dorsed every one of them.
True, he afterwards took himself to task for his vanity; and with
expansive bluntness, told Yanna that her brother was just as fine a
fellow in homespun as in broadcloth; but the broadcloth image remained
with him, and he could not help some very pertinent private
reflections on the value of culture and good society, as exemplified
in his own family.
Yanna did not sleep much. All night long she heard the voices and the
carriages of the people going to or coming from the ball; and the
solemn stillness of the early morning was offended by their vacant
laughter, or noisy chattering. She was glad to be called from restless
and unhappy slumber, to the positive comfort of daylight and day's
work. But she did not see Antony again until the dinner hour. He was
then in high spirits, and quite inclined to talk of the entertainment.
"It was very like the Van Praaghs' and the Gilberts' affair," he said.
"The same people were there, and I think they wore the same
dresses--white and fussy, and flary, flowery things, you know, Yanna.
But Rose Filmer was unlike every other woman."
"Was she handsome? Well dressed? In good spirits? Kind? and in all her
other best moods?"
"Yanna, she was in every way perfection. Her dress was wonderful. And,
oh! the lift of her head, and the curl of her lip, and her step like a
queen's! She was charming! She was sweet, oh, so sweet!"
Yanna smiled at his enthusiastic admiration of her friend, but Peter
said nothing until they were alone. Then he turned to his son, and
asked: "Antony, are you thinking of falling in love with Miss
Filmer?"
"I have been in love with her ever since I first saw her."
"You could not ask a girl like that to be your wife. She has been
brought up to luxury; she could not bear poverty."
"I shall not ask her to bear poverty, father. If I had been a poor man
I should have gone back west, long ago."
Peter looked inquisitively at his son, and Antony answered his query.
"I have said nothing so far about money; because in your house it
seemed mean to talk of my riches. I know that you have worked so hard
for the competence you possess; and my good fortune has been simple
luck. I had a few thousand dollars, and because the care of them
troubled me, I made some investments without much consideration. Every
one was flushed with success. Then I made others, and again others,
and I suppose my very ignorance induced fortune to bring in my ship
for
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