e spoke.

"That's Mrs. Simpson," said Harry, as they went on, "the Bird's wife.
Pretty little woman: what a pity she has that vulgar accent! She belongs
to New England originally; one finds many such girls here, every way
charming until they begin to talk. But I suppose you saw no difference
between her and any of us. In your ears we all speak with a barbarous
accent--at least you feel bound to think so."

"What do you think yourself? You have known a good many of my
countrymen, and heard them talk, and are able to make the comparison. Do
you, or do you not, find a difference?"

"To say the truth, I do; it is a thing I never think seriously of
denying, for it seems to me neither singular nor to be ashamed of. You
can tell an Irishman from a Londoner by his accent; so you can a
Scotchman; or a Yorkshireman for that matter: why should you not be able
to tell an American? The error of your countrymen consists in
attributing to all our people the nasal twang, which is almost peculiar
to one section of the country. If I were asked the peculiar
characteristic of a New-Yorker's speech, I should say _monotone_.
Notice any one of our young men--you will find his conversational voice
pitched in the same key. Sumner goes on at the same uniform growl,
Edwards in an unvaried buzz. When I first landed in England, I was
struck with the much greater variety of tone one hears in ordinary
conversation. Your women, especially, seemed to me always just going to
sing. And I fancied the address of the men affected--just as, very
likely, this monotone of ours seems affected to you."

"What I remark most is a hardness and dryness of voice, as if the
extremes of climate here had an injurious effect on the vocal organs."

"Perhaps they do; and yet I think you will find a better average of
singers, male and female, in our society than in yours, notwithstanding
our fashionables are so engrossed by dancing. Holla! here's Harrison.
How are you, old fellow? and how are the Texas Inconvertibles?"

It was indeed the broker, wandering moodily alone. What had he in common
with the rest of the company--the fops and flirts, the dancing men and
dancing women? The males all snubbed and despised him, from tall White
down to little Robinson; the women were hardly conscious of his
existence. He knew, too, that he could thrash any man there in a fair
stand-up fight, or buy out any three of them, ay, or talk any of them
down in the society of sensible and l