""Oh,be off,and if you and your friend disappear like your cigars,the world will survive.""I fear it is because my friend will never dissolve in sighs that you are so willing he should end in smoke."Having winged this Parthian arrow over his shoulder,Stanton strolled out on the piazza whither Van Berg had preceded him.