In spît v Ūdolfo n ɖ dres-mcr, hvr, ɖ parti fṛm Pŭltni Strīt rīćt ɖ Upr Rūmz in vri gd tîm. Ɖ Ʈorps n Jemz Morḷnd wr ɖr onli tū minits bfr ɖm; n Iẓbela hvñ gn ʈru ɖ yźl seṛmońl v mītñ hr frend wɖ ɖ most smîlñ n afx́ṇt hest, v admîrñ ɖ set v hr gǎn, n enviyñ ɖ crl v hr hr, ɖe foloud ɖer śaṗronz, arm in arm, intu ɖ bōlrūm, ẃisṗrñ t ć uɖr ẃnvr a ʈt ocŕd, n s’playñ ɖ ples v mni îdiyz bî a sqīz v ɖ hand or a smîl v afx́n.
Ɖ dansñ bgan wɖn a fy minits aftr ɖe wr sītd; n Jemz, hu hd bn ingejd qt az loñ az hiz sistr, wz vri imporćṇt wɖ Iẓbela t stand p; bt Jon wz gn intu ɖ cardrūm t spīc t a frend, n nʈñ, ś dclerd, śd indys hr t jôn ɖ set bfr hr dir Caʈrin cd jôn it tù. “I aśur y,” sd ś, “I wd nt stand p wɖǎt yr dir sistr fr ol ɖ wrld; fr f I dd w śd srtnli b seṗretd ɖ hol īvnñ.” Caʈrin axptd ɖs cîndnis wɖ grattyd, n ɖe cntinyd az ɖe wr fr ʈri minits longr, ẃn Iẓbela, hu hd bn tōcñ t Jemz on ɖ uɖr sîd v hr, trnd agn t hiz sistr n ẃisprd, “Mî dir crīćr, I am afreid I mst līv y, yr bruɖr z so amezñli impeśnt t bgin; I nǒ y wl nt mînd mî gwñ awe, n I der se Jon wl b bac in a momnt, n ɖen y me īẓli fînd m ǎt.” Caʈrin, ɖo a litl dis’pôntd, hd tù mć gd nećr t mc eni opziśn, n ɖ uɖrz rîzñ p, Iẓbela hd onli tîm t pres hr frend’z hand n se, “Gdbî, mî dir luv,” bfr ɖe hurid of. Ɖ yungr Mis Ʈorps biyñ olso dansñ, Caʈrin wz left t ɖ mrsi v Msz Ʈorp n Msz Aḷn, btwn hūm ś nǎ rmend. Ś cd nt hlp biyñ vxt at ɖ non-apiṛns v Mr Ʈorp, fr ś nt onli loñd t b dansñ, bt wz lîcwz awer ɖt, az ɖ riyl digṇti v hr sićueśn cd nt b noun, ś wz śẹrñ wɖ ɖ scorz v uɖr yuñ lediz stl sitñ dǎn ol ɖ dscredit v wontñ a partnr. T b dsgrest in ɖ î v ɖ wrld, t wer ɖ apiṛns v inf̣mi ẃl hr hart z ol pyṛti, hr ax́nz ol iṇsns, n ɖ msconduct v anɖr ɖ tru sors v hr dbesmnt, z wn v ɖoz srcmstansz ẃć pkłrli b’loñ t ɖ herǒin’z lîf, n hr forttyd undr it ẃt ptiklrli digṇfîz hr caṛctr. Caʈrin hd forttyd tù; ś sufrd, bt no mrmr pást hr lips.
Fṛm ɖs stet v hymilieśn, ś wz rǎzd, at ɖ end v ten minits, t a plezntr fīlñ, bî siyñ, nt Mr Ʈorp, bt Mr Tilni, wɖn ʈri yardz v ɖ ples ẃr ɖe sat; h sīmd t b muvñ ɖt we, bt h dd nt si hr, n ɖrfr ɖ smîl n ɖ bluś, ẃć hiz sudn ri’piṛns rezd in Caʈrin, pást awe wɖǎt suliyñ hr hrǒic importns. H lct az hansm n az lîvli az evr, n wz tōcñ wɖ inṭrest t a faśṇbl n plizñ-lcñ yuñ wmn, hu lent on hiz arm, n hūm Caʈrin imījtli gést t b hiz sistr; ɖus unʈncñli ʈrowñ awe a fer oṗtyṇti v cnsidrñ him lost t hr fr evr, bî biyñ marid olrdi. Bt gîdd onli bî ẃt wz simpl n probbl, it hd nvr entrd hr hed ɖt Mr Tilni cd b marid; h hd nt bhevd, h hd nt tōct, lîc ɖ marid men t hūm ś hd bn yst; h hd nvr mnśnd a wîf, n h hd acnolijd a sistr. Fṛm ɖz srcmstansz sprañ ɖ instnt cncluźn v hiz sistr’z nǎ biyñ bî hiz sîd; n ɖrfr, instd v trnñ v a deʈlîc pelnis n fōlñ in a fit on Msz Aḷn’z bŭzm, Caʈrin sat irect, in ɖ prfict ys v hr snsz, n wɖ ćīcs onli a litl redr ɖn yźl.
Mr Tilni n hiz cmpańn, hu cntinyd, ɖo slǒli, t aproć, wr imījtli prisidd bî a ledi, an aqentns v Msz Ʈorp; n ɖs ledi stopñ t spīc t hr, ɖe, az b’loññ t hr, stopt lîcwz, n Caʈrin, caćñ Mr Tilni’z î, instntli rsivd fṛm him ɖ smîlñ tribyt v recgniśn. Ś rtrnd it wɖ pleźr, n ɖen advansñ stl nirr, h spouc bʈ t hr n Msz Aḷn, bî hūm h wz vri siṿli acnolijd. “I am vri hapi t si y agn, sr, indd; I wz afreid y hd left Baʈ.” H ʈanct hr fr hr firz, n sd ɖt h hd qitd it fr a wīc, on ɖ vri mornñ aftr hiz hvñ hd ɖ pleźr v siyñ hr.
“Wel, sr, n I der se y r nt sori t b bac agn, fr it z jst ɖ ples fr yuñ ppl—n indd fr evrbdi els tù. I tel Mr Aḷn, ẃn h tōcs v biyñ sic v it, ɖt I am śr h śd nt cmplen, fr it z so vri agriybl a ples, ɖt it z mć betr t b hir ɖn at hom at ɖs dul tîm v yir. I tel him h z qt in luc t b snt hir fr hiz hlʈ.”
“N I hop, madm, ɖt Mr Aḷn wl b oblîjd t lîc ɖ ples, fṛm fîndñ it v srvis t him.”
“Ʈanc y, sr. I hv no dǎt ɖt h wl. A nebr v ǎrz, Dr Scinr, wz hir fr hiz hlʈ last wintr, n cem awe qt stǎt.”
“Ɖt srcmstans mst gv gret incurijmnt.”
“Yes, sr—n Dr Scinr n hiz faṃli wr hir ʈri munʈs; so I tel Mr Aḷn h mst nt b in a huri t gt awe.”
Hir ɖe wr inṭruptd bî a rqst fṛm Msz Ʈorp t Msz Aḷn, ɖt ś wd muv a litl t acoṃdet Msz Hȳz n Mis Tilni wɖ sīts, az ɖe hd agrìd t jôn ɖer parti. Ɖs wz acordñli dn, Mr Tilni stl cntinywñ standñ bfr ɖm; n aftr a fy minits’ cnsiḍreśn, h asct Caʈrin t dans wɖ him. Ɖs complimnt, dlîtfl az it wz, pṛdyst svir mortif̣ceśn t ɖ ledi; n in gvñ hr dnayl, ś xprest hr soro on ɖ oceźn so vri mć az f ś riyli flt it ɖt hd Ʈorp, hu jônd hr jst aftwdz, bn haf a minit rlịr, h mt hv ʈt hr suf̣rñz rɖr tù akt. Ɖ vri īzi manr in ẃć h ɖen tld hr ɖt h hd cept hr wêtñ dd nt bî eni mīnz recnsîl hr mor t hr lot; nr dd ɖ ptiklrz ẃć h entrd intu ẃl ɖe wr standñ p, v ɖ horsz n dogz v ɖ frend hūm h hd jst left, n v a pṛpozd xćenj v terịrz btwn ɖm, inṭrest hr so mć az t privnt hr lcñ vri ofn twdz ɖt part v ɖ rūm ẃr ś hd left Mr Tilni. V hr dir Iẓbela, t hūm ś ptiklrli loñd t pônt ǎt ɖt jntlmn, ś cd si nʈñ. Ɖe wr in difṛnt sets. Ś wz seṗretd fṛm ol hr parti, n awe fṛm ol hr aqentns; wn mortif̣ceśn s’xidd anɖr, n fṛm ɖ hol ś ddyst ɖs ysfl lesn, ɖt t g prīvịsli ingejd t a bōl dz nt nesseṛli incris îɖr ɖ digṇti or injômnt v a yuñ ledi. Fṛm sć a moṛlîzñ stren az ɖs, ś wz sudnli rǎzd bî a tuć on ɖ śoldr, n trnñ rnd, psivd Msz Hȳz d’recli bhnd hr, atndd bî Mis Tilni n a jntlmn. “I beg yr pardn, Mis Morḷnd,” sd ś, “fr ɖs liḅti—bt I canot enhǎ gt t Mis Ʈorp, n Msz Ʈorp sd ś wz śr y wd nt hv ɖ līst objx́n t letñ in ɖs yuñ ledi bî y.” Msz Hȳz cd nt hv aplaid t eni crīćr in ɖ rūm mor hapi t oblîj hr ɖn Caʈrin. Ɖ yuñ lediz wr intṛdyst t ć uɖr, Mis Tilni xpresñ a propr sns v sć gdnis, Mis Morḷnd wɖ ɖ riyl delic̣si v a jenṛs mînd mcñ lît v ɖ obḷgeśn; n Msz Hȳz, saṭsfaid wɖ hvñ so rspctbli setld hr yuñ ćarj, rtrnd t hr parti.
Mis Tilni hd a gd figr, a priti fes, n a vri agriybl cǎntinns; n hr er, ɖo it hd nt ol ɖ dsîdd pritnśn, ɖ reẓlut stîliśnis v Mis Ʈorp’s, hd mor riyl eligns. Hr manrz śoud gd sns n gd brīdñ; ɖe wr nɖr śî nr afctidli opn; n ś sīmd ceṗbl v biyñ yuñ, atractiv, n at a bōl wɖǎt wontñ t fix ɖ atnśn v evri man nir hr, n wɖǎt xaɉretd fīlñz v xtatic dlît or incnsivbl vxeśn on evri litl trîf̣lñ ocuṛns. Caʈrin, inṭrestd at wns bî hr apiṛns n hr rleśnśp t Mr Tilni, wz dzîṛs v biyñ aqentd wɖ hr, n reḍli tōct ɖrfr ẃnvr ś cd ʈnc v enʈñ t se, n hd curij n leźr fr seyñ it. Bt ɖ hindṛns ʈroun in ɖ we v a vri spīdi intiṃsi, bî ɖ frīqnt wont v wn or mor v ɖz reqzits, privntd ɖer dwñ mor ɖn gwñ ʈru ɖ frst rūdimnts v an aqentns, bî informñ ɖmslvz hǎ wel ɖ uɖr lîct Baʈ, hǎ mć ś admîrd its bildñz n srǎndñ cuntri, ẃɖr ś drù, or pleid, or sañ, n ẃɖr ś wz fond v rîdñ on horsbac.
Ɖ tū dansz wr scersli cncludd bfr Caʈrin faund hr arm jntli sizd bî hr feʈfl Iẓbela, hu in gret spirits xclemd, “At last I hv got y. Mî dirist crīćr, I hv bn lcñ fr y ɖs aur. Ẃt cd indys y t cm intu ɖs set, ẃn y ń I wz in ɖ uɖr? I hv bn qt rećid wɖǎt y.”
“Mî dir Iẓbela, hǎ wz it poṣbl fr m t gt at y? I cd nt īvn si ẃr y wr.”
“So I tld yr bruɖr ol ɖ tîm—bt h wd nt b’liv m. D g n si fr hr, Mr Morḷnd, sd I—bt ol in ven—h wd nt str an inć. Wz nt it so, Mr Morḷnd? Bt y men r ol so imodṛtli lezi! I hv bn scoldñ him t sć a dgri, mî dir Caʈrin, y wd b qt amezd. Y nǒ I nvr stand upn seriṃni wɖ sć ppl.”
“Lc at ɖt yuñ ledi wɖ ɖ ẃît bīdz rnd hr hed,” ẃisprd Caʈrin, dtaćñ hr frend fṛm Jemz. “It z Mr Tilni’z sistr.”
“Ǒ! Hevnz! Y d’nt se so! Let m lc at hr ɖs momnt. Ẃt a dlîtfl grl! I nvr sw enʈñ haf so bytifl! Bt ẃr z hr ol-conc̣rñ bruɖr? Z h in ɖ rūm? Pônt him ǎt t m ɖs instnt, f h z. I dî t si him. Mr Morḷnd, y r nt t lisn. W r nt tōcñ abt y.”
“Bt ẃt z ol ɖs ẃisṗrñ abt? Ẃt z gwñ on?”
“Ɖr nǎ, I ń hǎ it wd b. Y men hv sć restlis krioṣti! Tōc v ɖ krioṣti v wimin, indd! ’tiz nʈñ. Bt b saṭsfaid, fr y r nt t nǒ enʈñ at ol v ɖ matr.”
“N z ɖt lîcli t saṭsfî m, d y ʈnc?”
“Wel, I dcler I nvr ń enʈñ lîc y. Ẃt cn it sigṇfî t y, ẃt w r tōcñ v. Phps w r tōcñ abt y; ɖrfr I wd advîz y nt t lisn, or y me hapn t hír smʈñ nt vri agriybl.”
In ɖs comnples ćatr, ẃć lastd sm tîm, ɖ orijnl subjict sīmd intîrli fgotn; n ɖo Caʈrin wz vri wel plizd t hv it dropt fr a ẃl, ś cd nt avôd a litl sspiśn at ɖ totl sspnśn v ol Iẓbela’z impeśnt dzîr t si Mr Tilni. Ẃn ɖ orcistra struc p a freś dans, Jemz wd hv léd hiz fer partnr awe, bt ś rzistd. “I tel y, Mr Morḷnd,” ś craid, “I wd nt d sć a ʈñ fr ol ɖ wrld. Hǎ cn y b so tizñ; onli cnsiv, mî dir Caʈrin, ẃt yr bruɖr wonts m t d. H wonts m t dans wɖ him agn, ɖo I tel him ɖt it z a most impropr ʈñ, n intîrli agnst ɖ rūlz. It wd mc s ɖ tōc v ɖ ples, f w wr nt t ćenj partnrz.”
“Upn mî onr,” sd Jemz, “in ɖz public asmbliz, it z az ofn dn az nt.”
“Nonsns, hǎ cn y se so? Bt ẃn y men hv a pônt t cari, y nvr stic at enʈñ. Mî swīt Caʈrin, d s’port m; pswed yr bruɖr hǎ imposbl it z. Tel him ɖt it wd qt śoc y t si m d sć a ʈñ; nǎ wd nt it?”
“No, nt at ol; bt f y ʈnc it roñ, y hd mć betr ćenj.”
“Ɖr,” craid Iẓbela, “y hír ẃt yr sistr sz, n yt y wl nt mînd hr. Wel, rmembr ɖt it z nt mî fōlt, f w set ol ɖ old lediz in Baʈ in a busl. Cm alñ, mî dirist Caʈrin, fr hevn’z sec, n stand bî m.” N of ɖe wnt, t rgen ɖer formr ples. Jon Ʈorp, in ɖ mnẃl, hd wōct awe; n Caʈrin, evr wilñ t gv Mr Tilni an oṗtyṇti v rpitñ ɖ agriybl rqst ẃć hd olrdi flatrd hr wns, md hr we t Msz Aḷn n Msz Ʈorp az fast az ś cd, in ɖ hop v fîndñ him stl wɖ ɖm—a hop ẃć, ẃn it pruvd t b frūtlis, ś flt t hv bn hîli unrīzṇbl. “Wel, mî dir,” sd Msz Ʈorp, impeśnt fr prêz v hr sun, “I hop y hv hd an agriybl partnr.”
“Vri agriybl, madm.”
“I am glad v it. Jon hz ćarmñ spirits, hz nt h?”
“Dd y mīt Mr Tilni, mî dir?” sd Msz Aḷn.
“No, ẃr z h?”
“H wz wɖ s jst nǎ, n sd h wz so tîrd v lǎnjñ abt, ɖt h wz rzolvd t g n dans; so I ʈt phps h wd asc y, f h met wɖ y.”
“Ẃr cn h b?” sd Caʈrin, lcñ rnd; bt ś hd nt lct rnd loñ bfr ś sw him līdñ a yuñ ledi t ɖ dans.
“Ā! H hz got a partnr; I wś h hd asct y,” sd Msz Aḷn; n aftr a śort sîḷns, ś add, “h z a vri agriybl yuñ man.”
“Indd h z, Msz Aḷn,” sd Msz Ʈorp, smîlñ cmplesntli; “I mst se it, ɖo I am hiz muɖr, ɖt ɖr z nt a mor agriybl yuñ man in ɖ wrld.”
Ɖs in’plic̣bl ansr mt hv bn tù mć fr ɖ comprihnśn v mni; bt it dd nt puzl Msz Aḷn, fr aftr onli a momnt’s cnsiḍreśn, ś sd, in a ẃispr t Caʈrin, “I der se ś ʈt I wz spīcñ v hr sun.”
Caʈrin wz dis’pôntd n vxt. Ś sīmd t hv míst bî so litl ɖ vri objict ś hd hd in vy; n ɖs psweźn dd nt inclîn hr t a vri greśs rplî, ẃn Jon Ʈorp cem p t hr sn aftwdz n sd, “Wel, Mis Morḷnd, I s’poz y n I r t stand p n jig it tgɖr agn.”
“Ǒ, no; I am mć oblîjd t y, ǎr tū dansz r ovr; n, bsdz, I am tîrd, n d nt mīn t dans eni mor.”
“D nt y? Ɖen let s wōc abt n qiz ppl. Cm alñ wɖ m, n I wl śo y ɖ for gretist qizrz in ɖ rūm; mî tū yungr sistrz n ɖer partnrz. I hv bn lafñ at ɖm ɖs haf aur.”
Agn Caʈrin xkzd hrslf; n at last h wōct of t qiz hiz sistrz bî himslf. Ɖ rest v ɖ īvnñ ś faund vri dul; Mr Tilni wz drwn awe fṛm ɖer parti at ti, t atnd ɖt v hiz partnr; Mis Tilni, ɖo b’loññ t it, dd nt sit nir hr, n Jemz n Iẓbela wr so mć ingejd in cnvrsñ tgɖr ɖt ɖ latr hd no leźr t bsto mor on hr frend ɖn wn smîl, wn sqīz, n wn “dirist Caʈrin.”
