help tear the check-book out of money, is no
more of a mother than old Simonds was of a Solomon, when he made that
will which every one of us knows by heart quite as well as he knows the
constitution."

Here a buzz in the room drew the two young men a little aside, and for
a minute I heard nothing but indistinct phrases, in which "removal of
deposites," "panic," "General Jackson," and "revolution," were the only
words I could fairly understand. Presently, however, the young men
dropped back into their former position, and the dialogue proceeded.

{General Jackson... = President Andrew Jackson in 1833 withdrew the
federal government deposits from the Bank of the United States, leading
to a major financial panic}

"There!" exclaimed Ned, in a voice louder than was prudent, "THAT is
what I call an escape! That cursed handkerchief was very near taking me
in. I call it swindling to make such false pretensions."

"It might be very awkward with one who was not properly on his guard;
but with the right sort there is very little danger."

Here the two elegants led out a couple of heiresses to dance; and I
heard no more of them or of their escapes. Lest the reader, however,
should be misled, I wish to add, that these two worthies are not to be
taken as specimens of New York morality at all--no place on earth being
more free from fortune-hunters, or of a higher tone of social morals in
this delicate particular. As I am writing for American readers, I wish
to say, that all they are told of the vices of OLD countries, on the
other side of the Atlantic, is strictly true; while all that is said,
directly, or by implication, of the vices and faults of this happy
young country, is just so much calumny. The many excellent friends I
have made, since my arrival in this hemisphere, has bound my heart to
them to all eternity; and I will now proceed with my philosophical and
profound disquisitions on what I have seen, with a perfect confidence
that I shall receive credit, and an independence of opinion that is
much too dear to me to consent to place it in question. But to return
to facts.

{elegants = dandies}

I was restored to Eudosia, with a cold, reserved look, by a lady into
whose hands I had passed, that struck me as singular, as shown to the
owner of such an article. It was not long, however, before I
discovered, to use a homely phrase, that something had happened; and I
was not altogether without curiosity to know what that s