into active life. I do believe, if my brother could have got
back to France, he would have written a book on America, which, while
it overlooked many vices and foibles that deserve to be cut up without
mercy, would have thrown even de Tocqueville into the shade in the way
of political blunders. But I forbear; this latter writer being
unanswerable among those neophytes who having never thought of their
own system, unless as Englishmen, are overwhelmed with admiration at
finding any thing of another character advanced about it. At least,
such are the sentiments entertained by a very high priced
pocket-handkerchief.

{magasin = shop; ex-officio = by virtue of his position--Cooper
frequently criticized American diplomats for taking on the conservative
views of the monarchial governments to which they were accredited; oi
polloi = common people, rabble (Greek); de Tocqueville = Alexis de
Tocqueville = French writer (1805-1859), famous for his account of
American culture, "Democracy in America" (1835 and 1840)--Cooper had
provided Tocqueville with letters of introduction for his 1832 American
visit, but resented the extreme admiration accorded his book}

Mademoiselle Hennequin, I took occasion to remark, occupied much of the
attention of Betts Shoreham, at Mrs. Leamington's ball. They understood
each other perfectly, though the young man could not get over the
feeling created by the governess's manner when she first met with me.
Throughout the evening, indeed, her eye seemed studiously averted from
me, as if she struggled to suppress certain sentiments or sensations,
that she was unwilling to betray. Now, these sentiments, if sentiments
they were, or sensations, as they were beyond all dispute, might be
envy--repinings at another's better fortunes--or they might be excited
by philosophical and commendable reflections touching those follies
which so often lead the young and thoughtless into extravagance. Betts
tried hard to believe them the last, though, in his inmost heart, he
would a thousand times rather that the woman he loved should smile on a
weakness of this sort, in a girl of her own age, than that she should
show herself to be prematurely wise, if it was wisdom purchased at the
expense of the light-heartedness and sympathies of her years and sex.
On a diminished scale, I had awakened in his bosom some such uneasy
distrust as the pocket-handkerchief of Desdemona is known to have
aroused in that of the Moor.

{Shakesp