accusations of being "aristocratic"; poor Poles = since his days in
Paris in the early 1830s, Cooper had befriended and aided Poles fleeing
Russian domination of their homeland}

"What an exceedingly aristocratic pocket-handkerchief Miss Monson has
this evening," observed Mrs. G. to Mr. W., as we passed into Mrs.
Leamington's rooms, that evening; "I don't know when I've seen any
thing so aristocratic in society."

"The Monsons are very aristocratic in all things; I understand they
dine at six."

"Yes," put in Miss F., "and use finger bowls every day."

"How aristocratic!"

"Very--they even say that since they have come back from Europe, the
last time, matters are pushed farther than ever. The ladies insist on
kneeling at prayers, instead of inclining, like all the rest of the
world."

"Did one ever hear of any thing so aristocratic!"

"They DO say, but I will not vouch for its truth, that Mr. and Mrs.
Monson insist on all their children calling them 'father' and 'mother,'
instead of 'pa' and 'ma.'"

"Why, Mr. W., that is downright monarchical, is it not?"

"It's difficult to say what is, and what is not monarchical,
now-a-days; though I think one is pretty safe in pronouncing it
anti-republican."

"It is patriarchal, rather," observed a wit, who belonged to the group.

Into this "aristocratical" set I was now regularly introduced. Many
longing and curious eyes were drawn toward me, though the company in
this house was generally too well bred to criticise articles of dress
very closely. Still, in every country, aristocracy, monarchy, or
democracy, there are privileged classes, and in all companies
privileged persons. One of the latter took the liberty of asking Julia
to leave me in her keeping, while the other danced, and I was thus
temporarily transferred to a circle, in which several other
pocket-handkerchiefs had been collected, with a view to compare our
several merits and demerits. The reader will judge of my surprise,
when, the examination being ended, and the judgment being rendered
altogether in my favor, I found myself familiarly addressed by the name
that I bore in the family circle, or, as No. 7; for
pocket-handkerchiefs never speak to each other except on the principle
of decimals. It was No. 12, or my relative of the extreme cote gauche,
who had strangely enough found his way into this very room, and was now
lying cheek by jowl with me again, in old Mrs. Eyelet's lap. Family
affection made us